OneWord365: Confidence

I'm still planning on keeping "resolutions/goals" for the new year, but I definitely see the appeal of this kind of tribe building within the One Word 365  tribe challenge. I'm going to try it for 2015 and see what happens with this. It's possible it could be neat!

There were a lot of words I could have chosen, but I've decided CONFIDENCE is going to be my 2015 word.

I want this year to be about personal power and feeling confident on whatever paths I take.

Common House Residents Journal #13: 2014-12-24

Entry: 13
Journal Type: mixed
Date: 2014-12-24
Replies: yes
Author: Kevin
Trigger Warnings: sickness, kid talk/pregnancy

Well the body's sick. Which sucks because I wanted to do a holiday songs video so I just did a brief introductory video on our system account instead (which has really crappy sound and video quality but whatever). If anyone got added by dreamersunited1339 that's our plurality account.

Cecil and I are now on speaking terms. We had a long talk the other day about everything and Carlos and Cecil both said I'm allowed to announce both of these news items here for them: 1, Cecil's pregnant and that's what he was flailing about in his last entry, and 2, Carlos proposed last night. Cecil says they're waiting until after the baby to have a formal ceremony but yeah. Lots of exciting stuff going on in world. I'm about to go toss towels into the wash and then head us out to church service even though this cough is killing us. Then back home, vacuuming and decorating our baby tree.

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)

Oracle Readings Received: December One Card Draw (Dec 22 2014)

from ariestess's December 2014 One Card Draw. SHe used the Gypsy Fortunetelling Deck.

Your card :: 3 of Hearts
How are you with gut instincts? Do you trust your intuition or do you ignore those little niggles that you get? If you already trust your intuition, good for you! If not, this is an excellent time to begin learning how to do it.

Pimp It! card :: 17 - Kavvi [Kettle]
You are in a period of settling in. Regardless of how long you've lived in your current residence or been at your current job, you're going to feel like it's new all over again. This is a good thing, a second chance of sorts. Don't waste this opportunity to embrace contentment and the comforts of home and family.

NaBloPoMo Day 12: Funny Texts

Friday, Dec 12th 2014: Tell us about the funniest text you've ever sent or received. (NaBloPoMo)

Honestly, we don't get any funny texts. :( I think the closest thing we've ever gotten to a "funny text" besides really dull spam was that one time little sister sent us the message intended for one of her other friends who shares our legal first name.

NaBloPoMo Day 11: Happiest Person

Thursday, December 11th 2014: Who is the happiest person you know? What is their secret? (NaBloPoMo)

... That's another good really good question.

Off the top of my head, one of the interns in the Heartbeat Connection class that just ended. For the purposes of this being a public blog I'm going to call her H. She was just... always smiling even if she had a crappy afternoon.

I'm guessing her secret is just... kind of going with the flow and not worrying too much. She was just kind of very... present.

NaBloPoMo Day 10: Balancing Happiness

Wednesday, December 10th 2014: Do you think you maintain a good balance of making yourself happy while making other people happy? (NaBloPoMo)

I think it still needs work. We tend to be better at making other people happy more often. But we're getting to the point where we can also be pretty selfish with our own happiness. It's a work in progress. There's definitely more balance than there used to be.

NaBloPoMo Day 9: Breakup Movie

Tuesday December 9th 2014: Your best friend just broke up with her partner. What movie do you bring over to get her through that first night? (NaBloPoMo)

... This would highly depend on the friend in question (we don't really have anyone we'd call our "best friend" in the typical sense of the word "best friend"), but it's probably highly likely that something from the View Askewniverse will probably be involved.

NaBloPoMo Day 8: Recipe

Monday, December 8th, 2014: What recipe are you known for amongst your friends and family? (NaBloPoMo)

To be honest, we aren't known for any recipes. We don't really cook much on our own. HOWEVER, fiance and I almost always bring a comfort-food spicy bean dip to parties.

NaBloPoMo Dec 2014 Day 7/100 Things We Have Or Want To Add To Our Self-Care Toolbox: 004. Reiki

Sunday, Dec 7th, 2014: Free Write: 100 Things - Self-Care Toolbox: Reiki

For the past 4 years we've been involved with reiki. Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a healing approach from Japan that promotes the relaxation response and brings the mind and body into its natural balance. Hand placements correspond to the body's energy centers or chakras which parallel the endocrine system.

For us, Reiki is a spiritual practice, a healing practice, and a life practice.

The Reiki precepts are an important part of our spiritual practice:

Just for today, I will be free of worry.
Just for today I will be free of anger.
Just for today I will live the attitude of gratitude.
Just for today I will do my work honestly.
Just for today I will treat all beings with kindness.

The healing practice of reiki has brought so much to me. I am more comfortable talking to people. I'm more grounded in the body (we weren't hurt as kids really, but we grew up with a story that implied our body was breakable because it was born 7 weeks premature). I'm more open to touch in general.

Common House Residents Journal #12: 2014-12-07

Entry #: 12
Journal Type: mixed
Date: 2014-12-07
Replies: yes
Author: Kevin
Trigger Warnings: i don't think there are any

Front doesn't seem to like me much. But that's probably the fact that my reputation apparently precedes me and no one wants to front with me, but because I'm new I'm not allowed to be alone.

Emmy's making me also leave notes inworld and out for Cecil to show that I'm learning now. So far, I've learned that Desert Bluffs definitions don't match up with Outsider definitions inworld or outworld, magic exists inworld and that I can sort-of use it to help me with what Strex fixed though i'm at square one with a few of those things since magic doesn't work on all of them, and that outworld i am really bad at figuring out the body's limits, but i'm pretty good at getting things done.

Carlos seems to agree with Emmy that maybe next week IF Carlos and Aeslyn are present, maybe they'll let the front mechanism pair Cecil and I together as a stretch team, even though Cecil didn't seem happy about that. But that might be because he's been really sick the past two weeks. He fainted over breakfast the other day. Which was weird.

Outworld we got a new coat. It's pretty, but not a color I'd choose personally (it's blue) and I'm still not sold on if it's warm enough for this weather. And we have a whole box of trader joe's knock-off oreos gathered from the 3 different boxes that were available at the NaNoBoston TGIO party. Emmy says they're rewards for doing good work. [I ate some for dessert after dinner and then combined them into one box].

I've been doing lots of cleaning but there's still lots more to be done this week.

(x-posted from Plurality Resource Forum)

NaBloPoMo Dec 2014 Day 6/100 Things We Have Or Want To Add To Our Self-Care Toolbox: 003. Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Recovery Education Program

Saturday, Dec 6th, 2014: Free Write: 100 Things - Self-Care Toolbox: Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation's Recovery Education Program

One of the things I'm pretty open about online (and off) is that I have mental health challenges. I think probably one of the most telling parts of my self-care toolbox is that I probably wouldn't have one in-use if it wasn't for the Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation's Recovery Education Program. I also wouldn't be nearly as hopeful as I am now.

Basically, it's a very little known (but very influential) adult education program for people with mental health challenges. The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation was founded as the research base for the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Movement, which stemmed out of the ex-patient movement that got a lot of consumer-operated service groups out in to the open. Members with mental health challenges who apply and get accepted are able to enroll in classes to gain wellness tools and social opportunities.

I am always a bit regretful that I didn't know about this until 2011, since it was something I was looking for when I re-started therapy in college. They don't advertise it much to consumers, but word of mouth gets around from students and the few treatment teams that hear about it from their clients. 

It's a really wonderful place though. I have learned so many different tools to support my recovery here and how to keep them accessible. I sometimes liken my journey to this program as kind of like how Neville realized how much he could do in Dumbledore's Army when he was given the right teachers at the right time.

NaBloPoMo December 2014 Day 5: Happy Playlist

Friday, Dec 5th, 2014: What's on your happy playlist? (NaBloPoMo)

It's not all happy songs but this is my happy/hopeful/inspirational/dancing music playlist that I called "Hopeful Morning Feels Good" because we often play it when we're walking to places in the morning. It's 114 songs compiled from various CDs, mix tapes and fan vocalists. 


1. Adriana Figueroa - Courtroom Revolutionnaire (Fan Vocal)
2. Adriana Figueroa - Child of Magic (Fan Vocal)
3. Adriana Figueroa - The Great Truth Burglar (Fan Vocal)
4. Adriana Figueroa - Turnabout Sisters Ballad (Fan Vocal)
5. from Annie - Tomorrow
6. from Annie - You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile
7. Anna Nalick - Broken Doll
8. Anna Nalick - Walk Away
9. Anna Nalick - These Old Wings
10. Anna Nalick - Shine
11. Anna Nalick - All On My Own
12. Collin Raye - I'm Gonna Love You
13. Collin Raye - Blackbird
14. Collin Raye - Hearts are for When You Want to Love Someone
15. from Frozen - Let It Go
16. Demi Lovato - Let It Go (Cover)
17. Switchfoot - Meant to Live
18. Chumbawumba - Tubthumping
19. Kelly Clarkson - Whyyawannabringmedown
20. Barlow Girl - One More Round
21. Lenka - Bring Me Down
22. Sleater-Kinney - Rollercoaster
23. Mandy Moore - Pocket Philosopher
24. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
25. Sia - Don't Bring Me Down
26. The Dresden Dolls - Half Jack
27. Jack's Mannequin - Swim
28. Muse - Feeling Good
29. Sugababes - Stronger
30. Destiny's Child - Survivor
31. Christina Aguilera - Fighter
32. Spice Girls - Never Give Up on the Good Times
33. Natasha Bedingfield - If You're Gonna Jump
34. Ace of Base - It's a Beautiful Life
35. Britney Spears - Stronger
36. Jennifer Lopez - Feelin' So Good
37. MIA - Sunshowers
38. Kanye West - Stronger
39. Joss Stone - Free Me
40. Kris Allen - No Boundaries
41. from GLEE - Don't Rain On My Parade
42. from Wicked - Defying Gravity
43. Azure Ray - Nothing Like A Song
44. Azure Ray - These White Lights Will Bend to Make Blue
45. Azure Ray - Hold On Love
46. Azure Ray - New Resolution
47. from Honk! - Warts and All
48. Sting - Deep in the Meadows (Lullaby)
49. The Secret Sisters - Tomorrow Will Be Kinder
50. Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars - Safe and Sound
51. Punch Brothers - Dark Days
52. The Civil Wars - Kingdom Come
53. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Around the Bend
54. Fiona Apple - Better Version of Me
55. Tremolo - You Were Born for This
56. Collin Raye - All I Can Do Is Love You
57. Missy Higgins - Unbroken
58. Rascal Flatts - ~No ~Reins
59. Collin Raye - Let Your Love Flow (The Bellamy Brothers cover)
60. Jo Dee Messina - I Wish
61. Dar Williams - After All (Live)
62. Limahl - Neverending Story
63. Mary Chapin Carpenter - Sudden Gift of Fate
64. Loreena McKennitt - Beneath a Phrygian Sky
65. Brian McKnight - Remember the Magic
66. Jo Dee Messina - I'm Alright
67. Rascal Flatts - My Wish
68. Donna Summer - The Power of One
69. Plus One - With All Your Heart
70. Westlife - Flying Without Wings
71. Ray Greene - My Best Friends
72. Sheila Brody - Everything Changes
73. J.P. Hartmann - Together, Forever
74. John Loeffler - You Can Do It (If You Really Try)
75. N'Sync - Somewhere Someday
76. B*Witched - Get Happy
77. Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) - Hey You Free Up Your Mind
78. 98 Degrees - Fly With Me
79. Vitamin C - Vacation
80. Billie - Makin' My Way Any Way That I Can
81. Angela Via - Catch Me If You Can
82. Aaron Carter - Have Some Fun with the Funk
83. Blessid Union of Souls - Brother My Brother
84. from Rankin & Bass's Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer TV Special - There's Always Tomorrow
85. Marjorie Jacobs - Always Near
86. A7 - Bringing In The Noise (Rise Up)
87. Sister ChanKhong - I Smiles
88. Marjorie Jacobs - Start the Day
89. Glenn Campbell - Try a Little Kindness
90. James Taylor - Shower the People
91. Amae Ellen Allen - Thank-Full
92. Ravenna - May My Mind Turn to Others
93. Fo Guang Shan - Harmonize
94. Miriam Makeba - 'Cause We Live for Love
95. India Arie - A Beautiful Day
96. Hayley Westenra - Flower
97. Libby Roderick - Cradle of Dawn
98. Libby Roderick - How Could Anyone
99. Vixy and Tony - No Hurry (2012)
100. Rascal Flatts - Every Day
101. Copeland - You Have My Attention
102. Jon Robert - Hear You Call
103. Satellite - What You Need
104. Tremolo - Room 139
105. Satellite - Ring the Bells
106. Nickelback - If Everyone Cared
107. Anna Nalick - Paper Bag
108. Anna Nalick - In My Head
109. Laura Shigihara - Everything's Alright
110. Dale North - Everything's Alright (Short Steps Mix)
111. Danny Schmidt - This Too Shall Pass
112. Simone Felice - You and I Belong
113. Carrie Elkin & Danny Schmidt - Echo in the Hills
114. Sara Watkins - Take Up Your Spade (Folkadelphia Session/Full Version)

[NaBloPoMo Dec 2014] Day 4: Companionship

Thursday, December 4th, 2014: 

Who do you like being with when you're sad? (NaBloPoMo)

To be honest, we usually don't want to be with anyone when we're sad.

If we were forced to choose someone it would probably be a toss up between fiancé or little sister.

[NaBloPoMo Dec 2014] Day 3: Happy Foods

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014:
What food always makes you happy when you're eating it? (NaBloPoMo)

Chocolate end of story.

I agree with our Reiki Master's justification: "Almost everything can be solved with either an Epsom Salt Bath or chocolate."

Though at this time of the year, I'd say peppermint bark is the happiest chocolate-related candy. :)

[NaBloPoMo Dec 2014] Day 2: Happy Surprise

Day 2: Talk about a surprise that made you happy. (NaBloPoMo), When did you work out you were plural, and what were some of the adjustments you had to make after finding it out? (Plures^K, December Blogging Meme)

This is one of those weird things where it's our discovery of our own neurodivergence that was a happy surprise.

I identify as plural, meaning that there's more than one person sharing this physical body. It's actually a kind of relief. I'm never alone and I never have to be the only one doing something -- there's always someone who's good at something that needs to be done!

I'm not sure when exactly we worked out we were plural. We started off in the soulbonding communities not long after we first came over to LJ back in 2004 (we made our first account in 2003, but didn't end up using it until 2004).

At some point in, I think, 2004 or 2005, we had a huge over-the-phone fight with a suicidal classmate/"friend" named Casey, and Ryou (Bakura Ryou, YuGiOh!; on our website and on plural sites, he usually goes by Nathan) kind-of projected himself as comfort. That story's here on Deviantart.

During high school we were a fairly small system (I think there were 6 of us at the largest point).

In college, we just kept picking up more and more headmates. Most of them with trauma experiences that didn't match the body's experience. Learning to manage triggers and related dissociation without any previous knowledge of how to do this was probably the biggest adjustment.

Nowadays the biggest adjustments are still similar: managing triggers, managing related dissociation, also finding low-cost workarounds for the headmates that need additional accommodations, and dealing with the fact that a few of us bypass the voice-filtering system, which can get annoying when our parents don't really understand plurality, particularly when younger parts/headmates [we have both] are fronting and sound childish.

[NaBloPoMo Dec 2014] Bringing A Little Bit of Joy

Monday, December 1, 2014
What do you do when you're down to bring yourself a little joy?

There are two.

One is to sing and dance to our "happy/inspirational/hopeful-ish" playlist, but that's another prompt for later in the month, so you'll have to wait to hear that one.

The second is to play Katniss's game from the Epilogue of Mockingjay: "I make a list of every single good deed I've seen."