Enough Stirring Already!

My friend and I had a mini adventure back to Paso Robles and the wonderful cheese shop, Di Raimondo’s Italian Market. As we explored the rest of the town we were getting energized by the creativity displayed in many of the retail shops. Few words were exchanged as we both internalized what we were experiencing---that’s what I love about my friend, we’re usually on the same page of interaction, and can just be quiet together.

We decided to stay for lunch before heading back to the coast and took care to pick an interesting restaurant. We chose well as we examined the menu…lots of tempting things to pique the salivary glands. As we ordered, we were commenting how nice the place was. And then……..,seated at a table no more than 6 feet away was a woman and her gentleman friend. We heard her first…then felt the onslaught of her energy. She was stirring a simple glass of iced tea as if her life depended on it. Seriously…the energy was so intense that my friend and I had to stop our conversation and just stare while she relentlessly attacked the ice cubes.

Do not think for one moment, dear reader, that this was ordinary stirring to dissolve some sugar…there was way more to it than that. The really fascinating part was the rest of her body language. She sat relaxed, her face was open and smiling, her friend was too. They seemed to really be enjoying their lunch together. But oh, the hand that stirred the drink…first with the spoon, then with the straw. I wanted to tell the server not to refill her glass. It was non-stop for the entire lunch.

Part of me was hugely entertained by this woman’s actions, the other part wanted to throttle her (alright, at the very least dump her drink in her lap---but wait, she would have to have a refill). How can a person send such mixed singles: Happy, relaxed, and open, but killer with the stirring hand?  My friend wanted to say something, but honestly? I sensed some danger there. What we witnessed was adventurous enough for me….

I Hate Being Interrupted When I’m in a Frenzy

 Introverts can be pretty smart. We like to delve into a variety of subjects deeply if for no other reason than to satisfy our curiosity. I love following my intellectual urges and often feel happiest when I am thinking through a problem or situation. My brain works in an organized manner most of the time, but I can also jump into a creativity frenzy where food, sleep and routine are farthest from my mind.

I’m in one of those now, and hallelujah I haven’t been interrupted—well, that 30 minutes without power slowed me down a bit, but I kept my momentum going. I have been anticipating this spree for several weeks now. Trying to get my days arranged so that IF I felt the urge I could work uninterrupted. Needless to say many days passed with me simply enjoying my solitude.

But Friday’s Vision Board party started my juices flowing again…and I’ve been lost in my own world of creative energy. That’s the good news. That’s the joy of letting creativity run rampant through the house. The bad news is I’m not done, yet I have a day full of errands and appointments today. I feel like I’m being interrupted from this creative process. ‘Geesh, Zan, how delicate is your creativity’, I ask myself? Well, we’ll find out this afternoon when all is said and done…but for now, the juices will have to go back to marinating…might not be so bad after all: marinated things are sometimes the best.

The Path of the Introvert

I don’t like everyone I meet. There, I said it. I recently had to decline an invitation from someone who always (yes, always) leaves me feeling unsettled and irritated – you know the kind, the one who seems to like you but makes remarks that leave you wondering “What the hell just happened?”

As an introvert, I used to tell myself that I was too sensitive, or not social enough (too much or not enough…now there’s a pair!) The bottom line was that somehow it was all my fault…and I agree that my feelings are my responsibility. But sometimes a jerk is just a jerk, and the best I can come away with is the power to recognize that when someone leaves me with the feeling that I lack something…well, quite frankly, it is they who are lacking.

So I had to decide how to deal with this friend. As an introvert, I already know that socializing saps my energy, but with the right people it is still quite rewarding. Why in the world would I spend my precious energy with the kind of person that just leaves me exhausted and drained?  Why indeed…so in an act of true self-love, I decided to Just Say No.

Here’s another confession…that felt pretty good too.

The Adventure of Letting Go

I had my housewarming party last night. It has been years since I’ve hosted a party, but I found it’s like riding a bicycle: you never lose it. The house came together (enough; I’ve learned to let go of perfection). Everyone I invited came, and some new friends came as well, as guests…I had a house full of happy people enjoying each others company. And check out the yummy food everyone brought!! (Yep, I'm still all about the food!)

This morning I am a contented, satisfied introvert…glowing from the memories of the night before, and sitting alone in quiet with my double-shot cup of coffee. I seem to have created this life of my dreams, and I walk around wondering how the hell I did it?

How did I go from feeling like I was in shackles for twenty some-odd years to this feeling of such emotional abundance? I realize it’s because I let go.

I let go of possessions, I let go of location, I let go of predictably, I let go of the life that no longer served me.  And working from a clean slate, I deliberately and consciously created what I have now: A life with a perfect blend of adventure and excitement and serenity and solitude. Being an introvert is no longer a struggle for me. I embrace it and incorporate my needs into all my activities. What a gift to be free. What a gift to have the energy to continue to be an Adventurous Introvert finding adventure where-ever I go.

And the party?  Well, I’ve chosen my friends well…I couldn’t have asked for a better evening.

Vision Board Party

I'm having a Vision Board party this Friday...if you haven’t done yours yet, and if time permits, do yours on that day too...Please share pix of your completed board with the rest of us. Go to my fan page to post your pictures and any comments you’d like to add (find link below).  It might inspire someone else to do this fun and productive process.

Here’s how I’m going to do mine:

GATHER:

• Magazines and catalogs (sometimes a Dr. office is a good source for those if you clean out and throw away routinely …the rest of us will probably have plenty available)
• You will also need scissors, glue (stick or otherwise) markers, highlighters etc.
• Poster board
• Inspirational music

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Sit quietly for a moment and center your mind deep within. Invite your intuition into the Vision Board process for your personal growth and well-being. Openly agree to accept all information that comes to you whether you understand its meaning or not.

WHEN READY:

Look thru the pages and cut out pictures, words or phrases that seem to stand out to you; interest you; or feel like they have meaning to you in some way. Don’t worry about what you’re going to do with them…just stack each one in the same big pile.

When you feel you have collected enough images, set them aside for a moment. Next, decide on the categories of your Vision Board…for example Family, Work/Career, Friends/Social, House/Home, Travel/Adventure, Relationships/Romance…you decide what areas you want to focus on. If you work from inspiration, then you will be doing it right…it is not a good idea to over-think this process.

Begin to sort through your images and intuitively place them in the pile they belong. You might find that you have ‘left-over’ images that don’t seem to belong anywhere. I suggest that you dedicate an area of your vision board to these images…arrange them in a manner that pleases you. These images may be a big part of your future that you are not yet aware of…you may not even be aware that this area has importance for you; just let your inner guide take you along on your journey.

Use the full variety of implements available…glue, markers, stickers, highlighters etc. Try not to think this through, just go with what pleases you at the moment. You are working from inner knowing and inspiration…things will unfold to your benefit whether you understand them right now or not. 

HAVE FUN and please take a photo of your Vision Board and upload it to my Facebook Adventurous Introvert Fan Page . Choose a wall to display your Vision Board...a place that you will see daily. However, as I've said before, I packed mine away for a year yet I still ended up doing the work I needed to. Trust the process, you know what you're doing!

Even Packed Away it Worked!

Last year about this time I did a vision board. I knew I was actually moving to the Central Coast (as opposed to just  dreaming and wishing for it). This was going to be the biggest adventure of my life—creating a new life for me—and I wanted to be sure I did it right. I did not want to remain an accidental tourist in my life…I wanted to intentionally create the Dream-of-All-Dreams.

I did my vision board, and posted it on my front door for the 6 weeks it took to terminate my Northern California life and load the last box into the moving van. I intended to post it immediately where ever I landed. That didn’t happen. It remained packed away. Only now, with this last move did I find it, and what a pleasant surprise it was!

My 2009 vision board had four main areas: social, work, home and travel. In the past, work had always been my primary focus, but it took a secondary role on this vision board. Friends and adventure loomed big, and as I look back, that has been where my energies have been spent these last 12 months. I might add, that friends and adventure had little place in my life during the recent years, so this was a big shift in my energy.

The vision board I did last year mirrors where my heart and mind focused. Coming across this board a year later really magnified how powerful this tool is. Even packed away in a storage unit it was working its magic. I am going to create another vision for this year…I have a few ideas in mind to let my inner guides loose and show me the path of the next part of my journey. This time, since friends play such a strong part in my life today, I think I will have a group over and we can all do our boards together (separately). I am excited to learn just where my energies will be adventuring next!

Herding Kayakers is a Lot Like Herding Cats

There was quite a large crowd gathered for the local New Years Day paddle. Happy, excited people swarmed the beach getting their gear ready to launch. As usual, my friend and I were the first ones to arrive and be ready to go. Patience has never been my virtue so waiting for such a large crowd to coalesce was, at first, a challenge. However, I could feel the pure joy in the air as they laughed and chattered away amongst themselves, happy to be with others who shared their passion for the water.

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize there were more that a few extroverts among us. Oh, not all were chatting away excitedly, but enough were to set the tone for the group. Group pictures were demanded in only the way an extrovert can. No one, including me, wanted to dampen the energy and enthusiasm that was displayed.  

Since I was still nursing my aching back, I decided not to follow the group across the harbor out to the back bay. I was more than a little concerned that my back couldn’t endure the tides or wind (or both) and I would need to call it a day. So off I went on my own route, by myself, while the group happily paddled into the brand new day.

Understanding my introversion really helped me see the situation for what it was. Everyone was getting every last drop of fun and energy from the day. The extroverts were energizing by having fun being with people. This introvert was energizing by having fun alone. It turned out to be a lovely day. The conditions were serene and glassy…quiet except for the cries of the gulls and the barks of the sea lions. This was just the kind of day that fills my heart with gratitude and joy. I could not have asked for a better way to start the new decade.