Showing posts with label chapter two. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chapter two. Show all posts

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Discussion Questions: Chapter Two

1 – This may feel uncomfortable at first, but practice makes things easier. We are all good at pointing out our faults physically. On page 37 you were asked to list a feature about yourself that you love. Go around the group and complete this sentence out loud: The feature I love about my physical appearance is _____________________.

2 – Write a definition of yourself. Answer the questions: who, what, when, where and why as best you can. Act like you are writing a character description for a novel, the character is you. Read your definitions to each other.

3 – Share one of your ideas to reduce the impact of time eaters in your life.

4 – Page 46 asks – “Does your life look like the life you hoped it would be 10 years ago? Think forward. How do you hope you will be spending your time differently 10 years from now?

5 – Share how the to-do list worked for you.

6 – Share some ideas you discovered that could change your ordinary day into your extraordinary day.

7 – Everyone share one free idea to do with your family or friends from page 53.

8 – From page 54, discuss some of the things you have done to make your life work that you had no training to do. Share some of the areas from the “Road Trip” on that page that you want to learn more about. If someone in your group has expertise or book referrals about your topic, use each other for resources.

9 – Share your experiences from intentionally listening to someone.

10 – What did you feel grateful for after taking a look at your self, your home, your schedule and your family and friends?

Monday, March 23, 2009

an unwritten season

It has been a while since I have journaled, taken pictures of my daily life, or celebrated a small moment just for me. This has been a time of getting sick, getting better, doctor appointments, dental visits, getting sick again, antibiotics, and lots of cough syrup.

Who wants to document moments that are less about living and more about surviving?

This is how I define an unwritten season: A time in my life that I want to put in the past, so I can live the life I really want...somewhere...out there...beyond today. I want to wait for one of those days that I get to hike through the woods with my family, find a delightful treasure at the flea market, or go on a romantic date with my husband. Those are the days I want to write about. Those are the days I want to represent my life.

If I wait for the perfect days, I won't write. I will have no snapshots. There are disappointing things about the best days, and beautiful moments even in the midst of the worse ones. Often, the richest seasons of my story have resulted from struggle, disappointment, failure and defeat.

We get bogged down by life. Motherhood. Marriage. Change. Making ends meet. Real life can be exhausting. It is easy to disappear in our own lives and forget that everyday is our story, everyday is our life. Beautiful stories are not made of perfect moments.

Yesterday, while cleaning out bobby pins and cough drop wrappers from my bedside table, I found a packet of flower seeds. They aren't blooming anytime soon (I haven't ever successfully grown anything from seed). But they reminded me to slow down and smell the daisies today-even if they are only seeds.