Saturday, July 2, 2011

Just wanting to get started.....

     OK, here I am...53 y/o with my dreams.  I realize that I have been researching living off the grid for years, and now time to really start planning...is composting toilet the way to go? or..just septic?..thats what I get the most grief for, the composting toilet idea!  Lets backtrack a little..or maybe a lot...
     I realized on Nov 4 2008 that my dreams are the most important way for me to express myself...I had bilateral mastectomies for breast cancer.  How is it that one day I am a healthy woman and go for my routine mammogram and 5 days later I have bilateral breast cancer?  I am the luckiest woman in the universe, at least I feel that way!  My lymph nodes were clean, no chemo, no radiation.!!!!  I am CURED!
So at that very point in my life I say..."Self, this is it!  You'd better start living your life as you wish, not only as you should. "
     I adopted the Four Agreements....
     The Four Agreements are:
1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
by don Miguel Ruiz...    
  I leave you with those thoughts....so glad I got started.....

4 comments:

  1. I am so happy you are getting started. I miss you very much and think about you often. I will keep a look out for all your posts. I like your 4 agreements. I think I need to work on them more myself. Love ya.

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  2. I love this post! I love the agreements. I try to live by them myself, but I'm not perfect and from time to time find myself faulting on all of them. I think that living by them, just like working to get off the grid, takes baby steps. My husband and I are criticized as well for what we are doing building the house ourselves, not having plumbing at the moment, etc. There is a book a friend recommended, "The Power of Your Subconscious" by Joseph Murphy that has helped me change my thinking. There is a lot in the book that seems like crap, but there are enough nuggets of gold it's worth panning for them. I learned to ignore what other people say and take back power over myself. I have been so much happier not worrying about what others think and say. I absolutely think you should take those steps towards getting off the grid if that's what you want to do. From a cost perspective, I'd personally go with the composting toilet. Aside from being significantly cheaper, you can turn around and use that black gold as fertilizer for ornamental plants.

    I'm also proud of you for getting through the cancer. My mom, younger brother, and a dear friend are all survivors and I just wrapped up taking the friend to chemo sessions and it was an eye-opener and one of the hardest I've ever done and I wasn't the one going through it! So kudos to you. If you can do that, you can do anything.

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  3. Hi Jolene... All that was some months ago, I'd be interested to know what's happening now... all we have is the now, but you know that...
    And I'd go for the composting toilet...
    Nice to have you aboard TFT, thankyou for joining...

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  4. Hi Jolene, I am so pleased to hear you have survived the cancer without all of those toxic treatments. As someone who has been recently diagnosed with kidney disease. I'm am doing everything possible to stop further deterioration (hopefully, a reversal) and avoid dialysis.
    I love the Four Agreements, but honestly I often failed to keep most of them. My hat is off to you for trying. Also thank you for joining my blog.

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