Unit SIX

What I discovered about myself is that even though I have the power to control which road(s) I should take in life, I should also be able to focus on other people without having too much stress or having to be put on the spot about who we are helping and who we are not. I did not repeat for more than 10 minutes those four phrases, however, I did reflect a good three minutes on each phrase and how I have experienced those in real life and then it became clear to me that it wasn't all that bad having helped a lot of people before helping myself because I learned that NOW is the time to focus on me before anyone. I love people-I'm usually a social person, but that's about it-I've usually been able to do things on my own and I have to continue focusing on keeping my path, my road clear ahead of me. I should be focused more on my mind and fulfillment of my life. Focus more and recognize that it's okay to be greedy of oneself to a better future down the road. I get to out of focus easily on the important things in life. Right now it's not even a realization that I'm about to be done with the Army Reserves after serving just about eight years. I don't know how more focused and satisfied I'll be once I come to that point.

Being able to put a list together on what needs to get done will help me concentrate better and process what needs to get done more effectively.

UNIT 5 and that EXERCISE

This exercise for me was all about how I breathe. In particular; I've been told in the past that I am a mouth guy-not a nose guy. Let me explain; when I'm sleeping I snore through my mouth not my nose. This has happened new recently in the past three years I've noticed not just from my ex-boyfriend but from my army buddies whenever we're camping away-they hit me. (You can laugh). This exercise FORCED me to close my mouth and breathe through my nose. I'm a mouth guy-I get panicky super quick if close my mouth as that is the only comfortable way for me to breathe. Today I have spent most of my day (I've been awake since 2pm yesterday and it's past noon today) with my mouth closed and breathing just fine through my nose. That's not completely the point of this exercise although it was nice to have that revelation that if I just focus on my breathing and nothing else-I could apply those same methods to my life. This book (Integral Health) has really made a difference for me. I am forever thankful this course came back into my life for a second time-it has come at a time where I really need this course after everything that has been thrown my way. I may sound repetitive when I state this but it's true-through everything this summer has come and passed with all life changing events, I haven't been depressed or too hard on myself this autumn/winter. I have been very relaxed with how I handle drama.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN ME?

The Loving-Kindness exercise was very....interesting. I used my ex-boyfriend. Does that make me a loser? I cheated on him three years ago and our almost six year relationship ended before Summer started this year. He was never able to trust me. Our relationship was not indestructible-the house exploded, so to speak. He wasn't a bad person-it just didn't work out. So for this exercise, I was not in tears (I still haven't cried and this summer has been brutal for me). I don't love him physically but I do miss him and this exercise proved to me that I have to be more calm about people who I've done wrong and people who've done me wrong. I used my parents too because I've done them wrong and they always found a way to forgive me. I should be in jail, I should've been fired but still, I am here with three jobs school and a house and a car. Those were all difficult things for me to have to swallow my pride and ego, but it was for sure beneficial. I would recommend this exercise for sure because it is personal.

Mental workouts are beneficial to our mind and brain. Something as simple as a Rubik's Cube, which is what I play around with every single day ever since the movie Ouija came out last month in the movie theaters and there's not a Ouija Board that we sell at Target, a Rubik's Cube is challenging (I still haven't brought it any closer to getting all the colors on each side of the cube. This keeps my mind active-it is a strenuous workout but I am able to fit it into my schedule. We just have to be able to commit time to allow our brains some fun times. The same could be applied to homework-homework works our brains like no other but it is very beneficial to our minds to be sure.

Dacher, E. Integral Health The Path to Human Flourishing Psychospiritual Flourishing