This was a fun exercise for the class I’m taking, Alchemy: The Art & Craft of Writing. In order to help generate writing ideas, we were to come up with a list of obsessions and preoccupations. Here’s mine in no particular order:
- Kelly Rae Robert’s art
- Pretty paper napkins
- Tissue Boxes
- Dishes
- Decorating
- Ice cream
- Coffee
- Bichons
- Target
- Paint chips
- Color names
- Pretty journals
- Colored pens
- Mad Men (the TV show)
- Naps
- Writing
- Psychology
- Coming up with ideas
- Quotes
- Alliteration
- Themes
- Susan Cain’s work on introversion
- Brene´ Brown’s work on shame
- Sharon Salzberg’s work on meditation
- Breathing
- Kindness
- SELF-COMPASSION
This is actually a really good exercise because I could write entire blog posts on many of these items.
I have the strong urge to put these in categories or make some kind of order out of them, but I’m going to resist and let it be. Hooray for me!
The Self-Compassion Project 
Fun! Where to start. I’m full of obsessions. I’m crazy for all things soft, sweet, gentle, fluffy or squishy (yes,like gummybears lol).Funny things too. Honesty. Sharing our truth. Opening up!
Ok so before i get sidetracked here’s mine. Order? Go with the flow:
– Neem karoli baba
– NKB ashram in Taos, NM
– Hanuman
– the Hanuman chalisa (my morning Glory song)
– Northern India, Baba’s temples
– HRH the Dalai Lama, all efforts for Tibet
– Agar sogchig – tara healing incense (don’t get me going on that stuff)
– devotion, path of the heart, bhakti yoga
– Cushions/pillows – never enough
– Baba blanket of course
– -Mimi/flufferball (my big fluffy Himalayan cat with serious painbody issues; we relate very well)
– the state of my carpets (so obsession: ripping it all out)
– Trail time with Shelby (dog)
– Writing
– Music! Kirtan- chanting names of God. the piano
– lovingkindness meditation (& Sharon) & acts of kindness (small opening heart gifts)
– Ram Dass & Krishna Das & LSR org
– Quotes too.
– Mantracker (tv reality show, esp. with native leader curtis)
– Steve martin & Ellen degeneres (lovingfunny)
– reading
– Planes of consciousness
– Any Spiritual study with emphasis on our interrelatedness (All One)
– Asana practice (PRAYER for the bod practice vs iwannahotbod practice)
– yoga workshops: exploring all limbs
– Cottages: little cozy rustic ones
– Wilderness..trails, moss, rocks (all)
– Climbing vines: hoyas/ivies
– Little store (opportunity shops/consignment)
– homemade soup!
– warmed up ginger cookies (starbucks)
That’s it. oops not so fast. Pretty tissue boxes & paper napkins as well. And I hear you with the paint chits & the lovely creative names.
Fun! What a neat writing practice. Our obsessions reveal our hearts, don’t they? Our passions connect us to our true nature. And some take us to Love in a jiffy. Well not my stinky carpets.
Thank you Barbara for your seriously loving blog
WOW! I’m going to have to look some of your items up. What is LSR org? I like Ellen, too. I would love to go on her show and dance. I’ve always thought if I could do that, I’d be free of all my social anxiety. And I used to buy lots of pretty pillows for my couch until I realized that my dogs, Lily and Larry, ruin them all. Anyway, thanks so much for sharing your list! Have you read Priscilla Warner’s book Learning to Breathe? She talks a lot about Krishna Das in it. Calls it her joy therapy!
Just found this blog and I’m looking forward to following you over the year.