Today is the first day of week 5. This week is about “recovering a sense of possibility.” Here’s the summary for the chapter:

“This week you are being asked to examine your payoffs in remaining stuck. You will explore how you curtail your own possibilities by placing limits on the good you can receive. You will examine the cost of settling for appearing good instead of being authentic. You may find yourself thinking about radical changes, no longer ruling out your growth by making others the cause of your constriction.

The “being authentic” part, is the section of the above quote that really resonated with me. I spoke, in my last post, about realizing how how often I turn to others for validation. Instead of saying what “I believe,” I occasionally say something only because I think it’s what others want to hear. I can immediately recognize when I’ve indulged in this behaviour, because it hits me right in the stomach. I know that I have been untrue to myself, even if only in a minor way, and this realization causes me to shrink back and cower my head in anger against myself for not being real. What am I hiding from? I think that this is going to be a very good week for me, and I am curious what I will learn about myself as I work through its many challenges.

On another note, I came across an excellent website that I would like to share with you. It’s called 750 words. It’s actually a brilliantly simple idea, and it is the perfect remedy for anyone struggling with morning pages or journaling. Here’s what you do: create a private account on 750word.com, and every morning (or night) log on, and type out 750 words of free-association thoughts. Here’s the fun part: every time that you complete your 750 words you are awarded a point which shows up on a “bowling-esque” score card – a card that is refreshed once a month. This website is perfect for anyone who needs a little bit of extra motivation to get their pages written out, and also for that person who just hates writing free-hand.

To close, one of my favourite things about this book are the little quotations in the margins. To start the week off, I would like to take a moment to share one of these quotations with you.

“You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm”

– Colette