What you deserve

Hey friends,

(Earlier this afternoon I wrote this posting but apparently didn't publish)  oops!!

Just got back from my gym here in San Pedro, the Train Station.  Since I've been here, I've made it a point to try to eat healthier and exercise more.  Both of which I continue to work at, but it's nice to see some physical reward for the commitment.

When I arrived back home, I had an email in my inbox with my daily horoscope, which I thought I'd share with you today. :)

"No one will get close to you now -- not unless they've fulfilled three very particular requirements. They've got to be seriously sexy, extremely intense and not for the faint of heart -- because you're not going to go for them if you only get two out of three."

My immediate response was to laugh, however, the more I thought about it, its completely fitting!

It's not like I'm looking to get into ANY kind of relationship at the moment.  It hasn't even been that long since the ex-bf and I broke up.  The point is-  I'm sick of wasting my time on men that don't live up to my standards.  I'm sick of "taking 2 out of 3" qualities.

I want all 3, and I deserve all 3!

(Not to say that there are only 3 things that I want out of a romantic partner either!  I'm just running with the earlier example!  Furthermore, this horoscope is only for a few days and not for the entirety of my life.)

Maybe I'm just realizing this?  Maybe I've always known this?

I guess this might be bad news for some of you... hahah kidding! :)

Anastasia

Always remember:  "Don't settle for less than you deserve, you're worth MORE than that!"

Pure Rant

Hey readers, 

This posting really isn't any substance, other than the fact that it's just a pure rant.

As you might know, I am obtaining my Master of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership, online. The way the University is structured, each student takes one class per month.  The classes are only 4 weeks long and each covers 4 MONTHS worth of information.  

Today, at the end of my 2nd week of class, I had a "midterm exam" covering 8 chapters worth of information, as well as all lectures.    Because it is an online class and we have information at our fingertips, the University generally advises professors to put a time limit on exams.  For instance, today's test was 25 multiple choice/True-False, and I had an hour to take it.

I have always been a great test taker, however, I studied all eight chapters, and the test was STILL DIFFICULT.

What made it horrible, was the fact that there were very similar answers to each question.  So, a question took me a LOT longer to focus and spend time on.  Furthermore, most answer selections had multiple claims/parts.  And, as we remember from grade school- "If ONE part of the answer is wrong, the ENTIRE statement is wrong."  So I had to make sure that every part of every answer was legitimate. 

A question looked like this:

1)  How do you define  ______ theory?

a) xxx, zzz, yyy

b) xxxx, zzz, yyyyy

c) xxxx, yyy, zzzzzz

d) a & b

e) b & c

f) all of the above

 I'm not saying make the answers obvious, but come on!  With a time limit of one hour, that was approximately 2 minutes per question, which was really not enough time for someone who studied, let alone, trying to refer back to many concepts, within 200 pages of material, and sort through the madness of each option!   UGH! Talk about horrible.

PROMISE to self and future students:  

When I am a professor, I will NOT give you questions that mess up your mind like this. 

 Just not nice! 

Thanks, I feel a little better.

Anastasia

Always remember:    "I do not have to be perfect, and I am okay with not being perfect!"  *sigh!* :(

New Moon Ritual?

Hello friends,

Tonight is another NEW MOON!   This is the second new moon we've shared together!

Once again, the new moon is a great time for a "fresh start!"  It is a time for rejuvenation, goal-setting, and self-searching.  It is also a time to reevaluate your goals from last month's new moon, to see how much you've achieved or if you've achieved anything at all!

The term ritual can be misinterpreted to have a religious undertone.  In this instance however, I'm simply defining ritual as a "any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set manner"  (Dictionary.com).

Using the artice "New Moon Manifestation Ceremony," with additions and suggestions of my own, there are 6 steps you can take in your new moon ritual:

1)  Cleanse your "sacred" area

• That's what she said?   No, you perverts!  This means the space in which you will perform this ritual.  You can do this by saying a prayer, burning sage, and/or lighting incense.
• This might be a little too "religious" or "cult-like" for some of you, so you can also visualize and focus on bringing positive energy into your space.

2)  Light a candle (or more) with intention

• Lighting a candle symbolizes bringing light to our wishes or desires.
• Lighted candles are reflections of our emotional self and help to illuminate our hearts when we feel burdened.
• Make sure to reflect on whatever is resonating within you at this the moment.

3)  Center yourself

• Calm yourself however you feel most comfortable and appropriate.
• This can include anything like:  listening to meditating/calm music, taking some deep breaths, sipping some herbal tea, or closing your eyes and clearing your mind.

4)  Goal writing preparation

• When centered, take out your paper and pen.  It would be best to keep a separate journal for your new moon goals, so you can have them all in one place.
• If this is not your first time writing out your goals, look back upon your goals from the previous month or have it handy.
• Date the page/entry.
• Before writing out your goals, this article suggests you write out an affirmation statement.  This is a positive statement based upon the PRESENT.  This can be something like, "I accept these things into my life now or something better for my highest good and for the highest good of all concerned."

5)  Write out your goals for the future

• With your goals from the previous month(s), rewrite out every goal you still would like to achieve.  You can change the wording, or update as necessary, however, it is important to rewrite each goal to give it importance and clear away the past.
• Do not keep a "goal list" and add new goals at the bottom or "cross out" goals achieved.  If you have achieved a goal, simply omit it from your new list!
• Do not limit yourself!  You can have one goal, or pages worth!  Write down everything that you desire, no matter how little or simple. If it is something that makes you happy, write it down.
• Make sure to add more "immediately achievable" goals such as: going to the spa with my girlfriends or tickets to my favorite band's concert coming up.  No goal is too trivial to put on your list!
• You can make it into a scrapbook too- adding pictures, inspiring quotes, or other to make it your own and add the extra visual element.

6)  Closing

• To close the ceremony, do something you see as symbolic of change.
• For me, this was planting seeds.  I planted cat grass for my kitty Phoenix. This is actually good because the cat grass only lasts about a month before needing to be replanted anyway!
• You can release balloons into the sky to symbolize your dreams taking flight... Ok, I know it sounds corny, but it can really be anything you view as a symbol for change or growth.

Even if you don't get into the new moon like I do, goal setting is extremely important!  Not only is clearly defining your goals crucial, but measuring them is equally important.

I hope you achieve everything you desire!

Anastasia

Always remember:  "Its my life to do with as I please.  I can accomplish anything!

Stick with what Works

Hello Readers-

Disclaimer:  I respect every person's perspective regarding religion and spirituality.  I will never try to argue my perspective with the intention to try to convince someone to change their perspective.  My personal viewpoint is based on gaining as much information as possible, identifying the similarities in different theories/perspectives, and most importantly, "treating others as I would like to be treated." 

I don't want to get too much into what I believe regarding religion, however... I do believe in some kind of "higher power" of sorts.  Some kind of "force unseen"; something that created the majesty of nature and human beings; some powerful anomaly that watches out for me and has protected me when times should or could have been MUCH worse.  I think things happen sometimes that just cannot be explained.  (No, I still don't think that things "happen for a reason".  haha)  And for sake of simplicity in reading through this posting,  I will call it HP, to avoid confusion.  (Most people would call this power "God".)

Can I define this?  No.

Is it even "one" thing?  No idea.

Do I try to understand it and make assumptions?  No.

I just accept that this is something greater than I know, can understand, or do anything about. 

 

With that being said, as I've grown as a person over the past few years, I've included many other things into the "higher power" equation.  These other things include:  my parents, sister, best friend, my "support group" aka: close friends, and as asinine as it sounds- nature.  (Looking for things in nature that I find beautiful).  

Recently, as you might have known if you've been reading since the beginning, I've had severe moodiness issues.  (Understatement of the month)  :)  I realized today, that I have been putting my faith only into one or two of the "higher powers" I've described above.  They are not in conjunction with each other.  Meaning, I've talked to my sister, I've talked to my best friend, I've prayed to the anomalous "HP" (AKA to most people as "God"), I've talked to my parents.  These messages however, have been skewed to each person, and I have not been honest with myself in each instance.  So, not that I was lying by any means to any, but each message was catered to the receiver, and the entire message was not necessarily expressed.  Furthermore, I have not relied upon my group of friends (what I call "support group) in a long time, and have been out of touch with that entire realm.

I realized that when I was genuinely happy-  all aspects of my higher power(s) were aligned with each other, and I was putting attention and effort in maintaining those relationships.  Something that I need to do a lot better, if I want to feel better.

Stick with what works.

This is something I really need to get back to.  Even though my brain works scientifically and needs "proof"... whether or not you believe in what I believe in...for me, (thats okay!) but these are all of the things in my life that have proven to bring happiness in my life. 

This is all the proof I need for today.  (Tomorrow might be a different story)  :)

Thank you for your readership.  You truly give me a means to express thoughts and feelings openly.

Anastasia

Always remember:  "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference!"

Birth Chart!

Hello Readers!!!!

Another New Moon will be approaching this Saturday, and in honor of that, I decided to have a  birth chart done!

Birth charts are used to "map out" a specific time and place of an individual's birth on the Earth, in order to gain specific insight about that individual.  These charts note specific information like the position of each planet when born, and its relation to the position and influence of other planets (and the sun/moon).

Now, I understand that astrology is linked to astronomy, and by no means am going to give you a lesson in trying to explain the intricate details of charts (like aspects or houses), but, I will briefly explain the basics.

SUN SIGN-  This is your birth date.  When you usually read your "horoscope" in the paper, this is the most general categorization of characteristics.  As a Scorpio- I am considered "passionate, mysterious, vengeful, loyal, and hyper-emotional" to name a few.  Because of the broad generalizations though, most people do not fully understand astrology.

They think, "Yes, I have x,y, z, but that could apply to anyone.  I have traits from most signs, not just one."

This is where a birth chart can come in handy! Yes, you might not identify 100% with your sun sign characteristics, but according to astrologists,  there are other influences that affect each individual, contributing in specific ways to their personality.

MOON SIGN-  This depends on the position of the moon when you were born.  The moon sign is said to shed 'more light' (pun intended) in trying to understand one's personal, emotional self.  The position of the moon, in conjunction with your sun sign, can tell you a lot about a person's instincts, habits, and private life.

My moon sign is in Capricorn, and I prefer doing more practical, worthwhile things that produce tangible results.  Because of this, I tend to feel that I am a failure unless I get a highly respected and important position in life (very much a Capricorn trait).   In love, if I make an emotional commitment, I am dutiful, patient, and sign up for the "long haul".

RISING SIGN/ASCENDANT-  This is the sign of the zodiac (rising sign) and degree that was ascending (ascendant) on the eastern horizon at the specific time and location of your birth.  The way to find the rising sign/ascendant can be done by the simple equation:

Or you can plug your info into an ascendant calculator.  It is important to know the time and location of your birth to calculate this, as it is dependent upon your position in relation to the horizon.  (Hence, the reason I didn't want to go into too much detail with this posting.  Maybe astrology is a bit more complex than you might've thought?)

In my birth chart above, my rising sign is indicated by the darker horizontal line.  The ascendant is where it intersects with the Chart (at Scorpio) on the left side.  It continues across to the right side of the chart, the intersection of Taurus.  (This is called the descendant, will be discussed below).

The rising sign is thought to be the sign that embodies both the sun and moon signs.   The combination of Sun, Moon and Ascendant describe what you want (Sun), what you need (Moon), and the style in which you will go about getting it (Ascendant) (starslikeyou.com.au).  Because the ascendant is specific to a particular time and place, it signifies the individual environment and conditioning that a person receives during their upbringing, and also the circumstances of their childhood.  The ascendant reveals the ways you present yourself to others, as well as the ways in which you immediately respond to the world around you.   *Generally, the rising sign falls into the "First House", but does not always occur.  I have a Scorpio Rising, and essentially, this is the Sun Sign characteristics personified.  (I won't bore you with the details).

DESCENDANT-  The point 180 degrees from the ascendant.  The descendant signifies the sign of people you are the most attracted by, you easily get along well with and you are most likely to start a love relationship with, if backed up by other zodiacal aspects.

This is actually the SOLE REASON I started reading into astrology.  I noticed that some of my very best friends were all within days of each other.  Why, all the sudden, do I have to buy ten birthday presents!?!?!  I have found that some of my best, long-lasting relationships are those with Taurus.  If you are single but don't want to stay that way- the Descendant is a good thing to know, when "screening" for potential relationships!

MIDHEAVEN/MEDIUM COELI (MC)-  The Midheaven is one of the most important angles in the birth chart. It traditionally indicates career, status, aim in life, aspirations, public reputation, and our life goal.  The individual will identify with and admire the qualities of the astrological sign on the Midheaven.  (This could be the reason my sister and I get along so well!)   The sign on the cusp of the midheaven quite often indicates what kind of career, vocation, or reputation in life the native will pursue. It also reflects how an individual reacts to stressful situations.

This line on the above birth chart is the darker vertical line passing from Virgo to Pisces.  Where the line "intersects" at the top is the midheaven.  My Virgo midheaven can best be summarized:

They have the courage and honesty to look deeply into themselves. They use what they've learned to serve as an unselfish guide, helping others explore the workings of their own minds. They're also good at using language as a healing tool in their daily activities. Their strong verbal skills could lead to literary or scientific creativity.

Not one to beat around the bush, Virgo Midheaven folks like to cut to the heart of situations. They're excellent students because they learn quickly and easily and question anything that doesn't fit. They make excellent teachers.

I find this brief excerpt quite interesting because I use this blog as a medium- with my attempts to look honestly into my own life, and I try to provide insight for others to relate to.  Additionally, I have always held positions of teaching and coaching my entire life.  I find this kind of "work" fulfilling, rewarding, and the only thing I can picture myself doing.

"LASTLY"  (My sister makes fun of me for saying this word)

IMUM COELI (IC)-   The Imum Coeli is said to refer to our roots and also to the least conscious part of ourselves. It symbolizes foundations, beginnings in life, what may have been experienced through parental inheritance and homeland influences, need for security and relationships with the home and family life. It also may describe the circumstances that we will encounter at the end of our lives.  This is 180 degrees away from the Medium Coeli/Midhaven.

In my chart above, my imum coeli is in Pisces.  Since this is the influence upon home, some adjectives that describe Pisces can be applied to my own upbringing and relationships within my household, as well as the kind of household I will have as I grow older:  (Positive:) Compassionate, Adaptable, Accepting, Devoted, (Negative:) Oversensitive, Indecisive, Escapist.

The sun, moon, and the four "angles" (rising, descending, MC & IC) are the most important influences in one's personality profile from a birth chart.  How each planet interacts also add other dimensions, however, they do not have the influence like the former.

From my teaching experience, I know that some people are "visual learners."  With a chart, and a "key" you can visually see specific aspects of your personality.  You can learn new things about yourself and how you interact with others.  You can better understand why you act the way you do in certain situations.  You can see what you are more drawn to, as well as things that push you away.

If you would like your own birth chart, there are certain "free sites" on the internet.  They might or might not provide the interpretations, however.  If you would like me to do one for you, let me know!   askinganastasia@gmail.com

Anastasia

Always remember:  "We rise by kneeling, we conquer by surrendering, and we gain by giving up" (The life lesson for a Scorpio Rising sign)

Priorities = NO fun!

Hey friends,

Its Thursday and the only "real" thing I have planned is to meet with my Group for my recent class:  Organizational Development.  Let me tell you- I'm excited.

Do you feel the sarcasm? ;) 

As some of you know, I am finishing my Master of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership through National University, out of California.  They offer online programs!  I love it!

Well the only thing I'm NOT excited about is the fact that I have to do school work on a Thursday night, when its sushi night with my girlfriends!   Oh well.  Life happens.  Priorities, right?  I guess I can still go out after class is over... after all... the tourists are starting to come back... *bow chicka wow wow*...  Who can pass up some nice eye-candy and attention? 

So, I've been thinking a lot, as usual, and I've decided that I'll be living in Belize for a while longer (not solely based on tourist season!!!!)  I've had such amazing experiences here, met wonderful friends, and have grown so much as an individual.  Belize has been overall- a good thing for me.

Anyone want to come visit? :)

I have a long list of things I need to finish before my class tonight, so I have to run, but I've been working on a post for the past few days that I will post by tomorrow!

Anastasia

Always remember:  "Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do"

One Month already?!

Hello readers!

I want to thank you for your overwhelming continuing support for the past month!  Today is the one month mark from the starting date!

I have received so much positive feedback from you, I've decided to continue my blog!

This past month was somewhat experimental, in that I didn't know if anyone would even read anything I had to say! :)  Maybe that's just me being a little insecure... big surprise. :)  

Either way, I'm saying,  THANK YOU FRIENDS! You mean so much to me!

I welcome comments, criticisms, feedback, and etc!  Keep it coming, and I'll try to do my best to entertain you with my random thoughts along the way! :)

Anastasia

Always remember:  "I get by with a little help from my friends"  ~John Lennon

Adapting to rapid change

Hello friends!
I know it has been a while since I've been consistently updating, and once again, I sincerely apologize!
As you know, I have been on the mainland in Belize for the last week  with very limited internet. (Only when I went into town, and begged to use the wireless in a restaurant!)

I've been trying to make some decisions regarding what to do and where to go next.  Considering my 6 month lease is up mid-month, this month, I have been weighing my options. I can't BELIZE I've  been here already for 6 months!  Where has the time gone?

I was commenting to a friend the other day about how quickly things change here.  One minute, you can plan on doing something, then 10 minutes later, something COMPLETELY unexpected happens.  And this is a normality! 

My problem lies in two things:
1) The inability to make plans that come to fruition
2) The inability to adapt and  remain patient and/or calm

I like to make plans.  I like to be spontaneous.  These two statements seem paradoxical, however, make sense in my head.   I like the feeling of trust, reliability, and stability that comes out of making and following through with plans.  However- I also like to make spontaneous choices within certain boundaries, within certain options, within a given time. 

Like I've said, I'm trying to figure out what I am going to do for the upcoming months.  Do I move home?  Do I stay here?  Do I stay here, but move to a different property?  Do I move somewhere new entirely?  These are all questions that have been on my mind.  There are a few "hurdles" in my way.  My financial aid was messed up, since the month I've been in Belize.  It's hard to make plans that are based on other factors, which also change quite frequently.  In other words, whether or not I stay, depends upon whether or not I can make the money last until my next disbursement. This might seem like a "normal" problem to most people, but the reasons why the disbursement was messed up in the first place, as well as the conditions thereafter have been changing the entire time.

Another recent example was the hurricane on my birthday.  I decided 2 hours before hopping on a flight to the mainland, that the best thing to do was to try and take myself and my cat to a "safer place."  The hurricane was projected to go north, towards San Pedro, and by flying out to the south part of Belize, I would potentially avoid danger.  This changed dramatically within a day, as the hurricane suddenly changed direction towards us.  Another factor in my "planning" was the information I was told when I talked to the friends I traveled with.  The estimation was,  I would probably be home around Tuesday.  Tuesday turned into Friday, which turned into Saturday morning, which resulted in being home Saturday evening.   Once again, proving:

It is [almost] impossible to try to plan anything in such a rapid-changing environment.

This leads me to, HOW I adapt to the change in plans.  With the consistent uncertainty as to what is going to happen next, I have a very difficult time adapting to each change.  It seems that I don't have enough time to "make peace with" or adapt to each thing that comes along, until the next issue arises. 

This is probably the most difficult for me!  My problem lies in my ability to adapt to those changes.  Technically, I cannot do anything about the change itself- but WHAT I DO AFTER the change happens. 


Once again, I'm focusing too much on what I cannot change, and not paying enough attention to what I can change. 

How do I adapt to change better?
There are 5 skills that the article "Adapting to Change: 5 Essential Life Skills" presents:
1)  Stop and think to avoid misinterpretations
Give yourself time to analyze situations thoroughly. View actions and circumstances from different angles and perspectives to gain an accurate understanding of what has happened. If people are involved, communicate your concerns and ask questions to get information that might not be apparent. This will allow you to make informed choices.
2)  Think long-term
Ask yourself "What if?" questions. Think about the consequences of dealing with a situation in various ways. Ask, "What will I lose?" and "What will I gain?" "How could this choice affect my family, friends, self, and future well being?"
3)  Prepare for change with continuous learning
Change is a constant in everyone's life. The skills needed to meet various needs will change throughout all stages of life. We will continue to need updated knowledge in such areas as self-care, relationships, parenting, and financial.
4)  Look beneath the surface
Welcome challenges. Every challenging situation brings the chance to grow wiser and more skillful. Somewhere, someone has successfully dealt with the same situation. Even circumstances that seem most devastating carry within them the seed of a new blessing. Those who search for these blessings will eventually find them.
5)  Become clear on your values: the principles that guide your actions
Then look at your needs: those things that must be met in ways that remain true to your values. Ask yourself this question: "Is my reaction an attempt to meet a personal need in a healthy manner, or is it a creative solution to some other problem?" Then ask, "Is my choice of action in keeping with my core values?"

These solutions sound doable, but if you're at like me when I'm in the moment, or as my best friend always says "when the rubber meets the road", all logic goes out of the window.  I have 5 practical, logical applications to adaptive challenges, but I know myself well enough not to use any of them.  So now what? 

Realistically, the only thing I can think of is to stay calm and positive.  In all of my past experiences, an immediate reaction from me is not only irrational, but negative- yielding less-than-ideal consequences.  This impulsive reaction has also caused more work that I'd need to do afterward; "damage control" for what I did/said in response to the change. 

Also- One of the best things I can do in a situation that makes me uncomfortable, anxious, or unsure of the future (that I've learned thus far) is to DO NOTHING.    This might sound weird to most people, but because my initial response is to make an impulsive decision or reaction, if I "do nothing" it allows me to calm down until I can decide on a better solution to the newest problem. 

Different methods work for different people.  The key is making the best decision on the course of action after the change happens. 

Anastasia




Always remember:   "The only thing that will not change, is change"