MMM #15 Check-In

November 15th, 2010 - filed under: Furthermore » Monday Monthly Mission

Hey guys! As requested, here’s a little mid-month reminder regarding our current mission. So how have you been doing? Have you been incorporating your mantra? And more importantly, is it working?

I’ve been practicing my original mantra, “Everything always works out, and it just keeps getting better and better“, and I’ve also adopted reader Sarah’s “I am fearless“. I’ve got big undertakings going on and remaining open and *fearless* is helping so much! I’ve actually been more successful there than with the original one. Still working on maintaining that long-term perspective . . .

Trying to keep it all in mind, as Damian is sick (and down HARD) and I’m already extra busy this month . . . even though I’d already accounted for lighter blogging. I’m behind in my post prep, comments continue to go unanswered, and don’t even ask me about my email inbox. Ha! See guys, I’m not totally together, all the time! And you know what? THAT’S OKAY TOO! Because, “Everything always works out“, right?

  • http://twitter.com/erosan erosan

    Well, I’ve been trying to keep my cool 24/7, and remember the mission… I even draw a “MMM and the greek letter omega” on the whiteboard at my office. MMM, to remind me of the Monday monthly mission, and the omega to remind me of my ‘mantra’ (omega being the letter used to represent the unit for electrical resistance: ohm, which in turn is a sound I associate with meditation… yeah, i’m a geek and my mind is twisted).

    I hope Damian gets well soon.

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ erosan – Your geekiness rivals mine, my friend. Love that. =)

  • Minna

    My mantra has worked too well.

    “Be careful what you wish for…”

    Now I’m not sure if I’m *really* happy or just living in a dream.

    (If it feels right, then it has to be right, right?)

  • Sarah

    I’ve been sticking to “I love you” and it’s funny how it works. I could hardly say it with a straight face or even louder than a whisper at first.

    I’ve held off on “I am fearless” because I’m totally *not* fearless at the moment. I guess that’s the point of the mantra, but I guess I’m sort of attached to my fears… Something to work on!

    It’s hard to be completely sane with a toddler and 2 month old in the house… while dissertating. Remembering to be kind to myself really really helps.

  • Britt

    WHAAAAT??? I thought vegans could NEVER get sick!!?? ;-)>
    Hi, Sayward. Sorry to hear about Damian. I’ll be praying for the lot of ya. ;-)
    I really like your mantra. To be honest, just now as I was reading it, it actually struck a resonating chord inside of me… I think I need to pick up this practice. I never have, and I think I could use it! And my family would probably benefit, too, huh?! ;-)> You wouldn’t mind if I stole your mantra, though, would you??
    Okay, so I know you’re really busy and stuff, and this is totally unrelated to your Monthly Mission, but it’s sort of *my* monthly mission…? Anyway, real quick, I was wondering, please, please could you tell me, can I add eucalyptus and lavender essential oil to my ammonia/vinegar cleaning solution? I don’t see why not, but I don’t know how much to add. The internet isn’t answering my question, so I thought I’d ask you! I’d really appreciate it! Thanks a lot! And stay well!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Minna – Being truly happy can feel so strange when we’re not used to it. But don’t doubt yourself – you’re there, and you deserve it! Enjoy it darling!

    @ Sarah – I think “I love you” would be one of the hardest choices. Seriously.

    Also, I’m struck by the idea of being ‘attached to my fears’ . . . that’s something to meditate on for sure! Hmmm . . .

    @ Britt – Vegans have magical powers didn’t you know? We don’t age and also we poop flowers!

    It’s not too late to join in! And please, adopt my mantra! It’s a really good one if you’re prone to losing perspective like I am. I can get so caught up in the short term sometimes, you know?

    And yes! Both of those EOs will work great, they’ll add great cleansing properties (antibacterial/microbial). Do eet!

  • http://twitter.com/erosan erosan

    @Sayward: also, vegans have psychic powers (regulated by the vegan police of course) as documented by the awesome “Scott Pilgrim vs the world”.

  • http://www.windycityvegan.wordpress.com Monika {windycityvegan}

    My mantra has been one of my favorite J.K. Rowling quotes: “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

    Also, I have a second mantra that has personal significance for when I have a really bad case of the mean reds: “It’s a perfect day for bananafish.” {I think most Salinger fans have their own interpretation of that saying, but I don’t know if many of us can verbalize it}

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ erosan – Haha, I had to look that up. Awesome!

    @ Monika – Love that. I get so caught up in the idea of ‘accomplishments’, when the truth is that my choices are good and that’s what I should be proud of. Thanks for the reminder!

  • Rebecca

    I *totally* forgot about this…thank goodness for reminders.

    In terms of “everything always works out” the skeptic in me immediately yells back “yeah right!” (Full disclosure: that is my crazy work week and pre-holiday stress talk adding to my usual Debbie Downer outlook)

  • http://twitter.com/erosan erosan

    @Rebecca, look this one time your skeptic side will have to trust your other side. Things always work out in the end. Trust science, namely the second law of thermodynamics: Any closed system always tends to its state of maximum entropy (translation so english: everything tends to equilibrium).

    So cheer up. Crazy work weeks ends, and holiday stress passes. ^_^

  • Rebecca

    @erosan: Thanks…something to definitely think about. What keeps “tripping me up” is that I try and adopt the “things always end up working out in the end attitude” yet things keep getting more difficult (i.e. work gets even crazier, family drama intensifies, etc…)..but I keep chugging along. Difficult…but chugging.

  • http://twitter.com/erosan erosan

    @Rebecca: Just be positive about it, the hardest times will give you the coolest stories to tell your grandchildren. So think of them as an investment ;)

  • Britt

    @ Sayward – It’s true…! Our best friends are vegans, and they DO poop flowers!!! And they smell like rainbows! The poops, not the vegans, I mean. To be clear.

    Anyhoo! So I added both eucalyptus and lavender to my cleaning mix… HOLY AMAZINGNESS, BATMAN! It smelled so amazing, I seriously almost started spraying it as air freshener! Wow!!! I’m so excited, I LOVE THIS STUFF!!! And it’s cleaning powers are ENDLESS!!! I never knew our tub was white… Always though it was sort of a dingy beige… Ewwwww. Scrubbing Bubbles didn’t even cut through the grime like the mix did! But I do think some of us [me] might need a little EO 101 Basic Guidlines. To be specific, I’m really unfamiliar with ratio proportions. For example, should I add one or two tablespoons to my cleaning mix, or just a few drops? is “a few drops” two or twenty? Do just a few drops have as much cleaning power as a few tablespoons, or would that be superfluous? Vs how much do I put into a tub of bath water for aromatic purposes, instead of antibacterial purposes?

    Thank you so much for all the help and INVALUABLE information!!! All the best to the family! Keep on the up and up!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com Sayward

    @ Rebecca – I think the key to ‘everything always works out’ is to be mindful of scale. Like, if I’m just focused on this week or this month, then no, it might not be better by the end of that time frame. But if I look at my life over a large enough range, then I am *totally* happier, healthier, and more fulfilled than I was, say, 5 years ago. That’s because all of the little actions I make each day have forged the overall arc of my life. And it works!

    Same goes for an even bigger picture, beyond myself. Like, it’s so easy to get really (really!) discouraged about the state of politics in America right now. The small scale day-to-day is just SO depressing. So it helps me to remember that as a country, we’ve done nothing but move in a more liberal, ever-progressive direction: from minority civil rights to women’s equal rights to safe and legal abortion to the current move towards gay rights. As a country we are more free and more fair than when we began – than ever before. It’s important for me to keep that in perspective.

    So I guess my point is, I understand the tendency towards pessimism. But try to stay positive and think in terms of a grander scale! =)

    @ Britt – Glad the EOs are working so well! For proportions, I think EOs operate on a ‘few drops’ scale as opposed to a ‘few tablespoons’ one. But I’m actually with you – I don’t know a ton about them and I’d LOVE to learn more. Sounds like a great opportunity for a guest post, if I could just find an expert!

  • Shelby

    So, I started thinking about this mission at the check in and had a rough time coming up with a mantra that was positive. So, after a bit of googling, I have chosen, “I’m not perfect, just awesome” and I love it already!Thanks for the inspiration girl!