about Writing My Life

A theme today is using writing to externalize one's thoughts, dreams, wishes, and explore one's inner world - what DO I really want? why?

If I keep things inside, they don't get a chance to breathe, to become real, to form a foundation on which I can build and grow. When I write down my dreams, they can become intentions and goals. It's now out there in the universe, its energy pulsing out and in.

Negative thoughts also need airing so we can see them for what they are - toxic, poisonous to our souls and mood. If I keep things inside, they will move me around without my consent or choice - and then I wonder why I end up in unsatisfactory situations. Expressing those things frees me from being stuck and allows me to begin exercising choice, making better informed decisions.

I love finding out how I get in my own way, how I stop myself from getting what I want - that's the virtue of self-exploration & expression. Because I don't have to stand in my own way - and I don't do it as unknowingly, when I do the excavation work, the internal dig.

Somehow when I write I can see what's happening, I discover ideas, I realize hidden motivations, I unearth pivotal personal history. I hear myself, I hear my own voice, I begin to take shape to myself, to occupy space and time, to have definition and dimension and meaning.

Holiday goodness

I got this the other day from a friend who is a Republican.

To All My Democrat Friends:


Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2009, but not without due respect for other calendar years and the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.


To My Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

I thought it was pretty funny, if snarky and sort of "you people are so silly" in attitude. Like Republicans think they are better than Democrats because they are not all "politically correct." Honestly, isn't "politically correct" - aka respectful of the beliefs and feelings of others - just the right way to be?

Sometimes we can take it to a bit of an extreme, though. For example:

Yesterday, I was in the Maplewood garden center buying my Christmas tree (with my niece - very exciting for her to help pick it out! and fun for me, too) as well as a couple ornaments and paperwhite bulbs. When I had completed the purchase, I said "have a good holiday" and he said "oh, Merry Christmas" and I realized that it was perfectly fine to say that to him because I was buying Christmas stuff - he knew that's what I celebrate and he and I had talked enough that I knew he was celebrating it, too. It was just one of those moments of being in the same tribe, and it was nice.

I did like knowing that my automatic instinct is to be careful and respect other people's beliefs - I say Happy Hannukkah (which starts Sunday night), of course, and now I have a few Wiccan friends so I wish them "Happy Solstice." My niece learns about all of it, including Kwanzaa, which is not a religious holiday but a cultural observance.

It's cool to have such a lot of fun, happy things in the world to celebrate at this time of year! I love the shared happiness, no matter how we celebrate or what we observe.

So there you have it, from a died-in-the-wool liberal Democrat living in Maplewood, NJ (aka Park Slope West, for those familiar with that part of Brooklyn).

about perseverance, patience, perspective and progress

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle

I am struck by these threads as I look at other people's stories and progress here on SparkPeople. Here's what I see:

* Many people have accomplished their goals. This works!

* They say it's through taking things one step at a time, one day at a time.

* Each one demonstrates the qualities of patience, hard work, and willingness to stay committed to their highest good and health.

* Everyone here started. They began. They took action. And then they watched what happened.

* When people reach their goals, they keep up the same habits they developed along the way - such as checking in on SparkPeople and sharing their lessons and progress with others

I'm inspired by what to me is the "formula" for success in weight release: Having a goal, admitting that I need to do something different to get different results, making a decision to take actions that can get me to my goal, taking the action, consistently acting every day, and taking the long view.

Patience, perseverance and perspective are keys to success!

about perseverance, patience, perspective and progress

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle

I am struck by these threads as I look at other people's stories and progress here on SparkPeople. Here's what I see:

* Many people have accomplished their goals. This works!

* They say it's through taking things one step at a time, one day at a time.

* Each one demonstrates the qualities of patience, hard work, and willingness to stay committed to their highest good and health.

* Everyone here started. They began. They took action. And then they watched what happened.

* When people reach their goals, they keep up the same habits they developed along the way - such as checking in on SparkPeople and sharing their lessons and progress with others

I'm inspired by what to me is the "formula" for success in weight release: Having a goal, admitting that I need to do something different to get different results, making a decision to take actions that can get me to my goal, taking the action, consistently acting every day, and taking the long view.

Patience, perseverance and perspective are keys to success!

about loans to the auto industry

Yesterday, I wrote to my federal reps to ask them to support the loans requested by GM, Chrysler and Ford. I did it through this site: League of Women Voters.

Then I heard this morning on NPR that public sentiment is running 2 to 1 against providing loans to the US auto industry. And I decided I have to do something I rarely do: lobby my contacts to support those loans.

I am really passionate about this. Perhaps it's because my grandfather worked for Ford Motor back during the Depression and Ford gave my mom a college scholarship to the school where she met my Dad and now I'm here, sort of thanks to Ford.

Maybe it's because I worked for the City of New York in the early 90's when so many people were out of work and my team was responsible for helping people who were laid off or fired. What a painful time that was! I don't want to see anyone lose a job if there's ANY alternative.

Or it's because I worked at City Harvest and saw soup kitchens have to bring in high chairs so that families could get at least one hot meal a day even if they couldn't afford much more. Today, those soup kitchens already turn people away. How can they even think of helping anyone else?

Anyway, I feel really strongly that Congress needs to help the remaining 3 US automakers survive. It's about saving people's jobs, allowing people to support themselves. And it's about using federal resources to help the people who work and shop on Main Streets throughout the country.

The same arguments that prompted the bailout of banks apply here, too. The point is that these companies directly employ thousands and indirectly provide work for more thousands. Without these companies, what will they do?

Conditions are fine - I'm a pretty fervent advocate of alternative fuels and energy, so would love to see our auto makers produce more fuel efficient and differently powered vehicles. If we weren't in such dire economic straits, I might think "oh, let them go bankrupt." But we ARE in dire straits, and I think this calls for emergency measures.

So I'm taking the liberty (and for some of you, it may seem like a big liberty, so please forgive me!) of suggesting that you think about contacting your Senators and Representative to support loans for the auto industry in the US.

I did so yesterday via the League of Women Voters website which makes it so easy to find your reps (plug in your zip code) and then send them a message directly from the LWV site. Here's what I wrote:

December 4, 2008

[recipient address was inserted here]

Dear [recipient name was inserted here],

Please give the auto makers financial support.

These companies deserve help to retool and reshape themselves. Right now,
they provide jobs and retirement benefits as well as health care for
thousands of people, and are the source of jobs for many hundreds of
thousands more in supporting industries.

Please don't allow some of the US's last remaining major manufacturing
businesses to die, simply because they are not on Wall Street. People who
work and shop on Main Streets everywhere depend on these companies.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Julia Erickson

Simply copy this language into your own message. Or write your own. Just please, if you care about people keeping jobs, tell your reps that you do. Here's the link again: LWV.org

If you've read this far, you might care about the issue as much as I do. So send this on to someone else. Maybe we can turn the tide and keep US manufacturing jobs alive long enough for our country to get back on its feet again.

Thanks.