: "Heather Joy" <heddy66@hotmail.com>
To: "Patience 2004-2005" <patience@lists.evergreen.edu>
Subject: [patience] RE: MID TERM UPDATE
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2004 17:41:12 -0400

> 
> When I joined the Patience program, I actually didn’t know that the class 
> was so self-directed.  The freedom of the class has been quite a struggle 
> for me, and sometimes I have been agonizing over what my project should be.  
> Since my life over the past few months has been entirely dedicated to 
> personal growth as well as spiritual growth, I decided to make those 
> pursuits my project for the class.  My goals for this year are to increase 
> my awareness through meditation and to truly focus on emotions and how they 
> manifest themselves in my body.  I am also trying to restructure my thought 
> patterns by noticing thoughts that are negative and self-defeating, 
> attempting to understand and accept them, and then exchanging them with more 
> positive and self-loving thoughts.  I believe that becoming more aware of 
> others, the world, and myself is incredibly important and essential in order 
> for me to function with the most peace, the most compassion and the most 
> love possible.
> 
> What I have been doing this quarter:
> 1)	Meditating daily for 30-60 minutes.
> 2)	Keeping a daily journal of my thoughts, emotions, reflections, 
> interactions
> 3)	Doing lots of artwork, especially oil painting and reading “Art and 
> Embodiment” by Paul Crowther which is theory on the connection between art 
> and increased awareness.
> 4)	Working at Demeter’s Garden with the Ecological Sustainability group 
> Thursday mornings.
> 5)	Helped to organize an art night on Wednesday evenings beginning 11/03.
> 6)	Reading “Loving What Is” by Byron Katie –includes exercises that allow 
> you to very closely examine your own thinking and how your thinking enhances 
> or diminishes your well-being.  I have been doing the exercises daily.
> 7)	I am planning to read “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy” and “Choice 
> Theory”
> 8)	Volunteering at the Olympia Food Co-op 3 hrs/week
> 
> Because I came to Evergreen to study film, I have had a strong desire to 
> make a documentary examining how perception of the world is so drastically 
> different from person to person because of varied life circumstances.  Any 
> comments or suggestions on this topic would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks for reading,
> --Heather