I've been working on getting this particular blog entry written for a couple of weeks.  First, technical difficulties...then,  life happens!  Well, here I am finally able to sit down and think about this amazing piece of work done by many of the teens and adults that I have worked with.  The question is posed...what is the face you present to the world?  What are the parts of you that you keep hidden?
This is always a very interesting process of reflection for me as I know that I have a very strong image that I present to the world.  I make great effort to hold integrity and to share  who I am in a genuine and authentic way.  In doing this exercise recently, I was surprised to see that there is still so much work to do to keep my inner and outer experiences in alignment.  How often do we put on a smile when we really feel hurt?  How often do we deny our inner voice in order to keep the peace?  How often do we compensate in situations that we ought to stop?  What questions do you need to ask yourself in reflecting on your inner and outer faces?  What would you like to do to integrate those aspects?  Which inner faces do you choose to keep hidden and for good reason?  This is a challenging exercise but one that I find to be well worth it AND every time I engage in the task, I am pleasantly surprised!
 
A Great Quote 10/05/2009
 
I love the following quote for it reminds me to look deeply into a person as well as taking a look at myself....enjoy!

The reality is that nobody is one hundred percent bad.  They must have some good qualities if you search hard enough.  So, the tendency to see someone as completely negative is due to your own perception based on your own mental projection, rather than the true nature of that individual.
~ The 14th Dalai Lama
 
Great Tools 10/01/2009
 
Journaling is another expressive arts modality that I LOVE! It is one of the more powerful ways to shift distressing thoughts in a fairly short amount of time.  One of my favorites, and one that I just practiced, centers our thoughts on what we do and do not control.  Here's the truth:

I do not control:
Events
Weather
Time
What others Say, Do, Think, Feel, or Believe!

I do control:
What I put in my mouth
Getting out of bed
What I wear
What I say
What I believe
Where I work
Who I am with
The choices I make
The decisions I make
How I react/respond
What I think

People, myself included, often forget this and there is a very simple journaling exercise to help.  I just practiced it.  It goes like this.  When I find myself embroiled in a situation that I don't like and I find myself feeling powerless and angry, I grab my pen and my journal and I write out the scenario.  I do not edit myself.  I let it all out.
Then I make a simple two column list.  On the left side I label it: In my control.  On the right side I label it: Out of my control.  I then take all the events in the scenario and sort them.  What I usually find is that a lot of what I am upset about falls on the out of my control side.  This is why I feel powerless.  I cannot make someone do the "right" thing.  I cannot make someone tell the truth or stop conducting themselves in a manner that causes me suffering BUT I can get my thoughts in line so that my suffering is less.  I CAN make a plan about HOW I want to respond.  When I start to focus on what is in my control, the relief that comes is HUGE!  Try it and let me know how it works for you.  This exercise can, in a very short amount of time, shift things dramatically!  Happy Writing!