A probable random post for my benefit, but feel free to read...

There were three seemingly benign and unrelated events in my life that hit me by week's end that they were inter-connected for ME in MY life, so much so, that at the risk of sounding random and non-sensicle, I felt the need to put to "paper" for nothing other than the benefit of my growth as a human :)

I saw the movie, "Wild", with Keith in the theater last week.  It was sweet as we had lunch before hand and then enjoyed an unexpected $5 movie ticket (a Tuesday special we were not aware of!).  The previews looked good, but admittedly mostly appealed to us because we are fans of Reese Witherspoon who played the leading role.

While the movie was not necessarily "entertaining" in that is was very serious, somewhat slow moving, I felt almost haunted by the story. during the days that followed.  Not surprisingly, Keith was not thrilled with the movie.  In a short, don't give it away review, the character, "Cheryl", found herself in a downward spiral after her mother (whom she had a very close relationship with after a life of pretty severe hardships) died from a very severe and quick battle with lung cancer.  This downward spiral all but ruined her life when she made the decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail over approximately 100 days ALONE as a way of evaluating herself and regaining her purpose and direction in life.  This story haunted me for the next several days when I decided, though it was backwards in common process of books/movies, I needed to read the book.  So, I am.  It's fantastic.

A day or two later I was meeting with my oils mentor, who has grown to be a great friend, and therefore knows me quite well.  I continue to struggle with speaking in front of people (be it 5 or 15 people).  It is just something I do not enjoy.  To be honest, it is a phobia for me.  Just a couple of days before, we taught a class at my dental office and on this particular day, over breakfast, she leveled with me, saying I "rocked it" in the teaching portion of the class.  She further elaborated that in her opinion, I was my biggest critic, my own worst road block to awesomeness.  She recommended I get a book on affirmation and positive self talk.  I promised I would look into it.

I had a meeting immediately following my time with my mentor with a new business builder in my organization whom I had not yet met.  Come to find out she is a yoga instructor and lives right around the corner from me.  We hit it off right away and I left feeling like I had a new close friend.  Very much in passing, she said something that struck a strong chord with me.  I was joking about how I had felt like I should be doing yoga on a regular basis based on how un-flexible I am.  I have taken yoga classes, but never at a beginners level where I should have.  And while I stretch daily for 20 minutes doing some very basic relaxation yoga poses, I think regular yoga practice would benefit me.  She said, your inflexibility is from life's circumstances.  She said, ever notice how a baby is completely flexible as an infant?  Only as they experience life, do they become inflexible.  Every negative experience can cause  one to draw within, therefore creating lack of flexibility.  While this may be common sense to most people, I was blown away by it.

I came home and ordered the book Patty had recommended.  I searched for a book on Chakra's as it is something I have heard mentioned on a few occasions as a way to heal yourself through self awareness.  I also found a book I forgot I owned, "battlefield of the mind" by Christian author Joyce Meyer.  I plan to read these together over the coming weeks.

I am so  looking forward to figuring out what I am meant to learn from these three experiences as I know they are connected in a way that I am meant to learn from them.  I can't wait to get to my explorations (with an open mind).  What really strikes me in regards to the movie and now book, "wild" is that the author, in writing a memoir, chose to tackle her issues by doing something as profound as hiking over 1,100 miles ALONE in the wilderness to return to the daughter her mother knew her to be before passing away.  To self destruct and then have the knowledge that it's time to reel back in and reflect, then putting yourself into such isolation to have the time to do that is pretty profound.  Then, add to it the apprehension I felt for her as she began that desolate hike.  Knowing it would be such a long scary road, full of one challenge after another.  Challenges of a severity I'm not sure I could handle.  Based on a true story!  And here I am afraid to speak in front of a few people!  Hmmmmf.  Do I have some growing to do!

It is so nice to realize that we are meant to continuously grow from our experiences and recover from our past experiences, no matter what life has thrown at you.  I have had many not so common life events (specifically while growing up) that I thought I had overcome (and probably have to some degree) but have most likely carried some of the negativity with me. I feel this is my journey to discover how to process some of those events in the healthiest way possible.  I think it is doable and I feel I am meant to learn something.  I am open to it, even excited about it.

Sorry to ramble.  Again, this is mostly for the benefit of being able to come back and read, see where I have come from in three moths, six months, a year.