Don't forget - if you want to get in on my Valentine's Day card action, I need your snail mail address ASAP and absolutely no later than 7am GMT on Tuesday, 9 February!
I've had some reports of people e-mailing me but not getting a response. If I haven't responded to your e-mail, then for some reason I haven't received it. Please click here to e-mail me! This e-mail link will only work until Tuesday morning, so write to me tonight!
Monday, February 8, 2010
I am an emotional creature
Today I watched Eve Ensler's TED talk from November 2009 in India, Embrace Your Inner Girl.
Because it's Ensler, it's not what you might expect from the title. "Embrace your inner girl" means to do away with the socially-induced compulsion to please that mutes your identity, and embrace your intrinsically vulnerable, sensitive, compassionate, intuitive, emotional core. It's about being an emotional creature, and being perfectly at east with that as well. She connects this idea of the "girl self" to both males and females, but the examples she speaks about and wrote about in her book that will be released on Wednesday are all teenage girls because that is where and when the backward shift in the mentality happens.
As her talk progressed, I felt a sensation inside like something was overflowing within me. It wasn't just listening to her stories - which are themselves powerful, horrifying, uplifting stories - that caused this. Her message is phenomenal, but her delivery struck a much deeper chord in me. It was the real, raw passion and emotion she displayed during her talk. She was 100% committed to everything coming out of her mouth: these stories were her story, our story, everyone's story. She got emotional about it. And when she put away her notes, her devotion to, passion for, and belief in this project shone out like a spotlight.
Next week on Tuesday I've been invited to give what Ivory Towerites call a "job talk" as part of the interview for the one Stateside job I might be interested in. It's a 40-minute academic lecture on "[my] research in the context of East Asian art history." First of all, that seemingly generous topic is just enough rope to hang yourself with. Second, there are two things you want your audience to take away from a job talk: whatever your message is, and that you are the best candidate for the job. It's hard to know which should have top priority when you know that both you and your ideas stand to swing by the hangman's noose.
To prepare, I've been reading books like slide:ology and Presentation Zen. What these books all come down to in the end is message, visual story, and delivery: a clear, convincing message expressed in a simple, illuminating visual story, presented with passion and without notes to connect personally with the audience.
Whatever I feel about academia as a whole, I am emotionally attached to my research, and rightly so after seven years. As topics go, it's an underdog, and I love me some underdog. Plus, whether this performance turns out to be my opening number or my swan song, I want it to rock the crowd. Ensler showed me that my talk would really benefit from a good dose of the passion and emotion that make TED talks so compelling, because passionate is what I am about the topic even if I have to subdue that energy into smartypants adjectives in my dissertation and at most conferences.
If next Tuesday is my one shot to teach the audience about this topic, then I'm definitely not content to be cold and detached and academic about it. I want to present with all the strength of feeling inside that spills over my edges because I am an emotional creature, and I own my passion for this topic.
*Image credit
Because it's Ensler, it's not what you might expect from the title. "Embrace your inner girl" means to do away with the socially-induced compulsion to please that mutes your identity, and embrace your intrinsically vulnerable, sensitive, compassionate, intuitive, emotional core. It's about being an emotional creature, and being perfectly at east with that as well. She connects this idea of the "girl self" to both males and females, but the examples she speaks about and wrote about in her book that will be released on Wednesday are all teenage girls because that is where and when the backward shift in the mentality happens.
As her talk progressed, I felt a sensation inside like something was overflowing within me. It wasn't just listening to her stories - which are themselves powerful, horrifying, uplifting stories - that caused this. Her message is phenomenal, but her delivery struck a much deeper chord in me. It was the real, raw passion and emotion she displayed during her talk. She was 100% committed to everything coming out of her mouth: these stories were her story, our story, everyone's story. She got emotional about it. And when she put away her notes, her devotion to, passion for, and belief in this project shone out like a spotlight.
Next week on Tuesday I've been invited to give what Ivory Towerites call a "job talk" as part of the interview for the one Stateside job I might be interested in. It's a 40-minute academic lecture on "[my] research in the context of East Asian art history." First of all, that seemingly generous topic is just enough rope to hang yourself with. Second, there are two things you want your audience to take away from a job talk: whatever your message is, and that you are the best candidate for the job. It's hard to know which should have top priority when you know that both you and your ideas stand to swing by the hangman's noose.
To prepare, I've been reading books like slide:ology and Presentation Zen. What these books all come down to in the end is message, visual story, and delivery: a clear, convincing message expressed in a simple, illuminating visual story, presented with passion and without notes to connect personally with the audience.
Whatever I feel about academia as a whole, I am emotionally attached to my research, and rightly so after seven years. As topics go, it's an underdog, and I love me some underdog. Plus, whether this performance turns out to be my opening number or my swan song, I want it to rock the crowd. Ensler showed me that my talk would really benefit from a good dose of the passion and emotion that make TED talks so compelling, because passionate is what I am about the topic even if I have to subdue that energy into smartypants adjectives in my dissertation and at most conferences.
If next Tuesday is my one shot to teach the audience about this topic, then I'm definitely not content to be cold and detached and academic about it. I want to present with all the strength of feeling inside that spills over my edges because I am an emotional creature, and I own my passion for this topic.
*Image credit
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Yogini's Choice: 7 February 2010
Yogini's Choice is a collection of inspiring and thought-provoking items on a variety of topics sourced from around the web and world, published Sundays.
*Don't forget to get in touch with me about your Valentine's day card!
*I was lucky enough this week to have coffee with Rachel of Suburban Yogini in my first face-to-face blogger meetup! This is one classy and edgy yogini, with a fantastically down-to-earth, slightly punk rock streak. Why on earth aren't you reading her blog?
*Despite the title on this article, Dita von Teese saves her pennies just like the rest of us. Proof positive that financial responsibility is utterly glamourous!
*Every time I start thinking that maybe I should just go the safe'n'standard route, I read over Chris Guillebeau's short collection of unconventional ideas.
*Here's How To: Cure A Broken Heart with Yoga in Two Hours or Less. Of course, this applies to anything taxing your emotions, so apply it liberally.
*This $100 wedding at sunrise, in a cave, in the middle of nowhere, takes inspiring to a new level.
*Crazy idea - easy. hard. same dif.
*Something completely different for the dress of the week - I have spring on the brain.
*Don't forget to get in touch with me about your Valentine's day card!
*I was lucky enough this week to have coffee with Rachel of Suburban Yogini in my first face-to-face blogger meetup! This is one classy and edgy yogini, with a fantastically down-to-earth, slightly punk rock streak. Why on earth aren't you reading her blog?
*Despite the title on this article, Dita von Teese saves her pennies just like the rest of us. Proof positive that financial responsibility is utterly glamourous!
*Every time I start thinking that maybe I should just go the safe'n'standard route, I read over Chris Guillebeau's short collection of unconventional ideas.
*Here's How To: Cure A Broken Heart with Yoga in Two Hours or Less. Of course, this applies to anything taxing your emotions, so apply it liberally.
*This $100 wedding at sunrise, in a cave, in the middle of nowhere, takes inspiring to a new level.
*Crazy idea - easy. hard. same dif.
*Something completely different for the dress of the week - I have spring on the brain.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Scheduling self-work
Today I spent about an hour working on Style Statement, a book on many of our reading lists right now.
As I mentioned earlier this week, in January I didn't make time for dedicated self work, so one of my February goals was to schedule specific time for this each week in February. On Monday, I blocked out time for this into my schedule for the week.
That is really what made all the difference.
All week, I knew that come Friday evening, I could set my daily work aside and work on myself. Just like any other major event in the course of a week, it had a place in the back of my mind.
That doesn't mean I wasn't tempted to ignore my own schedule and keep on working, because I was. But I knew that I wouldn't skip a meeting, or a class I had paid for, or my daily work, all of which get scheduled in my chronotebook. So there was no reason I could actually skip my self-work.
It was amazing to sit down with a mug of tea and work on my Style Statement for an hour. It was amazing to know that I had permission to do it, because I gave myself permission by scheduling it into my week. And because it had been pre-scheduled, I knew that my other daily work had to be completed by then, so it was. What a phenomenally simple way to prioritize your own self-work!
Have you found yourself skipping your self-work?
What do you think about scheduling it into your planner a week ahead of time?
As I mentioned earlier this week, in January I didn't make time for dedicated self work, so one of my February goals was to schedule specific time for this each week in February. On Monday, I blocked out time for this into my schedule for the week.
That is really what made all the difference.
All week, I knew that come Friday evening, I could set my daily work aside and work on myself. Just like any other major event in the course of a week, it had a place in the back of my mind.
That doesn't mean I wasn't tempted to ignore my own schedule and keep on working, because I was. But I knew that I wouldn't skip a meeting, or a class I had paid for, or my daily work, all of which get scheduled in my chronotebook. So there was no reason I could actually skip my self-work.
And it was incredible.
It was amazing to sit down with a mug of tea and work on my Style Statement for an hour. It was amazing to know that I had permission to do it, because I gave myself permission by scheduling it into my week. And because it had been pre-scheduled, I knew that my other daily work had to be completed by then, so it was. What a phenomenally simple way to prioritize your own self-work!
Have you found yourself skipping your self-work?
What do you think about scheduling it into your planner a week ahead of time?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Confessions of a Free Download Junkie
I love free self-improvement goodies.
If there are free worksheets, free meditation mp3s, free life planners, free [whatever that will change and improve your life] out there, chances are good that I've downloaded it. And then filed it into a special folder I keep just for these things that has now reached nearly 3 GB.
None of which I've read, listened to, or worked on.
This is what happens: I find something great, go to the trouble of downloading it, and then it just sits there while I go about everything else. This is exactly what happened in January, when I wanted to start doing weekly homemade workshops using these worksheets, my mp3 and podcast collections, and all sorts of wonderful books on my shelf. I just didn't make the time for it, and it didn't happen.
If something is important enough to you, you schedule it into your day. This self-work *is* very important to me. If I were paying for it, I would never have let this happen. Self-work and the free time in which to do it are the most luxurious indulgences in the world! What is it about not having paid for these things that cheapens them?
What are you not making time for? And what are you dismissing because it's free?
None of which I've read, listened to, or worked on.
This is what happens: I find something great, go to the trouble of downloading it, and then it just sits there while I go about everything else. This is exactly what happened in January, when I wanted to start doing weekly homemade workshops using these worksheets, my mp3 and podcast collections, and all sorts of wonderful books on my shelf. I just didn't make the time for it, and it didn't happen.
How revolutionary - if you make time for it, it happens.
If something is important enough to you, you schedule it into your day. This self-work *is* very important to me. If I were paying for it, I would never have let this happen. Self-work and the free time in which to do it are the most luxurious indulgences in the world! What is it about not having paid for these things that cheapens them?
What are you not making time for? And what are you dismissing because it's free?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday Bonus: Will you be my Valentine?
Hello again, you fabulous Yogademia readers! This is a special extra bonus post.
As a further thank you for sticking with me, I'd like to send you a Valentine's Day card. An actual hand-written Valentine.
Here's how to get your Valentine:
1) Send me your address: either DM me on Twitter, or e-mail it to kiki [dot] yogademia [at] gmail [dot] com. If you'd prefer an e-card, that's fine too - just let me know, and tell me your e-mail address!
2) Sign up by Monday February 8.
That's it! If you have questions, just drop me a line, or leave a note in the comments.
Please be my valentine!
*Jeff Koons, Hanging Heart (1994-2006)
As a further thank you for sticking with me, I'd like to send you a Valentine's Day card. An actual hand-written Valentine.
Whatever you think of the 21st-century iteration of Valentine's Day itself (Hallmark Holiday, better than [whatever you celebrate in December], etc.), I want you to know how much I love being part of your world.
Here's how to get your Valentine:
1) Send me your address: either DM me on Twitter, or e-mail it to kiki [dot] yogademia [at] gmail [dot] com. If you'd prefer an e-card, that's fine too - just let me know, and tell me your e-mail address!
2) Sign up by Monday February 8.
That's it! If you have questions, just drop me a line, or leave a note in the comments.
Please be my valentine!
*Jeff Koons, Hanging Heart (1994-2006)
January Check-in and February Goals
I freely admit that, in January, I broke Rule #1 about New Habits: only start one at at time. I thought I was Superwoman; that was a bit too much, too fast.My 1001/101 Goals for January were:
30. Practice evening ritual daily for a month: facial care, flossing, brief meditation
I only skipped flossing two or three times - once when I forgot my floss while traveling - and my mouth felt so gack the next day that I couldn't wait to floss. Plus it scares the bejeebers out of my that the same plaque between your teeth is what clogs your arteries. So I am pleased to say: I now floss every night. The nightly ritual thing is a little more fluid: I floss; I decompress with reading, breathing, journaling, etc.; but sometimes I just can't manage washing my face at night. I'm going to have to think about that one a bit more.
62. Hold my own weekly creativity, writing, and self-coaching workshop
I just didn't have the time - or rather, I didn't pre-schedule enough time.
69. Take myself on weekly Artist Dates
This I managed, but it was a little bit kamikaze and haphazard. Still, maybe that's okay - the spontaneity actually turned into a few really wonderful surprises. Maybe the kamikaze Artist Date is the way to go for me...
88. Work core muscles every other day of 2010
This started off well, but I fell off the wagon. First, it was too ambitious; second, I disconnected from "core" as my 2010 Word-of-the-Year. This one needs to be revamped.
95. Practice yoga every day for one month
I didn't get on the mat each day, but I was conscious of the fact that when I wasn't on the mat, I was trying to practice yoga more across the board. More karma yoga, more bhakti yoga, more put-it-into-real-world-action yoga. I also put it into action in running: I ran a timed 5k on Saturday, and was absolutely yogic about the focus on my breath. That was only thing that brought me through the entire event on a super-icy morning. This, I believe, is well on the way to officially being a way of life (more than just a habit), but I want to give it another month to be sure.
On top of my January 2010 goals, I also wanted to post at least three times weekly, run at least twice, write morning pages every day, revise my dissertation, and generally be Superwoman. Not that those were new, but I took on too much - I'm going to have to start a few things over. I'm not Superwoman, but I can choose to do the things that are important to me rather than what's not essential. There is exactly enough time for everything that is important.
So here's February:
*Complete the central text of my doctoral dissertation to submit on March 1 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
*Practice yoga daily - either on the mat, or off - but three long asana practices weekly.
*Schedule self-workshop time per week (This week: 3:30-5 on Friday)
*Run twice weekly
#30: Develop and practice evening ritual daily (facial and dental care, supplements, decompression)
#39: Write Pages daily (as in morning pages, journaling, that sort of thing - I just call them Pages)
#88: Work core in every asana practice and after every run (you'll notice that's different from before)
How did your January turn out? What are your goals for February? Don't forget - if you leave a comment on my blog, I'll definitely come and comment on yours!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Yogini's Choice: Taking Responsibility
Yogini's Choice is a collection of inspiring and thought-provoking items on a variety of topics sourced from around the web and world, published Sundays. At least, it usually is, but the whole point of it being a choice is that sometimes, I choose to do something different.
Dearest Marvelous and Soul-Brightening Readers,
First, a thank you.
According to my stats, there are 82 of you formally subscribed to this little endeavor. That's 81 more people than I expected. Those of you out there who subscribe by e-mail, read via twitter, or just swing by casually on occasion, thank you to you, too. Thank you especially to my regular commenters - I'm working hard to return the favor.
Second, an apology for how erratic my posting has been since September.
I could tell you that I spend so much time writing applications and revising chapters each day that by the time evening blogging time rolls around I'm ready to pitch my computer out the window and shatter it to smithereens. I could tell you that I try not to make googly-eyes at my laptop when I could be making googly-eyes at my guy. I could tell you that I'm just too tired to blog at night.
I could tell you all of that, because it's true, and you would believe me and accept it and keep coming back, because you are wonderful.
But you deserve better. You deserve responsibility.
When I was catching up on my feeds today and culling out the non-essentials in an effort to practice The Power of Less, I ran across the following question:
The answer, shockingly, was no.
I realized that if I weren't the one writing Yogademia, I would have just deleted it from my feed reader.
Like I said, you deserve better. You deserve regular, first-class posts.
So what I promise you is consistency and quality. You'll get four thoughtful posts per week like clockwork: that's Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. It's no different than what I committed to before, but now I'm taking responsibility for it and holding myself accountable to both the quantity and the quality.
Plus, if you comment on my blog, I will come by and comment on yours - I've found some of my favorite bloggers this way, and I'm always excited to discover more. Ordinary people going about their daily living are extraordinary to me, so please leave a comment to introduce yourself.
You deserve better. I can be better. You inspire me to do great work. Together, we make a great team.
Thank you for inspiring me to take responsibility,
Kiki
Dearest Marvelous and Soul-Brightening Readers,
First, a thank you.
According to my stats, there are 82 of you formally subscribed to this little endeavor. That's 81 more people than I expected. Those of you out there who subscribe by e-mail, read via twitter, or just swing by casually on occasion, thank you to you, too. Thank you especially to my regular commenters - I'm working hard to return the favor.
Second, an apology for how erratic my posting has been since September.
I could tell you that I spend so much time writing applications and revising chapters each day that by the time evening blogging time rolls around I'm ready to pitch my computer out the window and shatter it to smithereens. I could tell you that I try not to make googly-eyes at my laptop when I could be making googly-eyes at my guy. I could tell you that I'm just too tired to blog at night.
I could tell you all of that, because it's true, and you would believe me and accept it and keep coming back, because you are wonderful.
But you deserve better. You deserve responsibility.
When I was catching up on my feeds today and culling out the non-essentials in an effort to practice The Power of Less, I ran across the following question:
The answer, shockingly, was no.
I realized that if I weren't the one writing Yogademia, I would have just deleted it from my feed reader.
*blink*
Like I said, you deserve better. You deserve regular, first-class posts.
So what I promise you is consistency and quality. You'll get four thoughtful posts per week like clockwork: that's Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. It's no different than what I committed to before, but now I'm taking responsibility for it and holding myself accountable to both the quantity and the quality.
Plus, if you comment on my blog, I will come by and comment on yours - I've found some of my favorite bloggers this way, and I'm always excited to discover more. Ordinary people going about their daily living are extraordinary to me, so please leave a comment to introduce yourself.
You deserve better. I can be better. You inspire me to do great work. Together, we make a great team.
Thank you for inspiring me to take responsibility,
Kiki
Monday, January 25, 2010
Cue the inevitable
I've been called back to the States for a job interview.
It was inevitable - we knew this would happen, although we tried not to think about it.
Even though I couldn't stay in England any longer than March 15 anyway, I didn't really expect to actually be offered any interviews, much less for the one single gig I'm actually interested in.
That's not self-deprecation talking; that's years of questioning whether or not I want to take up the academic torch when I think more and more about doing something different, especially since my body is actively rebelling against being so sedentary. Writing those cover letters was sheer agony, but I felt I had to do it to keep up the façade of plausible deniability.
But what are the odds that out of 14 applications, the one gig I applied for that is different all the others actually wants to meet me in person.
This is the one job I applied for that I actually considered wanting. What makes this one different, and therefore compelling, is that it combines a) what I study with b) something I've been fighting unsuccessfully to study over the past seven years and c) a chance to actually make a frickin' difference to d) my ideal demographic. This is not your average academic gig and not your average campus. This one is special.
On the flip side, that means leaving Darcy here in England a month early, and officially beginning the process of Making The Big Decisions.
Of course, there are still two or three weeks before the interview, and I won't know if I've been offered the position until late February/early March. And only then can we start negotiating things to see if it is actually doable and worthwhile for one crazy American and a considerably quieter Brit to set up shop together in the States.
I just don't know what I want. But I want it.
Image credit
It was inevitable - we knew this would happen, although we tried not to think about it.
Even though I couldn't stay in England any longer than March 15 anyway, I didn't really expect to actually be offered any interviews, much less for the one single gig I'm actually interested in.
That's not self-deprecation talking; that's years of questioning whether or not I want to take up the academic torch when I think more and more about doing something different, especially since my body is actively rebelling against being so sedentary. Writing those cover letters was sheer agony, but I felt I had to do it to keep up the façade of plausible deniability.
But what are the odds that out of 14 applications, the one gig I applied for that is different all the others actually wants to meet me in person.
This is the one job I applied for that I actually considered wanting. What makes this one different, and therefore compelling, is that it combines a) what I study with b) something I've been fighting unsuccessfully to study over the past seven years and c) a chance to actually make a frickin' difference to d) my ideal demographic. This is not your average academic gig and not your average campus. This one is special.
On the flip side, that means leaving Darcy here in England a month early, and officially beginning the process of Making The Big Decisions.
Of course, there are still two or three weeks before the interview, and I won't know if I've been offered the position until late February/early March. And only then can we start negotiating things to see if it is actually doable and worthwhile for one crazy American and a considerably quieter Brit to set up shop together in the States.
I just don't know what I want. But I want it.
Image credit
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