I'd like to take a second to kind-of-quote two great friends of mine, Andrew Alario and Rion (pronounced Ryan) Pashalidis. These two talk in-depth and often about a particular type of moment that they like to call "butterfly moments". I won't say it as well as they do, but butterfly moments are those teeny-tiny microscopic events or occurrences that are seemingly insignificant, yet slowly but surely prove to be much more than that. Similar to butterfly theory, one tiny happening impacts another, which impacts another, and another, and so on. I've experienced (or rather, paid greater attention to) a ton of butterfly moments lately.
Last year, about this time, I was walking through the Bentley library, a place I rarely ever went (too quiet, and I throve in chaos, so not much of an option), and saw this very simplistic, but very gorgeous, mountainous background on a stranger's computer. It wasn't your typical screen-saver though. It greeted him kindly, kept track of the time, had an inspirational quote, and even a to-do list. I was captivated and just had to stop to ask what this was. "A Google Chrome plug-in called Momentum. But seriously - it's not that exciting", he said to me like a real buzzkill. I downloaded it right away, and have loved it every since. The quotes were charming, the photos were lovely, and it was cool to see my name on the screen in big, bold letters. I did, however, slightly agree with him that it wasn't as exciting as I made it out to be. That is... until this week.
Last year, about this time, I was walking through the Bentley library, a place I rarely ever went (too quiet, and I throve in chaos, so not much of an option), and saw this very simplistic, but very gorgeous, mountainous background on a stranger's computer. It wasn't your typical screen-saver though. It greeted him kindly, kept track of the time, had an inspirational quote, and even a to-do list. I was captivated and just had to stop to ask what this was. "A Google Chrome plug-in called Momentum. But seriously - it's not that exciting", he said to me like a real buzzkill. I downloaded it right away, and have loved it every since. The quotes were charming, the photos were lovely, and it was cool to see my name on the screen in big, bold letters. I did, however, slightly agree with him that it wasn't as exciting as I made it out to be. That is... until this week.
I was intrigued by Monday's quote. It was be Earl Nightingale, famously named "The Dean of Personal Development" and it so wisely said "Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality." I agreed, and a liked it, but I didn't know that I understood this message with the depth that Nightingale wrote it.
Later that day, I got a phone call from a pretty cool cousin of mine. He called to share with me the most incredible story about two women he knew that up and moved to the Dominican Republic to do nothing more (or really, nothing less) than love on people and serve the human race in the most creative of ways. Their newest project was buying a casino that was for sale and trying to implement a self-sustaining education model that would be funded by the proceeds of casino operations. The only problem - the owners hated the idea of selling this business off to these women. It was a casino, and not a school, at least from their perspectives. The whole story was a stand out, but one particular tiny detail hit me like a bunch of bricks. Though seemingly insignificant, my cousin included this part of the story: every time the women walk by the casino on the way to work, the grocery store, church - wherever they may be headed - they point to the building and say "We're gonna buy that."
I immediately put the pieces together. These women had planted an idea in their subconscious minds, and in saying "we're gonna buy that", they were nourishing it with repetition and emotion. I, personally, had no doubt that it would one day become a reality, and all at once, came to understand with depth what Nightingale was saying and what this concept looked like in action. I decided to spend the week dwelling on this quote and nourishing my own planted ideas with repetition and emotion.
Later that day, I got a phone call from a pretty cool cousin of mine. He called to share with me the most incredible story about two women he knew that up and moved to the Dominican Republic to do nothing more (or really, nothing less) than love on people and serve the human race in the most creative of ways. Their newest project was buying a casino that was for sale and trying to implement a self-sustaining education model that would be funded by the proceeds of casino operations. The only problem - the owners hated the idea of selling this business off to these women. It was a casino, and not a school, at least from their perspectives. The whole story was a stand out, but one particular tiny detail hit me like a bunch of bricks. Though seemingly insignificant, my cousin included this part of the story: every time the women walk by the casino on the way to work, the grocery store, church - wherever they may be headed - they point to the building and say "We're gonna buy that."
I immediately put the pieces together. These women had planted an idea in their subconscious minds, and in saying "we're gonna buy that", they were nourishing it with repetition and emotion. I, personally, had no doubt that it would one day become a reality, and all at once, came to understand with depth what Nightingale was saying and what this concept looked like in action. I decided to spend the week dwelling on this quote and nourishing my own planted ideas with repetition and emotion.
And boy did it work. You should know - I've, for years, struggled with a lack of discipline and a disinterest in things that I'm not good at it. I've worked endlessly on it, forcing myself to do things that I don't naturally excel in (ex. Biking Across the Country) and signing up for opportunities that require great discipline (ex. Pledge Mom.) I can't say, however, that I'm beyond these tendencies. They're still very real for me, so I decided that the things I needed to be nourishing with repetition and emotion were these personal "I can change" challenges that I sincerely wanted to introduce into my own life. Here are the five main ideas that I emphasized:
As you can imagine, nourishing these with repetition and emotion looked a bit different for each. But with the right amount of strategy & creativity, they've all been working tremendously, becoming a reality significantly faster than I anticipated.
#1 I have artistic talent: I sat down every night, repetitively, with a blank canvas in front of me and a load of paints and brushes. No particular plan. No end goal but to create art. The very first night, I felt stripped for a vision, but open to failure. In the nights proceeding, I'd ended up with multiple canvases painted, cool designs drawn, artsy pictures taken, and even an Etsy shop open!
- I have artistic talent.
- I can resist the foods that I act like I can't resist.
- The world is a charming place and humans are a charming race (I already feel this way, but wanted to continue to see things like this.)
- I'm going to be a kick@$$ barista.
- I have time for my relationships.
As you can imagine, nourishing these with repetition and emotion looked a bit different for each. But with the right amount of strategy & creativity, they've all been working tremendously, becoming a reality significantly faster than I anticipated.
#1 I have artistic talent: I sat down every night, repetitively, with a blank canvas in front of me and a load of paints and brushes. No particular plan. No end goal but to create art. The very first night, I felt stripped for a vision, but open to failure. In the nights proceeding, I'd ended up with multiple canvases painted, cool designs drawn, artsy pictures taken, and even an Etsy shop open!
SHAMELESS PLUG: Trying to make some extra cash, so if you'd like to buy a canvas painting off me ($20 for whatever design you want ... get creative), I'd love to make a deal. E-mail me or comment on this post, and I'll feature your painting with a personal shout out next week for the world to see!
#2 I can resist the food that I act like I can't resist: Sugar is my biggest challenge. I love sweets. But I decided to spend a week without them. Very conveniently, my roommate was sick at the same time and staying away from dairy. We made it a point as we passed things like Ice Cream Stores to say "Hey, wanna get milkshakes?" and wait for other to enthusiastically come back with a "Nope, I don't. Dairy." Or "Nope, I don't. Sugar." Positively reinforcing the choices we wanted to make in the moments that we weren't already missing sugar /dairy really helped to gain momentum.
Side note - I was very impacted by a documentary I watched this week called "Fed Up". Everyone should check this out for a new perspective on the food industry.
Side note - I was very impacted by a documentary I watched this week called "Fed Up". Everyone should check this out for a new perspective on the food industry.
#3: The world is a charming place and humans are a charming race: I nourished this idea by providing myself with routine opportunities to see stuff that I wasn't normally seeing. I took a nice long walk around the complex I live in, and to my surprise, came across a ton of charming things. First off, I'd walked past a little grill on someone's front lawn time and time again, wondering if it was up for grabs. This particular time, there was a cat peeking its head through the shades in the window behind it, hissing, as if it to let me know the grill is indeed, not up for grabs. As I kept walking, I passed under a bunch of overactive squirrels in the trees above, practically making it rain acorns right on my head. I continued on to see two, 85 (ish) year-old women chatting the night away on the shore of the pond behind the complex, a spot I knew you could only get to by hopping a huge log, which they must've adventurously done even in their old age. And as a returned home, I passed a big green house that was blasting Suavemente, a total classic. I kept going for walks like these, and saw a million more things that I'd describe as "charming", one of my favorite's being an insanely talented Boston street performer who is "If you were wondering, 13 and single."
#4 I'm going to be a kick@$$ barista: Anyone who works as a barista knows that repetition is an inevitable part of the process. Emotion, however, is not. I see this barista-business as a crucial piece of my post-grad puzzle. Though it makes sense that this job would register in my mind as a "job", it doesn't really. It registers with me as more of a "means" of sustaining this life model I'm currently employing/so enthusiastic about. Being a barista is thrilling when your emotions are in it, and I was choosing to use this opportunity to get really passionate about constant improvement, about reacting to failure, about the process of becoming an expert, about thriving, and so on. I spent hours a day at Starbucks studying the codes, the protocols, and the recipe books, and then returned home, multiple nights in a row, using all the random kitchen supplies I had to simulate a Starbucks barista bar. I made lots of fake Carmel Macchiatos with everything from Aloe Vera to toothpaste functioning as makeshift ingredients, using shot glasses from Australia and Puerto Rico in place of the espresso shot glasses we typically use. Though I probably looked it, I never once felt stupid in the process, knowing that I was doing just what Nightingale spoke of - nourishing what I'd planted in my subconscious mind with repetition and emotion, in order that it would one day become a reality.
#4 I'm going to be a kick@$$ barista: Anyone who works as a barista knows that repetition is an inevitable part of the process. Emotion, however, is not. I see this barista-business as a crucial piece of my post-grad puzzle. Though it makes sense that this job would register in my mind as a "job", it doesn't really. It registers with me as more of a "means" of sustaining this life model I'm currently employing/so enthusiastic about. Being a barista is thrilling when your emotions are in it, and I was choosing to use this opportunity to get really passionate about constant improvement, about reacting to failure, about the process of becoming an expert, about thriving, and so on. I spent hours a day at Starbucks studying the codes, the protocols, and the recipe books, and then returned home, multiple nights in a row, using all the random kitchen supplies I had to simulate a Starbucks barista bar. I made lots of fake Carmel Macchiatos with everything from Aloe Vera to toothpaste functioning as makeshift ingredients, using shot glasses from Australia and Puerto Rico in place of the espresso shot glasses we typically use. Though I probably looked it, I never once felt stupid in the process, knowing that I was doing just what Nightingale spoke of - nourishing what I'd planted in my subconscious mind with repetition and emotion, in order that it would one day become a reality.
#5 I have time for my relationships: I've written previously about setting a tone for the rest of my life based on what I do this year. One area in which I really feel the need to set a tone is in my relationships. I see them as investments, and things that are worth my undivided attention in many ways. Each day, when my roommate and I go over our daily goals, I make sure I have a goal on my list that functions as a direct investment of my time and energy into a relationship of mine. It might be writing thank you letters, it might be FaceTiming with my sister, or it might even be a trip into Boston to visit an old friend (Ex. Muneera) before they move to a new city to start their own post-grad puzzle. There is both repetition and emotion in having a daily goal that includes my relationships.
So, what did I learn this week? Aside from how to make Iced Coconut Mocha Macchiatos (easier to make than say) and how much it sucks to run out of toilet paper in your apartment, I learned that Nightingale's words of wisdom is advice worth taking. They say that action is what distinguishes a goal from a dream. This week, I watched a lot of the seeds that I'd planted long ago finally sprout up and start to grow, all because of the action I took in the form of emotion and repetition. As my uncles always told me, "Hope is not a strategy". I'm quite glad that I ran into that kid in the library a year ago with the nice screen saver, because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have downloaded Momentum, wouldn't have seen Monday's quote, the detail about the casino story wouldn't have stood out to me, and I wouldn't have spent the last week making this type of progress in life. Butterfly moments... such beautiful things.
Other general updates to include:
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TOP 5 FEEL GOOD MOMENTS of THE WEEK
1. Vickie brought me a beautiful purple orchid as a housewarming gift. I only have to water it once a week with an ice cube. #GoodGiftsForAnENFP
2. My Mennonite pen-pal that I was SURE wouldn't even get my letter got it, read it, and wrote me back! We're on exchange #3 and still actively pen-paling.
3. My very first day at Starbucks, I was a bit nervous and unsettled, but in through the doors came the one and only Jen Gemma. I wanted so badly to say hi, but I was in the middle of training and couldn't escape. Still, a National Champion came to my first day of work.... so cool.
4. Taught a Buffalo Chicken Dip class. You know... spreading the good vibes further out into the world.
5. Found out I'll be working the 5am shift at Starbucks many times in the upcoming week. Made me spend a lot of time thinking about my lovely 4K For Cancerteammates and all the times we woke up at 5am to make a difference in the world. Shout out to all of you.
1. Vickie brought me a beautiful purple orchid as a housewarming gift. I only have to water it once a week with an ice cube. #GoodGiftsForAnENFP
2. My Mennonite pen-pal that I was SURE wouldn't even get my letter got it, read it, and wrote me back! We're on exchange #3 and still actively pen-paling.
3. My very first day at Starbucks, I was a bit nervous and unsettled, but in through the doors came the one and only Jen Gemma. I wanted so badly to say hi, but I was in the middle of training and couldn't escape. Still, a National Champion came to my first day of work.... so cool.
4. Taught a Buffalo Chicken Dip class. You know... spreading the good vibes further out into the world.
5. Found out I'll be working the 5am shift at Starbucks many times in the upcoming week. Made me spend a lot of time thinking about my lovely 4K For Cancerteammates and all the times we woke up at 5am to make a difference in the world. Shout out to all of you.
In the week to come, I'll be (hopefully) employing repetition and emotion as a means of finding a way to hang up my hammock. We've spent countless hours on it already, trying rocks and ropes and everything in between. I'm confident we will make it work though. And if you're having trouble buying into the message of this post, here's some hardcore (and comical) evidence. The first day I moved in here, I saw the most ridiculous brown Mini Cooper with a weird meme face on the back window. Every single time I walked through the parking lot, I told myself "I'm going to find that car". Sure enough, weeks later, this week, the week focused on repetition and emotion, is the week that I finally found it. Coincidence? (Probably.) But for the sake of this post, let's say... no, not at all.
Stay tuned for next week to see if I FINALLY have a bed (at this point, it's getting old), if I have any noteworthy Starbucks stories, and if I've made enough money to pay rent! Thanks for reading!