Tag Archives: books

I have got to stop reading brain books

Posted by sarah3030 in Crazy., random, running and tagged with , , ,

My job offers this fantastic book on cd program for free to corporate employees.  I jumped on this perk and the first book I received was Brain Rules by John Medina.  I loved it!  I had an epiphany while listening that helped me determine a long term goal of opening a school based in this book’s research and hypothesis’.  (Theories?)  I’m going to call it Sarah’s Hippie Brain Rules School.  Which Gentleman Friend tells me should really just be a working title.

This book inspired me to get more exercise, more sleep, and use visual images to get my point across better in presentations.  I feel great about what I took away from this book.

This led me to buy a book called ….well, honestly I can’t even remember.  I bought it in a bookstore while in Bowling Green and I’ve only read the first two chapters.  Clearly it is not grabbing me from the get go.  But it’s a book on brains and creativity.  I think.

Then my next book on cd arrived, called Change your brain, change your life.   This book and I are not doing so well.  It’s much more technical and is describing certain parts of the brain such as the deep limbic system, basal ganglia, pre frontal cortex and cingulate gyrus.  Each section is responsible for certain behaviors & feelings and each section can be broken.  One section controls anger, one for inability to focus, one for holding grudges, one for automatic negative thoughts, one for flexibility, etc.  After each section I conclude that section of my brain is in hyperdrive or not keeping up.  Can it be possible that my entire brain is broken?  Probably not.  I’m taking away a few things, such as talking back to the automatic negative thoughts that creep in and dominate my life.  Responding out loud will allow me to hear the difference between rational and ridiculous thoughts.  Don’t create more drama just so I stay interested in a topic (which is an ADD tactic – because I’ve decided that I probably have a broken brain and ADD, naturally).

In between all the brain books I have found time to read the Hunger Games trilogy.  It took me all of 5 days which included staying up until wee hours of the morning during a 10 day straight working cycle.  It was so worth it.  I just saw the movie this past weekend.  I thought the movie was just fine.  I’m a little sad more wasn’t made of the symbolic-ness of the mockingjay pin and how Katniss received it in the book.  Oh well.  Overall, good stuff and I’m looking forward to the next movies.  I did not think I’d like books when I heard the premise, but they were really riveting.  Apparently there is a Japanese story these were inspired by, I’ll be looking into finding that next.

In other news, I’m in the middle of another 10 day straight work cycle.  This isn’t all bad, because it means a 4 1/2 day weekend coming my way!  On the agenda – Spring Cleaning!!  I’m such a messy person that I require giant chunks of time to tackle my place.  I may even call in help.  Like my mom.  If I offer to pay her I think she’ll come down.

Also, my official running training calendar begins today.  6 months, friends.  13.1 miles in 6 months.  It can be done.  And when my broken brain tells me it can’t, I will talk back to it!  Which may get some looks at the Y, but I’m okay with that.  I’m a woman on a mission.

Amazon love

Posted by sarah3030 in Christmas and tagged with , ,

I am a huge Amazon.com fan.  I have ordered everything from books to blenders from the site.  I find it affordable and convenient and think it’s recommendations know me better than my own family does.

Today, my incredibly generous and kind chocolate shop boss gave his staff their Christmas presents – and we all got the Kindle Fire.  

Kindle Fire

Holy Tablet, Batman!

I’m so excited.  Last weekend at Grad School orientation (seriously – still more to come on this) they mentioned how handy having a device like this was and I’ve added this to my shopping list once I start getting paychecks again.

I spent some time abusing my 30 day free trial period for a few magazines and updating my Amazon wish list.  I had a few books I have downloaded previously and are sitting out on “the cloud” waiting for me.  I feel having this makes me want to curl up and read more!  With that – goodnight!!

Can I tell you a secret?

Posted by sarah3030 in growth, heavy, My story continues, relationships and tagged with

I read the Secret.  I even watched the movie.  Did you know there was a movie?

The Secret has been made fun of a lot.  That’s all I knew about it before reading it.  That and my therapist recommended it to me months ago, back when I still had insurance and saw a therapist.  Meg had the book and the movie was a Watch It Now feature on Netflix.  I had no excuses not to start diving in.

The Secret is the Law of Attraction.  Yes, if you can think you can, you can.  I wanted to be skeptical, but the more I read, the more this isn’t a new concept.  Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”  Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”  The documentary “What the Bleep do we Know” was all about positive energy and brain power.  I don’t think this is total bogus.  I really love that Henry Ford quote.  The Secret says there is more than just thinking about what you want.

1. You have to ask the universe for what you want.  What are your goals?  What do you want?  Be clear and specific.

2. Believe it is already yours.  Calm down and live like what you asked for is on it’s way.  You’ve asked the universe – there’s no reason to believe it won’t come to you.

3. Be in a state of readiness to accept it.  Believe you are worthy of what you asked for and recognize it when it comes to you.

I thought about my college years and my first couple of years working.  Without calling it The Secret I would say I had this kind of attitude.  I approached every job, internship, student organization, relationship and promotion with absolute confidence.  If I wanted something, I got it.  I always had a clear picture, I always believed they were happening and therefore started preparing for them.  I don’t know when this power of positive thinking got away from me?  Moving to Louisiana?  The negative experience I had with the casino employees there?  And then for years I thought about how lousy things were – and they continued to be lousy.  Even the month of August this year.  On August 1st I got a parking ticket for parking within 10 feet of a mailbox.  I remember emailing Adam Science “August sucks.  I hate August.”  And you know what?  August did indeed suck.  I lost my job.  I broke up with Adam Science.  My car was hit and run.  Meg got a job offer.

What did I have to lose refocusing my energy.  Step one is to decide what I want and ask the universe.  I’ve come up with some pretty clear goals for my job and some personal growth.  I’ve made my desires clear to the world and I’m waiting for them to materialize.

This brings me to tonight.

I had no clear relationship goal.  I’m still disappointed that my relationship with Adam Science ended.  I kept hoping it would become the relationship I thought it had the potential to be.  I know I haven’t talked a lot about it here, and that’s because I’ve worried Adam Science himself would be reading this, but, well…hello, Adam if you are reading.  I’ve been so confused since I ended things on whether or not it was the right thing to do.  I have very serious nostalgia about all the fun and good times.  Last night and my own personal, bizarre struggle with the hat was all about thinking he and I should still be friends and how do I begin that transition.

Tonight I was working a private party at Kitchen Conservatory.  Essentially a group rented out our big classroom kitchen and could do whatever they wanted with it with me as their kitchen back up.  It was a group of about 25 and it was a Chopped Theme birthday party.  They had four chefs with mystery baskets and it was really a lot of fun.  It was the group of people that stood out.  They were coupled up for the most part and there was so much love in the room.  There was teasing and fun and helping and cheering and supporting and it was lovely to be around.  (Also there was wine.  Drinking at work is so cool.)  And I realized once and, I’m hoping, for all why I need to really close the book on any thoughts I may have had about reconciling a romantic relationship with Adam Science.  It didn’t feel like that.  And tonight I may have gotten a better idea about how to visualize and ask for a relationship to the universe.

I’ve been in such a funk when it comes to happy couples.  I’ve been jealous and bitter and sad and anxious whenever I see, hear, read about or think about partnerships.  It’s even been dictating my movie and tv choices.  One night last week my sister had a pretty funny exchange.  I told her I was cranky.  She told me to put in a funny movie.  I told her no, movies had couples and people with jobs in them and I was too mad to watch happy couples or employed people.  Her response was to put in the next Harry Potter, that there are no happy couples or employed people in Harry Potter.

Moral of the story: I’ll be embracing more positive thinking.  I’ll start forming an idea of what to ask the universe for in my next relationship.  I can still love and respect and miss who Adam Science is, but need to remember that I was lonely in that relationship.  And most importantly, I believe I’m worthy of what is coming to me and I’m ready to accept it when it comes my way.  Here’s to creating my future with the power of positive thinking.

I’m about to enjoy my weekend.  I have the next two days off.  It’s like the old days when two weeks days are the weekend.  I guess that made today “my Friday”.