Aplomb and Alacrity

I awaken with ablomb. I awaken with alacrity. I looked up these 2 words and they mean:

Aplomb: n. imperturbable self-possession, poise or assurance.

Alacrity: n. cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness: to do a favor with alacrity. 2. liveliness, briskness.

One purpose of this blog is to chart my progress with my goals. My goals include:

1. Staying on the raw food path.
2. Spending 5 minutes per day working on my writing project (currently a novel) -- enough to produce 1 fully typewritten page for my writer's group per week.
3. Spending 1 day per week improving my photography skills. I want to jot down all I've learned, or at least produce pictures that I'll upload to the flickr account.
4. Being active a minimum of 3 times per week. Whether through my rehab moves, yoga or stuff with the outdoor group (hiking, canoe-ing, etc.).
5. Working on my communication skills.
   

I have this book about those in the Gemini North Node (me). We don't communicate in the sense of a 2-way conversation. We don't want to argue, and think that by not communicating, the problem will clear up by itself. When we don't know how to connect with someone, becoming aloof is often our defense. This is due to the underlying fear that what we have to say won't be understood and accepted. There are times where we want to be open, but hold back because we are so sensitive to any kind of negative response. However, this blocks intimacy and creates tension.

I have found this to be true for me.

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So here's how I'm doing on my goals thus far:

Goal 1:

So far, this weekend I have stayed on the raw food path. No chips, no caffeine, no gum laced with aspartame. I have found that I have been over eating lately, but I think it's because I have been trying to fill a void -- which I guess is what most people do when they overeat. Plus, I think some of it is stress-induced, or for me, guilt-induced (for not meeting some of my intended goals).

I joined this local co-op where every 2 weeks, I get a buncha' organic stuff at a reasonable cost. It sounded good at the time because aside from the reasonable cost, it would allow me to contribute to the local organic farmers. However, since I don't have a say as to what I get, I may opt out. I got stuff like eggplant, squash and potatos, all of which require cooking.

Goal 2:

Each day since Thursday, I have written a minimum of 5 minutes per day, but I found myself jumping around in scenes and creating characters that may not stay. It doesn't feel as productive as I would like, but at least I'm writing.

Goal 3:
Yesterday, I went to a local Wolf Camera workshop and learned:

1. How to change my camera setting to fine resolution, and the significance of shutter speed;
2. About aperture (appropriateness of light and how camera allows light in); and
3. White balance (how the camera perceives the color white in the existing environment, so it can adjust the other colors to correlate with this).

Goal 4:

I did rehab moves Friday and walked 2 miles yesterday. I was supposed to do a 15-mile hike today with the outdoors group, but never committed to it. I may do yoga later today, we'll see, as the day is still young.

Goal 5:

I'm working on my communcation skills in that I'm reading more about it.