Day 13- A Year of Yes

Today I repeated the exercises I worked on yesterday in regards to facial muscles, neck and shoulders, and the lower jaw. It was good getting them in my body more and I really hope to incorporate them into my daily routine. While Skinner had information on the jaw, it was focused on the lower jaw. I wish she gave more detailed exercises and included the upper jaw in this exercise as well.

One of the biggest inspirational pieces in my research was Shonda Rhimes Ted Talk, "My year of saying yes to everything"(Head over to the inspirational pieces page to view it). I had read a few chapters of her book (of a similar name) prior to the start of this project and loved it, I just have yet to finish it.

However, from what I have read and from watching this Ted Talk, I have discovered Shonda Rhimes is a bad ass women with a dream job who is extremely similar to me. She loves her work and is extremely is happier doing work then not doing work. I tend to get in a rut if I am not working on a show and I feel useless. I thrive on a busy lifestyle. Rhimes refers to this as a hum in her brain- it is a drug/ a light/ a feeling and when it is inside her she cannot help strive for greatness. She says maybe this is being a work-o-colic and she cannot help love this hum because she is not built for failure. However, she goes into this idea of being defined by this hum. She describes becoming burnt out and how work can then begin to taste like dust.

She reminds us that the hum is not work specific. It is joy and love and confidence and peace specific. I think this was one of the most useful piece of advice in all of my research. I am pretty good at realizing my work does not define me. While I love it and (like Shonda) think I'm good at what I do, I know there are a million other things that make me who I am.

She says that by allowing yourself at least 15 minutes of "play" a day it not only opens up your creativity and allows for better work, but it also allows you to be truly happy. This is the more difficult idea for me to accept and do because I think I always have to be working on something. However, I am striving to do this more as the end of the semester approaches (while still being productive and a good student/production team member, etc.).

I think by doing this I can fully recognize that this work hum is only a part of me and not all of me.

Tomorrow I'll be looking at soft palate, lips and tongue exercises from Skinner's work.