Procrastination, Part 1: Best Things About December 11 - December 13, 2009

1. Christmas chapel. Carols and man choir and funny skits and warm holiday feelings.
2. Last American Lit class. Wooooo, no more learning about authors I already read in high school.
3. Rain, rain, rain. Even though the windshield wipers on Betty don't work too well, it made for a lovely adventure driving down to San Juan Capistrano.
4. Road trippin' with the bf. Good music courtesy of Kirk's iTunes and sour cream and onion Pringles, mint Milano cookies, and Diet Coke/Starbucks for a mid afternoon snack.
5. Glory of Christmas at the Crystal Cathedral. Real camels! And flying angels! And the cutest lambs and goats and a donkey! Oh yeah, and the acting and music and costumes were all pretty great, too.
6. Lots of time with my adopted grandparents, Ellis and Frankie. Plus great food, comfortable housing, and good conversation, all because of their generosity.
7. Sleeping in. 
8. Pumpkin bagels at I Heart Bagels! These bagels are listed very very high on my Top Favorite Things list.
9. Getting things done while at the same time doing nothing. Like such as Christmas shopping and finishing up my list of To Do's for Lithuania.
10. Seeing The Road. Ok, here is what you need to do: Go read The Road by Cormac McCarthy and then go see the movie. Right now. Just do it.
11. A hilarious Sunday morning. Highlights included: accidentally on purpose missing church, getting lost somewhere around Laguna Niguel, dancing in the car to Christmas music, and eating at the Souplantation (it never gets old).
12. A brand new backpack. Her name is April.
13. Hot toddies and a Salt Creek sunset. I could literally spend every afternoon for the rest of my life watching sunsets at Salt Creek and never get tired of it. This particular afternoon, I had very handsome company, which made it extra nice.
14. "Meeting" the boyfriend's parents via video chat. And realizing he looks exactly like his mother.
15. Kirk Dahlstrom.

Eat right, huh

Numba One - Ideation
You are fascinated by ideas. What is an idea? An idea is a concept, the best explanation of the most events. You are delighted when you discover beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are. An idea is a connection. Yours is the kind of mind that is always looking for connections, and so you are intrigued when seemingly disparate phenomena can be linked by an obscure connection. An idea is a new perspective on familiar challenges. You revel in taking the world we all know and turning it around so we can view it from a strange but strangely enlightening angle. You love all these ideas because they are profound, because they are novel, because they are clarifying, because they are contrary, because they are bizarre. For all these reasons you derive a jolt of energy whenever a new idea occurs to you. Others may label you creative or original or conceptual or even smart. Perhaps you are all of these. Who can be sure? What you are sure of is that ideas are thrilling. And on most days this is enough.

I didn't really think that this strength applied to me until I did some reading and realized that it has to do with creativity and daydreaming. Most of the time, I forget that that aspect of who I am is even a strength. Maybe this test will help me to focus that attribute and use it more to my advantage.



Numba Two - Input
You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information-words, facts, books, and quotations-or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don't feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It's interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

I have definitely seen how this strength plays out in my life. I remember when I was in maybe 7th or 8th grade and I became insanely fascinated with Queen Elizabeth I to the point of reading a 600 page non-fiction work all about her life. When I become interested in a topic, I like to know as much as I can about it. This can also be translated into my social interactions; when I am interested in getting to know a person more, I become overwhelmingly curious about their life and the way they think.



Numba Three - Empathy
You can sense the emotions of those around you. You can feel what they are feeling as though their feelings are your own. Intuitively, you are able to see the world through their eyes and share their perspective. You do not necessarily agree with each person's perspective. You do not necessarily feel pity for each person's predicament-this would be sympathy, not Empathy. You do not necessarily condone the choices each person makes, but you do understand. This instinctive ability to understand is powerful. You hear the unvoiced questions. You anticipate the need. Where others grapple for words, you seem to find the right words and the right tone. You help people find the right phrases to express their feelings-to themselves as well as to others. You help them give voice to their emotional life. For all these reasons other people are drawn to you.

This was another strength that I was already well aware of (and semi-embarassed about). I've had a problem with being overly sensitive for as long as I can remember and I've always viewed it as more of a weakness than a positive attribute. I think that maybe I need to start looking at it as a God-given gift and realize that it's something that can help others.



Numba Four - Strategic
The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?" This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path-your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: "What if?" Select. Strike.

I think it's ironic that this is now my third strength that has to do with knowing more and thinking and "expanding my horizons". I am definitely one of those people who just thinks too much; "What if"s drive me crazy and generally take up wayyy too much of my time. And again, this is another attribute that I tend to view negatively.



Numba Five - Connectedness
Things happen for a reason. You are sure of it. You are sure of it because in your soul you know that we are all connected. Yes, we are individuals, responsible for our own judgments and in possession of our own free will, but nonetheless we are part of something larger. Some may call it the collective unconscious. Others may label it spirit or life force. But whatever your word of choice, you gain confidence from knowing that we are not isolated from one another or from the earth and the life on it. This feeling of Connectedness implies certain responsibilities. If we are all part of a larger picture, then we must not harm others because we will be harming ourselves. We must not exploit because we will be exploiting ourselves. Your awareness of these responsibilities creates your value system. You are considerate, caring, and accepting. Certain of the unity of humankind, you are a bridge builder for people of different cultures. Sensitive to the invisible hand, you can give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond our humdrum lives. The exact articles of your faith will depend on your upbringing and your culture, but your faith is strong. It sustains you and your close friends in the face of life's mysteries.

When I asked my alpha leader about this one, she told me it was the hippie strength. So ha, once again, proof that I am a hippie at heart. Parents, let me buy a hippie van and get a peace sign tattoo'd on my ankle. I'm just trying to go along with my strength!

But actually, two sentences made me feel certain that this strength is something I possess: When people and the world seem fractured, broken, and isolated, you can become discouraged. For this reason, some may perceive you as too naïve or fragile. This has happened to me countless times. When the darkness of the world around me is pushed too hard into my face, I freak out and have to "center" myself before I can deal.

Stay beautiful

I met a homeless man yesterday. His name was Shane and his teeth were tinted yellow. He was holding a cigarette in one hand and asking any nice-looking person who passed by for money to buy food.

We grow up in a culture that trains us to be paranoid of anyone living on the streets. "Oh, he'll just use the money for drugs," we convince ourselves. "He's probably just lying anyway." I know that those were the thoughts running through my head as I walked past him with my head turned the other way.

It took me about 3 seconds to feel a nudge on my heart (the nudges I live for). And even though I was terrified and worried about what Shane the Homeless Man could possibly do to my lovely roommate and I, we still turned around, apologized, and introduced ourselves to him. He was a pretty nice guy, too. You might see him on the corner outside of the CVS just down the street.

Shane gained five dollars from me yesterday. But, as cliche as it might sound, I feel like I'm the one who benefitted more from our encounter.

I'm not entirely sure of who I am yet. That's why I came to college; in this safe and God-controlled environment, I have all the time in the world to settle on my hopes and fears. The only thing that my heart is absoultely set on right now is living my life completely and willingly for God. And every day that's becoming easier for me to do.

That's who I am right now.