1000 Actions Challenge

An interesting thing happened this evening. I decided to sign up to take a 1000 Actions Challenge on a Message Board I'm part of. The concept is that procrastination is a result of inaction, therefore there can be no procrastination in action only inaction. To reach big goals it's less overwhelming if you break the process down into smaller action steps to get there. So, anyway, there's this challenge to do a thousand actions and I wanted to join. So I went to look for a notebook that I could keep track of my actions, posting them at the end of every day on the message board. Like today for example will look something like:

1. Joined the challenge.
2. Drank 10 glasses of water.
3. Ate breakfast.
4. Did my dishes.
5. Ate supper at the table.
6. Read for pleasure for 30 minutes.

And anything else I've done today that is an action step toward me becoming the balanced person I want to be. Ok, so I went looking for a notebook to track this thing in. The chances of finding a brand new one would be slim, but I thought I could find one that wasn't too full of insanity. Into the spare room and into some boxes I dove, discovering many notebooks with lists, and schedules, and interview notes, and story ideas, and plot outlines, and tarot readings, and journal entries, and drafts of letters, and doodlings, and much more . . . I spied a small yellow spiral notebook and flipped it open to find lots and lots of my neat printing, the kind I do when I'm taking serious notes I want to be able to decipher forever or even pass on to someone else to read, pages and pages and pages of the trying super hard to be neat blue ink. This was unusual for a couple of reasons. First it was the only thing in the book. There was no other scribbling or doodling or messy in the heat of the moment passionate notes to myself. And second, it went on for about half the notebook, or 100 pages! That's a long time for me to be focused and neat. What could I possibly have been so fixated on? And when did this happen?

I started reading. Stuff about stopping the guilt, loving yourself, writing letters to the universe, candle rituals, prayers for your health and healing, visualization techniques, cutting negative people out of your life, and many different daily affirmations and prayers. It ends with instructions on how to do a candle prayer-- "For nine nights, at precisely 9:00, light a candle and repeat: I am a blessed child of God. I am well. I am happy. Great abundance is on its way because, as God's child, I am empowered to create miracles."

And then I have my notes from the nights I did this prayer Feb 9-17, 2000. The notes are very specific, who I included in my prayers and what I was praying for them. Some excerpts:

Wed Feb 9/00 -- my brother, shield from negativity
Feb 10/00 -- Dad, to find his spirit; Me, patience
Feb 11/00 -- Me, patience, patience, patience, shield from negativity
Feb 12/00 -- my uncle, to pass to the other side
Feb 13/00 -- my ex-boyfriend to find acceptance & happiness
Feb 14/00 -- relief for all the people suffering on this earth
Feb 15/00 -- Me, get on the path, do better
Feb 16/00 -- Me, strength to fight the negative forces around me, patience, courage to live my life with joy and harmony and peace
Feb 17/00 -- Me, patience

I prayed for a lot of people. I prayed for friends and enemies and people I hadn't seen or heard tell of in many, many years. The lists are really long, and I didn't want to put it all out here. I remember this time in my life really well. This is when I first started to change my life. This is when I looked at how I was living and said I didn't want to continue the old patterns anymore and that I would break out of the mold and make changes. This is when I made the pact to myself that I would not move right into another relationship like I'd always done, but instead I'd take some time to be alone (which I'd never been since I was 14) and work on myself and my issues. Seven years ago!! And I haven't had a relationship since. Dates, but no boyfriend. Wow!

It's interesting now to read my prayers and to realize how very far I've come. I have patience now! Seven years worth! LOL! I have joy in my life like I'd never known at that time. I enjoy spending time with myself and understand that nobody else can complete me, I'm complete in myself. I know that I cannot control other people's actions only my reaction to them, and that people reveal themselves in the things they do, not by what they say. I have come such a very long way from the mixed up chaos and madness of that time.

So today I'm starting the 1000 Actions Challenge to help me with wellness and balance in my life. And I'm using my best handwriting and continuing right after those prayers from seven years ago. Because this is the right notebook for this journey.

Mood: inspired
Drinking: red wine
Listening To: trains, planes and automobiles
Hair: still unwashed