A Proper Reading

Went to see a reader I that I stumbled upon about 6 months ago. She called yesterday inviting me to come in and see her after months of no contact. I went. Heard losts of things I knew or suspected and one thing that I didn't know about at all. That's about right for a good divinatory session. The stuff that I cared the most about was the stuff that I didn't want to hear. Of course.

What a pain in the ass personal growth is.

Being an adult can really suck.

It's supposed to be a good year, anyway.

Can't I just stay in my room and remain stunted and immature?

Of course I can. But sadly, I will know exactly what I am doing, dammit. Courage is required in the coming year to make the most of the actually very good opportunities that I know to be coming my way. I am sadly lacking in this department on most days. I will have to assemble a consecutive set of days in which my courage level and common sense are both high and then act on them both. Damn.

OK, Once Again, With Reason

Alright. I received a reading much like the readings my querants usually receive, only much more optimistic about career, life path and life's work in general. It had great feedback about my work, my real life's work. It had great news about my distant down-the-road personal circumstances. It had the usual unflinchingly honest feedback about my current personal circumstances. I liked it about as much as my querants usually do.

Now, what do the *best* querants do?

They take the personal growth aspects of the reading seriously, listen carefully, and look into themselves to confirm the information. They then take responsibility for their own lives and start tackling their problem issues head on, working on them everyday and pushing themselves as far as they can go everyday, until one day they can go far enough to truly make strides resolving and healing the most chronic issues. They pay attention. They don't fall back asleep because it's easier and less painful, trading the acute pain of growth for the familiar dull ache of unmet potential---that old friend who never need leave. They don't come back a few weeks or months later, having done little or no substantial work on the issue, hoping for a better----more desirable, less painful---result from the cards.

They keep pecking away at the problem in increments even though it is uncomfortable every single time they do so.

THEY ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESOLVING THEIR OWN SADNESS, PAIN AND LOSSES WITHOUT BLAMING ANYBODY ELSE.

If the building is on fire, they get up and walk out under their own power, and they don't expect anyone else to haul their butts out for them.

They accept the reality of their own freedom. They choose to grow up. OK, I guess I'll follow that model. I don't have to be perfect, and I don't have to be capable of resolving everything now. I only have to be capable of behaving with the utmost honor and maturity today. That's all I have to do to get through this day.

It's like lifting weights: you train to failure on every post-warm up set to get the best results. Training to failure means that you perform as many repetitions of the movement as you can with good form, stopping only when you can no longer perform another rep with that strong form.

The good news is that you only have to push as far as you can. You can stop as soon as you can no longer push any farther.

So, I guess I'll strat working on my chapter now.

Good News

I just picked my first ripe tomatoes: 2 Supersweet cherry tomatoes and 2 Sungold cherry tomatoes. I ate them all.