Spa Teaching

This morning I went to three exercise classes: one working out with a heavy bar, next circuit training, then an hour and a half of Iyengar yoga.

This afternooon,as novelist-in-residence for the week at Rancho La Puerta spa in Tecate, Mexico, I taught my writing class. Teaching the class took more out of me than all the hopping and hoisting and yog-ing.

Teaching is the most demanding thing I ever do that I can do. I once tried to learn how to sell mortgages and that was simply beyond me. Almost no one wanted to rely on my wisdom on the subject of mortgages.

My brand of bold is teaching. It's the thing that feels scariest of the things I actually am capable of. Which is my definition of bold.

What activity takes you to the place where possible meets demanding? Or do you have lots of them?

(Other good adventures in the last 24 hours included a concert of Tibetan sacred music which the audience of about 100 listened to lying down.

---

Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

---

Back to Maslow, Self-Actualizing

Two courage quotes from Abraham Maslow on the power of confidence:

"The history of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short."

"We fear to know the fearsome and the unsavory aspects of ourselves but we fear ever more to know the godlike in ourselves."

Advice for the day: Don't Punt. Take a Look at the Godlike in Yourself.

---

Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

---

Fear and Courage in the Stars

My astrologically-minded friends tell me that we are in the period of "Mercury in retrograde," one of the times of year that is famous for weird glitches in the operations of gadgets and schedules and systems.

I'm open to the general concept of astrology. If the moon can create tides, surely the heavenly bodies can influence me. But I'm largely unconvinced on the details; my horoscope has too often predicted for me fabulous successes that haven't quite lived up to their descriptions.

However, the tide of cyberglitches I've encountered with my email lately has brought the concept to mind. So I did a little research and found what I wanted: a positive spunky approach to mechanical-glitch Mercury in retrograde season, should that season in fact exist. I always want to wring some value out of obstructions.

In short, this time (through Sept. 29) is a period of course corrections and rethinkings that will go into action at the beginning of October. And that's a mere two weeks away. A tolerable notion. So I'm looking forward to emerging from retrograde and seeing all my rethought messages soaring to their best destinations.

And if you didn't get a reply to your email, please send again...by Pony Express.

---

Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

---

Another Self-Actualizing, Pump-Up Technique

A variation on yesterday's idea: for moments when you need encouragement, keep a file in your desk drawer of nice notes or reviews or even a letter from your mother that reminds you that you're dazzling and your work is important and worthwhile.

--This idea came from psychologist husband Bob.

---

Add to del.icio.us - Stumble It! - Subscribe to this feed - Digg it

---