Freedom and power

This past Monday was my first seminar of ten in the Landmark Forum in Action Seminars. Although I was tired from a long day of classes and guitar lessons, once I stepped foot into that building, that all went away. I forgot about my tiredness, my aches and pains, annoyances and worries. There's just something about being with a hundred or so other amazing, passionate people that inspires me to be amazing.

I can't even begin to explain what Landmark is, but in a nutshell, the education you get there is guaranteed to give you the tools and resources to live your life powerfully and live a life you love. What have I gotten from Landmark so far? Well, the list is quite large, but I feel like each and every relationship I have, whether it be my best friends, my parents, my siblings, are so much more amazing. I understand people for how amazing they truly are. I learned to let go of petty things that I probably just made up about myself of others in all the noise that goes off in my head. I learned I am just as afraid of people learning who I "really" am as they are of me finding that out about them. I learned that usually it's not someone else's flaw or problem, it's me. I learned that my past has nothing to do with my future. I can have new kinds of conversations with graduates and non graduates alike that I never could have had without Landmark. I am more open with my feelings. I am more outgoing. I am more motivated. And the list goes on...

Now, with the seminar series, I am gaining the experience I need to apply what I gained at the Forum to EVERY part of my life. I CANNOT WAIT! Our first assignment was to write a list of places we want to have power over in our lives that right now we feel is for the worse or we feel very discouraged in. From that list select our top three. Mine are: my relationship with my brother, Cody, my dating life (or lack thereof), and fitness level. I am excited to begin to have breakthroughs in those areas with what I learn in Landmark.

I have already begun to work on the fitness aspect of life. One of my roommates, Madeline, and I have started working out for 30 minutes in the morning before class. I mean, it has only been two days, but we have stuck to it, even though both of us did not really want to get up at seven this morning! I can already see the exercise impacting me for the better, as I have more energy during the day and I am sleeping much better at night. It is a lot easier to get up out of bed to go work out when I know I have someone else counting on me to be there. Having her is a blessing, because with out her support and encouragement, I think I would be prone to fail. I will most definitely keep this blog updated with my breakthroughs and breakdowns on this topic.

So as my seminar progresses, I will update with each week we are in session. As for now, I'd like to leave off with the new possibility I have created for myself.

The possibility I am inventing for myself and my life is the possibility of being free and powerful.

So this is the new year

Recently I have rekindled my passion for Judaism. And I can honestly say it wouldn't have happened without the enthusiasm and commitment of my roommate Kimberly. She has inspired me to find what it was I loved about Judaism and remind myself of it every day. Without her, my breakthrough in this area of my life would not be possible.

Rosh Hashanah was last week, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the new year. I got into contact with my old Rabbi, Mark Glickman, who officiated my Bat Mitzvah and he was able to get Kimberly and I complementary tickets for the service at Kol Ami in Woodenville. It was a ways to travel, but it was absolutely amazing reimmersing myself in the Jewish community. Also, Rabbi Glickman offered a very familiar feeling of comfort and safeness that I miss from Temple Beth El. I felt very welcomed and look forward to Kol Nidre, the prelude to Yom Kippur, this week.

But more on Rosh Hashanah. On this holiday which is the new year for Jews, we approach it with a mentality and focus of awe rather than festivity and celebration like we do on the American new year. It is a day to look back on your year and reflect on all the good and the bad and just thank God for your life. Because life is a gift that only God can grant, and I think it is so important to be grateful for what you have be given, if only it be one day out of the year.

During the service, I got choked up a few times when reading some of the prayers and listening to the sermon. I have never really experienced this at any other time I have been at services. I think that this is because I have never gone to services to truly experience the purpose of worship, reflection, prayer and meditation. I have always gone because that's what Jews do, they pray. So going to services to actually be Jewish was an experience in and of itself. I have never in my life felt more Jewish and close to God than I did during Rosh Hashanah services.

I'm so excited for this part of my life right now. I have been longing for the return of Judaism in my life and finally I am beginning to surround myself once again by its teachings. So for the new year, I am eager to start fresh. I have created new possibilities for myself and my life that I am committed to living out in my daily life. Those possibilities are being free and powerful in ALL areas of my life. My most recent endeavor is beginning tomorrow morning with a workout regimen. There will surely be updates on my progress in that area of my life.

So, I guess what I wanted to get across was that even if you aren't Jewish, take an opportunity in your life to just be grateful for what you have and all the gifts of living you have. Go outside and look at beautiful Mount Rainer, take in the vastness of Puget Sound, take a walk in the rain. Be present to everything around you and start fresh. Commit to an area of your life and make it exactly what you want it to be. With the new year comes infinite possibility, make of it what you will!