Seven Deadly Sins.....Sloth

It is Terrible Tuesday again and I have another Seven Deadly Sin post to contribute to the carnival. I chose Gluttony last week and this week I am doing Sloth. I decided to participate in this carnival because it just sounded cool, but I have found in writing these posts that it is actually quite cathartic. I spent a year in Catholic prison (that is a Catholic high school) which I chose of my own accord because I wanted to learn something. I have to admit I learned a lot, but I also closed off to a lot, like some of the lessons in the Seven Deadly Sins. A sin for a Catholic (for the type of Catholic I was-don't want to offend anyone) is something to confess to your priest and then move on, I never looked at how these “sins” could impact personal growth, who knew I would get that lesson from a blog!!



Sloth is defined as spiritual and/or actual apathy or laziness. Sloth can also concern wasting due to lack of use or allowing entropy, expanding into almost any person, place, thing, skills, or intangible ideal that would require maintenance, refinement and/or support to continue to exist.

Sloth is a tricky one, because most people have a tendency to, at some point, want to slack off or shirk responsibilities. So when is a propensity to doing something actually considered a regularity or an overriding character flaw?


When I think of sloth I think of some slacker, with bad hygiene, living in a dump that spends their life just squeaking by. A slothful person is lazy, has no goals, no drive, no positive momentum, and really doesn’t contribute much to the whole scheme of things. But is it really that cut and dry?


Over the last 5 to 6 years work has gotten the majority of my attention, it has taken everything in me to remember that family, friends, and life outside of work is important. If there is apathy towards any portion of my life it is in my personal life, but that is perfectly acceptable right? Because I am a “successful” contributing member of society! I am single answerable to no one. I am a model to look up to in my work ethic and industry knowledge. I have a good portion of the material things that you are supposed to want to have, so I can’t possibly be slothful.


According to Tyler Durden (The beautiful chaos creator in Fight Club) “F*#k off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may.”


I tend to put all my efforts into one direction, while neglecting everything else. Entropy, a lack of pattern or organization, a tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity -this definition would contradict my model life and actually prove that I am very slothful. In almost every area of my life outside of work I am stagnant; I have pushed life to tomorrow or the day after. I neglect myself, my family, and friends so I can fulfill some crazy dream to be the best most successful girl on the planet.


So now another Tyler Durden quote, “a question of etiquette - as I pass, do I give you the ass or the crotch?” Ha ha…that one just makes me laugh the quote I really wanted to use is, “You have to know the answer to this question! If you died right now, how would you feel about your life?”


This is a question that I started asking myself after a kidney stone in 2006, after the mortgage meltdown in 2007, and have continued to ask myself over the last 5 months, I am a slow to act sometimes. This is a little scary because I can look back at major turning points, good and bad, in my life and they all started with that question. Even the road that lead me to my current situation was predicated by that query. So 5 months ago I looked at what we have now established as a very slothful existence, and decided I needed to make a change. If I died tomorrow I would feel that I had squandered, wasted, and misspent a good portion of the last 6 years (yes I know that all those words mean the same thing - I just thought I needed to say it three times).


I have made some major changes over the last 2 years / 3 months and I continue to push forward in my new less slothful life. It is truly hard though. It is so tantalizing to want to revert back to, an easy, work driven, uncomplicated, yet stressful existence. Life is messy, the more interaction you have with family, friends, and new people tends to bring overwhelming chaos to a rather dull but comfortable existence. I also hate cleaning my house so I need to make enough money to pay someone else to do it or I will still be slothful because my house won’t be clean. See the issues here….but I am striving to be more balanced and to be present in the lives of those around me.


Some of the changes:


I am strategically moving away from a job that I just exist in to a job I love


Taking time throughout the year to do things for myself and with my family and friends


Finding my purpose and passion and incorporating it in all that I do.


I can understand why sloth would be considered a sin, because it just seems like a travesty to squander life, and yet so easy to do. So check back in a year and let’s see if I have let the sloth monster gobble me back up or if I have continued on my “enlightened” path.



Don't forget to check out the other carnival members:



Huckdoll

Caffeine Court

Secrets of a Black Heart

CableGirl

Vertical Gardens by Patrick Blanc

The other day I got a comment from someone on my Activerain lender blog, of course when you get a comment you like to go check out what they are doing. He is an Eco Broker, for those of you who are new to that term, it means that he specializes in green real estate. Anyway, he had a great post about vertical gardens. I just thought it was the coolest thing! When I was ditching college backpacking through Europe I went to Monaco, you know to see where James Bond hung out, and the most intriguing thing besides the immense amount of wealth were the rooftop gardens. So many buildings had beautiful rootop sanctuariers, and I just thought it brought so much to that city. You have to check out this amazing vertical garden architecture. I would love to see this become the norm for our homes and communities!!

http://activerain.com/blogsview/499576/Vertical-Gardens-taking-green

http://www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com/

Now I don’t know anything about the logistics, types of plants, upkeep, maintenance issues, but I know that when I scrolled through the pictures on Patrick Blanc’s website I wanted to be there. I wanted to sit and have lunch in one of those buildings, I wanted be in my home and look at a beautiful garden wall. What could be more Zen or Fung Shui than that, really what could more uplifting than that!

The only potential problem I see is my lack of a green thumb, I can’t keep a cactus alive…but I am sure there is a way around that!!

Thanks Alex Mordas for doing a post about this!! http://activerain.com/alexmordas

25 Reasons I Owe My Mother

Another great email I had to share!! I wouldn't know much about this since I was such an angelic youth but I heard my mother & grandmother say these things to other kids. (If it was said to me it must have been by mistake there were a lot of kids growing up...easy to mix us up!)

It really was them I was just a conscientious instigator observer!!

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL .
'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!'

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
' Because I said so, that's why.'

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC .
'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.'

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'

7. My mother taught me IRONY
'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM .
'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE .
'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.'

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
'Stop acting like your father!'

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
'Just wait until we get home.'

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING .
'You are going to get it when you get home!'

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.'

19. My mother taught me ESP.
'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
'When that lawn mower cuts off your foot, don't come running to me.'

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .
'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.'

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
'You're just like your father.'

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?'

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE
'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.'

Today’s Techie Dictator Post

There are two tools I want to talk about today for you dictators. That is “dictators” that like to dictate rather than write….I do not have tools for you tyrannical leaders out there, sorry!

The first cool tool is Jott a voice to text service that allows you to call an 800 number and turn your spoken wisdom into emails, text reminders, a to-do list, or Twitter, post a blog, text a group, the list goes on and on. This technological marvel is the brainchild of two guys with long complicated names headquartered in Seattle, WA. The team is made up of all guys…figures! I am not saying anything derogatory by that it just suits guys…they are a little on the do less get more side of life. Since its introduction in late 2006, Jott has made world class voice transcription accessible to anyone with a cell phone. This is a free service.

Just in case you are looking for this same capability but do not want to call in to a number there is Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance, it starts at $99. Here is a little snippet from their website:

With Dragon NaturallySpeaking Standard you can talk to your computer and watch words quickly appear in documents, e-mails, instant messages and even surf the web simply by speaking! It's amazingly accurate - up to 99% - and really easy to use. There's no script reading or "voice training" required, so you can get started dictating right away. Perfect for the whole family - busy parents, kids just learning to type, and even grandparents!

Sounds super fun….huh? Actually it isn’t half bad, setting up is a bit of a pain but once you get the hang of it the program it works rather well. I am sure this was developed by guys too, but I have no proof of that.

Finally, this is not a dictation tool but once you have your voice turned into text you can go to this site below and translate it into another language. Cool!
http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/

Hopefully these toys tools will help you take some of the clutter out of your day. And for all of you guys out there I was only kidding about the truth wise cracks. Let me know what you think of these sources, would love to hear the feedback.

Seven Deadly Sins

This big Internet/blog world is such an interesting place, each time I go exploring I run into something/someone new….I love it. Well a blog and blog-her I have found interesting is Huckdoll, met her on Cre8buzz and from there started checking out her blog posts. Last night she had a post on The Seven Deadly Sins, which is going to be an ongoing weekly commentary on how she fits into each sin. She apparently got the idea from the ladies at Caffeine Court and Secrets of a Black Heart. So I mosied on over to these blogs and of course I have now found two more blogs that I will be checking out on a regular basis – so many blogs so little time!! I also found this Seven Deadly Sins Carnival challenge intriguing. I have a hard time just throwing my personal life out there, but why not it could teach me something, and it just sounds like fun!! So I am starting with an easy one….can we say Chicken! (Love these chick pics...these are thanks to Mrs. Black Heart)

Gluttony denotes, not any desire of eating and drinking, but an inordinate desire... leaving the order of reason, wherein the good of moral virtue consists

So how am I gluttonous, well for those that know me they would say that this sin is the farthest from me. I embody many of the other seven deadlies, but my friends would say this one not so much….and this they would say because I am “a little thing.”

I don’t think you have to be big to be gluttonous so let’s break it down:

1. Inordinate; lacking restraint or moderation; too great or too many; immoderate
2. Desire; to wish or long for; crave; covet

I can be ridiculous about certain things, I call it stubborn or head strong, but maybe it is just gluttonous. I love things that are not good for me and in some cases loved them so much they have sent me to the doctor. My weaknesses are: mangoes, crab, li hing moi seeds, lemons, salt & vinegar potato chips, dried apricots/plums, and exotic food.

South American mangoes make my lips swell (I could use it in place of Botox…oops leave that one for vanity) my skin reacts to the oil on the skin of the mango like most people react to poison ivy. I love mangoes, will never give them up, so I just eat them a bit more carefully now. I have gone to the doctor twice for shots to bring down the swelling.

Lemons, crab, li hing moi seeds, and salt and vinegar potato chips give me the worst stomachaches ever, like an alien has laid some pod creature in my stomach and it is trying to bust its way out. Again I love these things and I will not give them up, I will deal with the stomach. No boys over on this night...oops vanity again I am going to have a lot to say on that one.

Dried apricot & plums make my throat itch and swell, but I continue to try new varietals hoping that I will find one that does not irritate my throat. I wasn’t allergic to them when I was younger and I refuse to be so now, I have practically beaten this one! This one nearly sent me to the emergency room three times.

Finally exotic foods, little miss adventurous here will try anything once, this one has kept me on the bathroom floor a few nights (wait was that the alcohol or the food?) expelling things that somehow looked better coming up then going down. Now what does that say to you about my gluttony quotient?

It is said that those who are condemned of the sin of gluttony must eat rats, toads, & snakes in hell. I have already eaten snake and frog's legs they tasted like chicken how bad can the rat be?

Since I just remembered –incredible that I could put this one out of my head it has given me so many embarrassing stories and nicknames, alcohol must definitely be added in with the rest of these. I spent the better part of my late teens and early twenties between a “buzz” and a hangover, there was definitely some gluttony there.

So like I said before I really don’t think weight has anything to do with this sin, I am gluttonous because I have an inordinate desire for these items. I lack restraint in my craving for these foods and I definitely do not partake in moderation. Well the exotic foods thing, there I do not gorge or over consume I merely try. You know what -this one I think should be in the pure stupidity category. Maybe there should be eight sins!

No Limbs to No Limits....Wow (Nick Vujicic)

When life hands you "lemons" how many of us can honestly say we make lemonade?

I believe it is absolutely essential that we keep a sense of humor about life, live a passionate life, and that what you give out will come back to you. I believe a lot more, but blogs are supposed to be short, so we will stick with that for this one. Remembering just one of those in the face of adversity can be a daunting task, not to mention trying to incorporate all three on a daily basis. It always amazes me that when you are focused on something how it continues to grow and spring up into your path. So to keep reinforcing the positive I often try to find books, videos, movies, etc. to help me out.

I have been reading the Eckhart Tolle book A New Earth Awakening to Your Life's Purpose, mostly just to see what all the hype was about, but in reading it I have found that it reinforces some of the ideologies I already believe. Now I am not going to say I agree with everything one person says but I do see the positive messages in the book and I can now see why Oprah would feel it necessary to bring it out to the "world." It is a shame that though Oprah's intentions were good that this book is under so much negative scrutiny (not hurting in sales mind you) but possibly in credibility. It has been Oprah'd so now those who love Oprah will love it and those who are not so in love with her will dismiss it out of hand.

Back to the novel, so I am reading this book and doing my inner reflection like a good enlightended girl should, and of course I start getting some pretty inspiring emails. It is like that saying....where your focus goes energy grows. This video below was one such email. It is truly amazing what people can do in their lives with some prespective, passion, and a little inspiration.

I hope this inspires you as it did me




http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9026810297916989221

This was just a snippet of Nick's motivational speech, For more about Nick Vujicic go to www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/ and http://www.attitudeisaltitude.com/

This video was sent to me by Trish & Wendi at http://www.socalarbonne.com/.

Thanks so much Ladies!!

You Just Went Too Far Man!

I received this in an email and thought it was the best thing ever so I had to share...please enjoy!! (Warning may be too graphic for men to handle)

This is an ACTUAL letter from an Austin woman sent to Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph. I about died laughing because it's very true - the words "Have a Happy Period" are really on the piece of paper that holds the wings together.

Dear Mr. Thatcher: I have been a loyal user of your maxi pads for over 20 years, and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the Leak Guard Core or Dri Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts.

But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flex-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi-pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from the curse? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call an inbred hillbilly with knife skills. Isn't the human body amazing?

As Brand manager in the Feminine Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers' monthly visits from Aunt Flo. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out of control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Forman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy!

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants....which brings me to the reason for my letter.

Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: "Have a Happy Period."

Are you fu**in kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness, actually smiling, laughing happiness is possible during a menstrual period? did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James?

FYI - unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak girl, there will never be anything happy about a day in which you jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi-pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like Put Down the Hammer or Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong, or are you just picking on us?

Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chose to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bull shy*t. and that's a promise I will keep Always.

Best, Wendi Aarons Austin,

TX PC Magazine's 2007 Editor's Choice for Best Webmail Award Winning Letter