Reflections: summarized overall

Reflections_181005

Triangle:  what stood out for me today?

1.  Loved the walk over to the James Tyrell piece.  I kept wanting to throw myself onto the soft grass!

2.  I have great memories of this space because we did an improvisational dance piece there in one of my somatic practice classes.  I was remembering the experience and realizing that I can use that visualization as part of a mindful meditation practice.

3.  "Be a warrior for yourself!"  This comment really hit me.  When I'm in my engineering mindset, I'm a warrior.  :-)

Square:  what is most compelling today?

The warrior comment really hit me, and I think that's the most powerful thought for today.

Circle:  a question?

How can I make fun today?  What can I do to channel Walt Disney?

Reflections_180928

Triangle:  what stood out for me today?

1.  Tap into the Inner Voice of Persistence when doing a mindfulness meditation.

2.  The surprise about Risk is that it leads to finding trust.

3.  Flow is a state of high self-efficacy + high challenge.  

Square:  what is most compelling today?

This is all about using stress to advance my creative effort, my discovery process.  Spark flow with just enough of a challenge to help motivate, but not so much that I shut down.  When stress seems too much, pause and take 5 breaths.

Circle:  question

Regarding emotion vs. time, what is generally better -- to manage anger (for example) and then spark it to create change, or let it out early to define boundaries?


Reflections_180921

Triangle:  things that stand out

1.  Important conversation around goal setting.  Important not to spike dopamine so we don't think the goal is already accomplished.  Do not share it with others.

2.  Visualize myself having more self-efficacy:  do the "wonder woman" stance.  

3.  Affirmations:  put them on index cards and have them by bedside, along with in notebook.  Do not tell anyone the affirmations.

Square:  most compelling take-away

"The broader your comfort zone, the less stress you'll experience and bigger you'll be."  This resonated with me because I've always been one to have broad horizons, and it has only been in the past few years that I've experienced the constriction of my comfort zone.  Since this was a new experience for me, I really didn't have the knowledge of how to cope with what felt like an annihilation of my psyche.  I'm learning how to bring only co-spirits into my meadow and leave everyone else on the stage.  This is helping me to find my voice again.

Circle:  question

I don't recall what I wrote in class, but a good question for this week would be:  how can I use the VOJ for good rather than evil?

Reflections_180914

Triangle

1.  The breathing exercise was great:

In -- Out

Deep -- Slow

Calm -- Ease

As is -- I'm here

2.  The Grip:  ouch!  This is all too common.  Great conversation with loved ones.

3.  Resilience is about your self-efficacy:

A  Adverse event

B  How you cope with it (Beliefs)

C  Consequence

Square

What resonates most?  Conversation about the Comfort Zone.  It reminded me of my AME PhD experience because I entered into the program with almost unlimited openness to experience, new ideas, and new learning.  After 3 years, I exited with fear, trauma, and severely reduced ability to entertain new things.  It illustrates to me that one must be very careful in the world to avoid people and situations that are detrimental to one's ability to flourish.

Circle

I'm wary of goals because I've learned that specifying goals with too much detail can fool the brain into believing that the goal has already been achieved, thereby dulling motivation.  I believe there have been recent studies on this topic.  I'm interested in hearing thoughts and discussion about how people set goals that are motivating.

Reflections_180907

I missed class today because we're in Hawaii.  But, I was able to have a breakthrough in my thoughts about creativity.  Here it goes...

I was struggling with a metaphor for my creative process because I have a conflict.  I think of myself as being extremely imaginative, but "creating" things makes life messy and complicated.  I'm very intolerant of details and complexity, and I've spent a lot of time over the past few years cleaning up messes that were generated as a result of my actions around creative inspiration.  

What to do?

I realized this week that creativity for me is a process of discovery.  I merely uncover things that are already there, rather than creating them.  As a discoverer of things that are already there, I am not responsible for managing, organizing or dismantling them.  They have a life of their own.

Since I figured this out, I've felt much better about how life is going, and I'm feeling much more free to do things without constraining myself with expectations or responsibility.

My metaphor is the Laysan Albatross who soars high above the Pacific Ocean, following the unseen undersea ridges where cold water rises to the surface carrying krill for the Albatross to eat.

(Note: I took the photo of the Laysan Albatross nesting on the North Shore of Kauai.)

Reflections_180831

Triangle

1.  Design thinking:  Empathy --> Define --> Ideation --> Prototype --> Test

2.  If you're stuck, it helps to approach the problem in an entirely new way.  Break out of the normal habit.

3.  Become a critical friend.

Square

I have a small collection of critical friends, including John, Grisha and Bruce.  They tell me the truth, and they are exceptionally kind.  I want to become more skilled and capability in areas of interest to me, including all aspects of invention.

Circle

I'm wondering if we can discuss Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process?  Perhaps some exercises in peer critiques?  I think this would be very helpful.

 Reflections_180824

 triangle = 3 take-aways

  square = the thing that resonated most

  circle = question

Triangle

1.  Meditation can make a huge difference in our ability to manage daily stress, and contributes to creativity.

2.  Severe depression can be helped by Movement, Music, Art Therapy and a Gratitude Journal (savor for 20-30 seconds).

3.  How to break through a creative impasse:

  • Name how you're feeling
  • Say what you're grateful for
  • Make a "doable" decision
  • Give someone a hug

Square

When something is intimidating, just be curious and ask questions!

Circle

Sometimes I know what will make me feel better, and it's as though I deliberately don't do it.  An example is exercise.  When I'm really feeling stuck, I know I could go for a fast walk and feel better, but I don't do it.  So, I spend much more time feeling worthless and stuck.  What can I do to reverse that?

Reflections_180817

From class today, we were introduced to the triangle/square/circle concept, where 

  triangle = 3 take-aways

  square = the thing that resonated most

  circle = question

From today's class, here are the observations:

Triangle

  • self-care is OK
  • I have a persistent issue to resolve
  • This is a non-judgmental and supportive class.

Square

I'm in the right place right now.

Circle

I need to beak through to get unstuck!  How do I break through?

Reflections_180928

Reflections_180928

Triangle:  what stood out for me today?

1.  Tap into the Inner Voice of Persistence when doing a mindfulness meditation.

2.  The surprise about Risk is that it leads to finding trust.

3.  Flow is a state of high self-efficacy + high challenge.  

Square:  what is most compelling today?

This is all about using stress to advance my creative effort, my discovery process.  Spark flow with just enough of a challenge to help motivate, but not so much that I shut down.  When stress seems too much, pause and take 5 breaths.

Circle:  question

Regarding emotion vs. time, what is generally better -- to manage anger (for example) and then spark it to create change, or let it out early to define boundaries?


Reflections_180921

Reflections_180921

Triangle:  things that stand out

1.  Important conversation around goal setting.  Important not to spike dopamine so we don't think the goal is already accomplished.  Do not share it with others.

2.  Visualize myself having more self-efficacy:  do the "wonder woman" stance.  

3.  Affirmations:  put them on index cards and have them by bedside, along with in notebook.  Do not tell anyone the affirmations.

Square:  most compelling take-away

"The broader your comfort zone, the less stress you'll experience and bigger you'll be."  This resonated with me because I've always been one to have broad horizons, and it has only been in the past few years that I've experienced the constriction of my comfort zone.  Since this was a new experience for me, I really didn't have the knowledge of how to cope with what felt like an annihilation of my psyche.  I'm learning how to bring only co-spirits into my meadow and leave everyone else on the stage.  This is helping me to find my voice again.

Circle:  question

I don't recall what I wrote in class, but a good question for this week would be:  how can I use the VOJ for good rather than evil?