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Bloom Like A Sunflower

June 6, 2012 by 14 Comments

Sometimes it takes me a long time to learn something. Like a ridiculously long time. Case in point- watch my friend Mandi teach me to crochet at Homemade Frontier.

I’ve heard for a long time that we should surround ourselves with good people, our awesome 2% people. Anne Shirley calls them kindred spirits. In response to all this good people talk my internal dialogue was “Ya ya, good people, I’ve got good people.”

But do I?

The last few months have been a journey of personal growth and awareness. I guess all life is a journey of personal growth. I’ll call it an intense and active few months of growing and challenging myself.

All this growing and challenging has forced me to re-evaluate my kindred spirits. Are the people I choose to surround myself with the best folks for the job?

Kindred spirits make me feel good. They see the best in me and that makes me see better in myself. And in turn I want to see the best in them. There’s no losing when you are surrounded by good people.

Their sunshine in my life makes me bloom and like a sunflower I want to follow the direction of that sunshine.

That’s why I need good people. I get it now.

Filed Under: launching into greatness Tagged With:

The New House Update

May 23, 2012 by 8 Comments

Sometimes things don’t go like you’ve planned. And sometimes being a grown up stinks.

I'm going to BlogHer '12

Filed Under: Life as I know it, Moving to a new house Tagged With: , ,

What Defines Me

May 8, 2012 by 11 Comments

When I started this blog I called myself a pessimist and a grump. One that was committed to changing her ways but still that’s what I labelled myself.

That was back when my mean wolf had the run of the place. I’ve kicked her sorry mean ass to the curb now.

Sometimes I am grumpy and sometimes I am pessimistic and sometimes I am mean but those words don’t define me.

A few years ago at Blissdom Canada there was an exercise going around about finding your one word. What was the one word that defined you? It made me very uncomfortable  and I didn’t want to play but I felt that I should because everyone else was. I felt a lot of pressure to find the “perfect” word but I never did.

Now I know why- I am more than one word. I am an ever changing parade of words. I know this for sure because I am a blogger and I haven’t run out of words yet. Even when I’ve had writer’s block and the thought of one more blog post felt like torture I still had words. Lousy words but they were there.

In the spirit of embracing all the possible combinations of words out there, I’ve changed the Kristin’s Glas tagline. Welcome to the new and improved Kristin’s Glas, where my glas of life will overflow.

Let’s make a pinky promise friends, not to let just one word define us. Let’s be rainbows of words.

Oh and remember when I said I wasn’t going to switch over to a self-hosted WordPress blog? Surprise! I changed my mind. Welcome. I’m still moving in but I’d love for you to subscribe to Kristin’s Glas and visit again.

 

Filed Under: launching into greatness Tagged With: , ,

How To Survive A Blogger Shame Meltdown

April 16, 2012 by 10 Comments

 

This is one of the first things I saw on Pinterest, it made me look over my shoulder because I was certain someone wrote it about me.

Since I posted Brené Brown TED talks I’ve been studying her books. Studying shame and what it does to us, to me.

You know when you are searching Dr. Google and there’s a thousand different ailments that could be related to your sore throat and swollen elbow and you become certain that you will likely end up in surgery or worse? That might be me reading Dr. Brown’s books. So I took a little break to get some perspective and when I started reading again I realized that I really do have the worst case of shame ever. But the book is called I Thought It Was Just Me, which is encouraging.

One of the most valuable things I’ve learned so far is that shame speaks to us in 2 ways

  1. Who the hell do you think you are?
  2. You suck and you will always suck.
Then I saw this on Pinterest.

 

I’m my own worst friend.
It all makes perfect sense when you say it out loud and resolve to be nicer to yourself and others. It does not make any kind of sense when you are in the middle of a shame meltdown.
Example? Sure I’d be happy to provide one.
The week before Easter Homemade Frontier rocked, we had huge pageviews for a blog only a month old. We were thrilled. But the whole time this was happening I had an internal dialogue in my head saying “Sure you’re getting clicks but no one is subscribing, they are just clicking away. You aren’t a plant propagation expert, you are just a spaz.” And I argue back to myself “No, I am a blogging rock star shut up.” And so on.

Until finally the 15 minutes of google analytic fame is over and it’s business as usual. Suddenly the external love of number of pageviews is gone and shame gets a run of the place.

Meltdown central. I know every blogger wants to throw in the blogging towel sometimes but it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. And in the middle of a meltdown it’s hard to know what’s fact and what is shame.
Here’s what I know for sure- the only person that can tell your shame, or your evil wolf, to shut up is you. No manner of external “You did great” will touch it.

The solution- I’m starting with identifying what’s real and what’s shame. Self-awareness let’s call it. And not giving up.

Filed Under: Life as I know it Tagged With: , ,

I Am Not The Follow Through Crew

January 10, 2012 by 10 Comments

I walk on the impulsive side of life, barrelling forward with little thought, blurting out “YES” or “NO” with enthusiasm or disdain before thinking it through.

It gets me committed to projects I am not all that keen about (I’m thinking PTA here) or sitting home alone when I should of got my act together to join a girl’s night out or overspending on yet more IKEA organizational products.

Like for example: starting a new blog. I forced myself to ask around for a few opinions, I slept on it. But despite telling nearly everyone I know that the best plan for starting a new blog is to have at least 10 posts written before launching I don’t have that. (Hi! typing off the cuff here.)

Distraction by bright shiny ideas.
I am aware of the saying “Patience is a virtue” but I’ve never taken that seriously. Patience shmaience.

The long and the short of is it this- If you need an idea girl I’m there. If you need the follow through crew, call someone else.

I am an idea girl, no more guilt or negative self-talk about it. I’m adding that to my list of super powers and moving on.

Now if you excuse me, I am off to IKEA.

Filed Under: Life as I know it Tagged With: