Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Raederle's Diary & Memoir Project

I started keeping a journal at the age of ten, in 1999. In 2015, at the age of 26, I began I writing my journal entries in a more novel-like fashion, bringing in a lot of dialog and action. Sharing my life transparently, in its whole, is a dream of mine.
“What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open.” — Muriel Rukeyser
It is my aim to do just that: to tell the full truth of my life.
This page is updated with more links roughly monthly. (Last updated April 13th 2020.)

Timeline

  • 2020 — Ithaca, New York
  • 2019 — Ithaca, New York
  • 2018 — Ithaca, New York
  • 2014 — Buffalo, New York & More Chronic Travels
  • 2013 — Kaua’i Island
  • 2012 — Florida Roadtrip
  • 2010 — Walnut Creek, California
  • 2005 and Earlier — Buffalo, New York

Raederle’s 2020 Diary

Age 31

This year is only just beginning to unfold; what will it bring?

January 2020

February 2020

Raederle’s 2019 Diary

Age 30

Learning piano for the first time. Diving into Myers-Briggs and cognitive functions. Striving for balance between diving into emotions, processing them, and just letting things be. This is my fourth year living in Ithaca, NY.

February 2019

May 2019

July 2019

The Good Life July 24th

August 2019

Persevere Aug 29th

September 2019

Raederle’s 2018 Diary

Age 29

Over the course of this year I drew the illustrations which became my coloring book, Waveward Dreams.

Raederle’s 2014 Diary

Age 25

Late in this year I began writing my book Living Big & Traveling Far on $8,000 a Year (or Less!).

January 2014

March 2014

Raederle’s 2013 Diary

Age 24

In the summer of 2013 I made a radical leap and traveled with Lytenian to Kaua’i island for nearly five months. We lived off the land, and sometimes we literally didn’t know where our next meal was coming from.

Raederle’s 2012 Diary

Age 23

Lytenian and I went on a long road trip in 2012 which included a ten-day visit in Florida (near St. Augustine). During this time I learned my deep love of the ocean. I realized that living in a beach house would be worth it – even if I died young in a tsunami.

Raederle’s 2010 Diary-Blog

Age 21

In June 2010 I said vows to Lytenian. In September of 2010 I went raw vegan and remained strictly on that diet for a full year. I was living in Walnut Creek, California at this time in Lytenian’s apartment there.

Raederle’s 2005 & Earlier Diary

Childhood

I’m the child of two college-educated baby-boomers who happened to raise me in a ghetto where being white made me the minority. I changed schools almost every year, never fitting in anywhere. My immune system was so poor that I had chicken pox twice and mono four times. I hit puberty at nine years old, and quickly became obsessed with sexuality and seeking love.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Health Hacks without Changing Diet or Exercise

Photograph of Raederle, summer of 2019
As may be evident from my articles over the last decade, I strongly advocate changing your diet if you want to see changes in your health. It is the fastest, most effective, and most important element of your life when it comes to how good you feel, how good you look, and how good every part of your body operates.
Tweet, February 2020
That said, it has been brought to my awareness that I have underestimated the power of many facets of life outside of diet and exercise. These two pillars of good health are not the only pillars, even though they are the most significant, with diet being central. However, even when it comes to improving digestion, changing what you eat isn't the only option, even if it is the most important one. And for someone like me, who has already tweaked and perfected my understanding of food and my relationship with food for nearly fifteen years now, my attention is frequently grabbed by these other restorative techniques. Without further ado, I present to you —

Powerful Health Hacks Without Changes to your Diet or Exercise!

Epsom Salt Baths

I used to highly underestimate epsom salt baths. Sure, you get more magnesium . . . Big deal, right? Just eat your greens and you'll have plenty of magnesium . . . Or so I thought. Epsom salt bathes do so much more for you than boost your magnesium. I don't entirely understand the science of it (and I suspect science at large doesn't either), but I've been astonished at how effective epsom salt baths are for flu symptoms (congestion, ear infection, sinus infection, etc), fatigue (circles under the eyes included), and even mood! I've gone into an epsom salt bath literally feeling so depressed I couldn't think of anything I wanted to do, to coming out of the bath feeling inspired and refreshed. I've got into an epsom salt bath feeling fatigued, aching, sore everywhere, stiff, and congested and come out with all of these cured!
How did I miss these benefits when I'd been taking epsom salt baths on occasion since I was a teenager? The primary reasons why I didn't notice these benefits was because I was using too little epsom salt. The stuff is cheap, so don't skimp! Put two or more cups into that bath! I read this recommendation as part of a protocol for bringing down bromide levels in the body, which I stumbled across when looking at how one could prevent the formation of cherry angiomas (little red blobs on the skin that resemble warts but are actually a ball of burst blood vessels). Taking epsom salt baths immediately after the appearance of these cherry angiomas on my body in addition to applying copiaba balsam essential oil to them was enough to make them go away again within a week. Usually cherry angiomas stick around for life, so I was quite impressed with this result. Unfortunately, I don't know if it would have worked if I had left off either the essential oils or the baths, but I've noticed benefits from either of these alone in other contexts, nonetheless.
The other important trick to getting the most out of your epsom salt bath is being sure to stay in the bath for at least twenty minutes, and ideally, give yourself a full hour and add hot water occasionally to keep yourself toasty. You can also add herbs, ginger slices, or essential oils for other benefits, which leads me to my next tip.

Essential Oils

The benefits of different essential oils vary, from lavender which does a better job at healing burns than aloe vera, to chamomile which has done better at healing my flaky scalp than any anti-dandruff shampoo I ever tried. Essential oils are easy to incorporate into any lifestyle.
Keep an essential oil in a particular place where you use it every time you encounter it in that place; it should be somewhere you go at least once a day, but aren't constantly passing by (and thereby becoming immune to the reminder to use it). For example, you could start a ritual of using copiaba balsam under your eyes whenever you use the bathroom to heal circles under your eyes, reduce wrinkles, and hydrate dry skin. You can keep a favorite blend near your bed to smell right before going to sleep to help you relax, and a stimulating blend — I like to include wintergreen – for waking.
Essential oils can cure asthma, depression, heal scars, and remove warts. I've experience numerous benefits first-hand, and heard many incredible stories second-hand from clients, friends, and family members.
While the initial cost of buying one may be steep for many oils, they last a long time because they are so concentrated. Many can be used just by smelling from the bottle without even pouring a drop out. And, many oils, such as tea tree and peppermint, are highly inexpensive while being highly versatile and potent. If you're currently using chemicals to freshen your clothing or home, just switching to essential oils blended with water in a spray bottle will improve your immune function and everyone who lives with you!

Blue-light Freedom & Red-light Therapy

Increase your restfulness at night, eliminate or reduce insomnia, eliminate or reduce eye-strain, and feel more energized by minimizing the blue light sources and increasing natural light sources in your life. There are so many different ways to do this, so here are two lists – one for reducing blue-light, and one for getting quality light:

5 Tips for Reducing Blue-Light Exposure

  • Try blue-light blocking glasses for computer and phone use.
  • Get a low blue-light, zero-flicker, computer monitor for your primary computer. I got mine for about $100 and was astonished at the improvement. My headaches abated, I could use my computer more often, I could focus better while using my computer, and I slept easier at night. I loved mine so much that I bought a second one for the household computer.
  • If you enjoy e-readers, be sure to get an e-ink device and leave the light off, using ambient, full-spectrum lights in your room instead.
  • If you're up late at night, use salt lamps to help you see your way to bathroom, or to socialize with your partner. Salt lamps are also said to increase negative ions in the air, which is a benefit. I loved my first salt lamp so much that I got five more within a few months! At night they keep the entire home eyeball-friendly.
  • In addition to helpful gadgets, commit to having a blue-light “off time” every night. Put your phone away, turn off your computer, and stay blue-light free from that time onward. For example, your monitor-off time could be from 8pm to 6am, or from dusk until dawn for a very natural flow. This particular tip will also improve your memory, and self-reflection by giving you a slower, more relaxed pace around bedtime. By taking time to read*, socialize, or write in a physical journal, you'll be improving your health in dozens of different ways at once. (*You can use an e-ink e-reader during this monitor-off time since this is no added strain on your eyes and works almost identically to reading a typical book.)

4 Tips for Increasing Your Beneficial Red-Spectrum Light Exposure

  • Practice sunrise observance through an open window, on a balcony, or porch each morning. Stand or sit facing the sunrise and watch for five minutes. This stimulates your pineal gland and helps reduce eye-strain, insomnia, and depression. This particular practice has always been correlated with the best, premium-performance parts of my life.
  • Spend twenty minutes each morning and evening with a red-light therapy device. These lights mimic the same benefits as sunlight and have been shown in studies to promote cell repair and collagen production. I have yet to use one of these personally, but I've seen enough to be convinced they work.
  • If you have a wood stove, spend time naked in front of the fire, letting the infra-red light (heat) soak deeply into your body. You'll especially notice the benefit if you face any sore muscles toward the fire and stretch these muscles while the light and heat soaks in. I love doing yoga naked in front of our fire for this reason!
  • Sun bathe naked, without sunscreen, for short periods of time. Depending on your skin pigmentation, the right amount of sun exposure will vary. For me, being a “white mut” as I laughingly call myself, with 25% Italian in me (which helps a bit, I assure you), the right amount is ten minutes on each side. If I develop a subtle tan or am eating a fruitarian diet at the time, I can easily get up to twenty minutes on back and front each without any burning whatsoever. This brief, non-burning sun exposure produces vitamin D, improves mood, circulation, digestion, and combats depression and insomnia. I've actually had this simple practice fully eliminate serious stomach aches.
Photograph of Raederle and her husbands, summer of 2018

Touch – Especially Oil Massage

Whether it is through massage or cuddling, touching others releases oxytocin, a hormone with a multitude of benefits including improving your mood. If your touch does include massage, then you're also increasing lymphatic drainage. If you add some oil to the massage (such as olive oil or jojoba oil), you get the added benefit of “oil pulling” on your skin. Just like oil-pulling in the mouth, oil-pulling works all over your body, which is why Ayurveda has a multi-thousand-year tradition of full-body oiling for health. To further enhance your benefits, add a little essential oil to the massage. Tea tree can be diluted into oil for aiding troubled skin. Lavender can be added for stress, or sun damage. Peppermint can be added for muscular relaxation.

Water

I know some science-oriented people, and even many natural-path health gurus are dithering about the benefits or necessity of drinking water. It's become somewhat of a controversial topic, but for me the proof is in the pudding. . . . Or, well, actually, the proof is in the drinking of water. Ever had a headache go away from drinking water? If not, try it the next time you have a headache. This common folk-remedy is commonly known and used because it is effective and free. (Or at least, as free as water is for you.)
Water can help with cankersores, constipation, dry skin, headaches, fatigue, excess weight, and much more. In my personal experience I have “face palmed” literally hundreds of times because I was trying all of these fancy changes to my diet, exercise, and overall lifestyle to attempt to fix problems that were ultimately fixed by increasing my water intake. If you've got a health problem that could in any way conceivably be helped by drinking water, then try drinking more water first; you just might save yourself a lot of trouble.
I seem to do best with a minimum of two quarts of water per day, up to four quarts (which is a gallon). If drinking water quickly makes you feel queasy (as it does me), don't fret, just sip slowly over the course of the day. Take a sip of water right now.
Of course, ideally, avoid tap water and water from plastic bottles. I use a reverse osmosis system, and I'm not afraid of "empty water" because my diet and supplements are rich in minerals and electrolytes. However, if you are afraid of empty water, simply add a pinch of natural, unrefined sea salt to your quart of distilled or reverse osmosis water.

Air Quality

Many people experience a dip in their health during the winter and they attribute all of it to eating unhealthy foods during the holidays and lack of outdoor activities providing exercise. However, since I maintain nearly the same level of activity in the winter and I don't binge on unhealthy food during the holidays, I've thought it was remarkable how much my health plummeted in the winter. Most of this plummet I've been able to most effectively address by improving the air quality in my bedroom. Keeping a window open can help a lot, especially if you live in a rural area with plenty of evergreens. If this isn't an option, then my other tips become even more important. Here's my list of tips to improve your air quality even during the most stagnant part of the year:

5 Tips For Improving Poor Air Quality

  • Keep a window near your bed open just a little. If possible, have two windows slightly open with your bed between the two windows to create a soft draft. If this is going to result in a significant heat loss, consider investing in a heat-recovery-ventilator. I have one installed beside my bed and I love it. Improving the air you breathe while you sleep will reduce insomnia and promote feeling (and being!) well-rested when you awaken.
  • Get a water fountain for your bedroom or office. This will add a small amount of humidity and negative ions to the air. The ambient sound and appearance is also good for improving winter blues. You'll see mine occasionally in my videos; I adore it and run it all year round.
  • Get a humidifier and run it on a timer. I run my humidifier for 15-minute bursts four to eight times per day to help with winter dryness. This helps abate itchy eyes, chapped lips, and sore throats. You'll want this both in your work area and in the place you sleep at night for maximum benefit.
  • Get large-leaf house plants, or any house plants at all. Large-leaf plants produce more oxygen, however, they also require more frequent watering. In order to reduce my stress level I've opted for plants that require less water in recent years, but in general, having at least ten house plants makes a positive impact on air quality as well as visual appearance. My favorites are orchids and jade. Don't forget to get a plant or three for your workplace too!
  • Use an air filter in your bedroom and another in your office (or wherever you spend your day). Everything off-gasses, from yoga mats to stained wood. Every thing you buy and put in your bedroom is putting off a small amount of chemical fumes into the air – unless you're only bringing organic cotton into your bedroom, fresh straw you harvested from the field for your bedding, and so on. When your windows are closed, these fumes build up slowly, creating a toxic environment which can cause acid reflux, indigestion, dizziness, headaches, and many other symptoms. Even your own gasses can build up in your room and give you headaches. Running a filter on low in your bedroom at all times helps mitigate these factors. I recommend placing the air filter far away from any windows that you open so that the filter can work on the air that isn't getting exchanged.
Of course, you can be most efficient about getting good air by going on a daily walk or jog in an area with trees on a daily basis. You'll get some exercise, some quality light from the sun, and good (or at least better) air at the same time. Bring some water with you, too. Then use some lavender essential oil if you got too much sun, or some copiaba balsam if the air was a bit drying. Or, hop into an epsom salt bath. :)
If you learned something from this article, please don't forget to subscribe below.
~ Raederle
The Consciousness Alchemist

Friday, February 7, 2020

Intrinsic Motivation Creates Productivity

People are often surprised by how much I’ve authored, illustrated, and overall published in my thirty-one years. Sometimes it astonishes me too, particularly when I think about how little time I spend “working” in contrast to most people.
One large difference between me and many of my peers is that I have the same understanding that Teal presents in this video, How to be Productive:
You can’t expect good results when you’re fighting with yourself.
If you hate what you’re doing, you’re not going to achieve maximum productivity. Furthermore:
Focus on your area of excellence.
When I was reading First, Break All The Rules, I learned that studies have confirmed something I’ve always intuitively known:
You have a greater capacity for improving the area you already excel in than you do for improving your weak points.
Savvy business professionals today know that they’re better off investing their time, energy, and resources into their strengths and the strengths of their employees. There isn’t much to be gained by investing the same time, energy, and resource into someone’s weaknesses because they simply won’t improve that much. Yet when you invest the same amount into someone’s strengths they rapidly soar far, far, far above average. This increases an individual’s enjoyment of life and their work while simultaneously contributing more to human society at large.

Enhancing Strengths, Managing Weaknesses

Weaknesses can’t be ignored completely, so they have to be managed through awareness and compensating factors. For example, if you’re poor at being polite then you may need to have someone else communicate politely for you, such as a secretary. In contrast, investing two months into improving your “nice-ness” may or may not be particularly valuable, particularly when you can invest those same two months into your primary skill instead. You will struggle to gain ground with your weaknesses, particularly if you’ve already tried before to improve those areas of your life without much fruit. I’m not saying you should entirely abandon anything you aren’t immediately good at – obviously everyone needs the ability to communicate, to receive intimacy, to maintain their health, and so on. But the largest investment should go into your strengths. Your strengths can shine!
Your natural inspiration, motivation, inclinations, and desires will lead you in the direction of your strengths anyway, so you don’t actually have to do much to ensure this happens. Rather, you must simply stop trying so hard to fix your so-called flaws.

Following my inspiration to tie-dye clothing.

A Natural Disposition for Productivity . . . That Disguises Itself as Being Recalcitrant

I’ve always been really resistant to working on my flaws, as well as really resistant to doing things that didn’t intrinsically motivate me. And when I say “really resistant” – I mean that I could hardly bring myself to do these things when it was really vital for me to do so. I’ve struggled terribly with being anyone else’s employee because I need my own internal motivation behind my actions to achieve any level of productivity. Often my intrinsic desires have seemed counter to being productive, but I’ve followed them anyway. For example, sometimes I feel like painting all day and I have no particular intention for how the art will improve my life or my skills. Yet most of the art I've created has ended up going into my board games at some point in time, even as much as ten years after I originally created the art.

Following my inspiration to paint.
Whenever I’ve tried really, really hard to focus on “productive” things that I didn’t feel intrinsically motivated to do, my productivity would briefly spike (for maybe a day), and then plummet to nothing thereafter. In other words, something about my psychological makeup has rendered me incapable of doing anything but what Teal suggests in the aforementioned video. Let me give you the cliff notes from the video in case you don't feel like watching it:

Some of Teal's Productivity Tips

  1. Intrinsic motivation. When your behavior is driven by internal rewards, you will be productive.
  2. Act on inspiration immediately. One of the biggest mistakes people make is that they don’t ride the wave of intrinsic motivation fast enough.
  3. Deal with resistance the minute it arises.
  4. Do what you are excellent at.
  5. Don’t think in terms of hours; think in terms of results.
  6. Focus on the first priority item all the way to completion until moving on to the next.
  7. Become aware of where your energy is going.
  8. Delegate appropriately.
  9. De-clutter.
  10. When you feel a lull in productivity happening, stop and re-evaluate.
  11. Create systems.
  12. Embrace struggles.
Want all of Teal's productivity tips? There are fifteen in this video: How to be Productive, and she expands more on the importance of valuing results over time in this video: Do You Want Success? Don't Value Your Time.

My Personal Production

Because my physiological makeup prevents me from doing anything other than what is outlined above, my creations often astonish people. I have been frequently called a “polymath” which is a term meaning a person with multiple significant talents. In truth, I'm not more capable than other people. In fact, being a highly sensitive person who is also on the autism spectrum has made my weaknesses very pronounced. (I expand some on my personality and its limitations on my post about being an INFJ and HSP.)
In my thirty-one years on this planet – it's now February 2020 as I write this – I’ve authored two recipe books, four nutritionally complete meal plans (which are also, in essence, recipe books), a comprehensive nutritional guide, a travel book on budgeting time and money, two intense strategy games (and two expansions), one party game (and five expansions), one light strategy game (that doubles as a recipe book), one shadow work process called Perspective Alchemy, and one coloring book. Within the next couple years I expect to publish at least one more board game or book, and as many as four if I am particularly inspired.
Editor's Note: Only a couple weeks after first writing this, I released the Alchemy Workbook.

My creations.
I didn’t struggle or suffer to illustrate my books, to photograph my recipes, to write my knowledge, to balance my games, or even to edit my work. I enjoy all of these processes so much that I do them for their own sake. The only tip on Teal’s list I’m failing to follow is delegation. (Well, that, and making lists. That tip actually didn’t work for me in the past; I found that lists robbed me of my internal motivation because I was trying to use the list as external motivation.) If I were to delegate someone else to sales and product management . . . That would be very smart. Are you good at that? Maybe you should apply to me for a job!
So which of these tips have you been following? How are they working for you? Visit my youtube channel to leave me a comment.
Blessings,
Raederle Phoenix
The Consciousness Alchemist

A Lovely “Coincidence”

PS: Within ten minutes of posting this article, facebook decided to show me a photo of me painting that I shared three years ago on this same day.
And, astonishingly, here is the very relevant captain I wrote for the photo:
Painting is a practice in consciousness. Like most presence-enhancing experiences, it feels like a “waste of time” to the part of us that craves significance, productivity, and accomplishment. The trick is getting that part of you on board with your child-like, creative, spontaneous, and present aspects of self.
To achieve this, set being incredibly present as a goal. Make it an achievement to spend time being present. Start viewing meditation as accomplishment, and zen activities as part of what makes you significant. If you can make this shift in perspective, then you can get your activity-addicted aspects on board with your present-playful aspects.
For me, one way I can do this is through painting. The part of me that wants “productivity” can see the paint spreading across the paper and feel that something is being “accomplished.” Meanwhile, my spontaneous, creative side is having a blast with color. While my calculating aspect wants me to be present with the paint-brushes because they were expensive and I don't want to ruin them, my creative side wants me to be present with the brushes because it makes more beautiful artwork.
This “allying process” of internal aspects of self is called integration. This is a key process that is at the heart of Consciousness Alchemy.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Costa Rica Travel Preparations: Linen!

In preparing to go to Costa Rica I read many travel blogs. I was looking for packing list ideas, and of course, safety precautions. Of course, it's going to be hot and humid, which is part of what I love about the tropics. (If you're a student of Ayurveda you may recognize the vata in me needing warmth and moisture!)
In preparation for the weather, I've been looking at linen. Linen is a traditional fiber used by humans for thousands of years. It comes from flax. The lovely flax plant has been used as a source of both food and fiber, using the seeds as meal and oil, and the fiber to make fabric. Flax, unlike cotton, doesn't require the use of massive amounts of pesticides, so I feel comfortable with buying linen that isn't certified organic (which is nearly impossible to find anyhow – why bother certifying something that has such a cleaner process to begin with?).
I've been collecting a few linen items at thrift stores, but a huge problem for me with shopping for linen in this way is the smell. Thrift stores like Salvation Army use a terribly strong chemical detergent. I bought a lovely bag of clothes for around $40 in the summer, mainly consisting of silk and linen items I'd been delighted to find (while wearing my mask!) and then been highly disappointed when a simple run (or seven) through the wash didn't get the clothing wearable. So I resorted to soaking them in bathtub in our solarium for days on end, and then washing them again, and airing them outside. The smell is now mostly gone, so hopefully the linen I found in the summer will be wearable for the trip.
My wedding dress (photoed above, from my marriage to Greg in 2016) is linen, consisting of actually two dresses. I realized this past summer that the cream-colored under-dress actually is a great piece on its own (photo below), particularly when we're having a 100ºF day! So I'm definitely packing that! (The over-dress is a bit heavier, so I'm leaving that at home.)
In addition, I went onto Etsy and shopped for the most economical U.S.-based shops selling linen that I could find and ordered a few more pieces. My favorite finds were Sandara Eco based in California, and Linen Simply based in Massachusetts.
My hope is that my entire bag of clothes (excepting my PACT-brand panties and socks of organic cotton) will be linen, which is lighter, wicks sweat better, and gets less smelly. Equipped with my own home-blended essential-oil clothing freshener, I should be able to lay out my clothes at night, spray them, and have them feel fresh for days.
In my reading of travel blogs I became a bit paranoid about theft for a while, but then I realized I probably don't have to worry since my path is so straight-forward. I'm only going to two locations: Philia Retreat Center, for my Completion Process Practitioner training, and then afterward, La Joya del Sol for some tropical, raw food rejuvenation. And, Lytenian is coming with me! We're finally going to have a honeymoon – in our tenth year of marriage! We'll be enjoying a week together walking paths and enjoying tropical foods! (I have two husbands. Full story here.)
Some of you might be wondering why I need Completion Process training when I already authored my own process, Perspective Alchemy. The answer is that I probably don't need the training, but I expect I will still learn a lot, gain confidence, and of course, gain the certification. I know some of you may also be thinking I don't need more confidence since I already seem so self-assured, but there is a huge difference between putting up a very convincing front and having deep, inner confidence. Beautifully, the Completion Process (and any Consciousness Alchemy, really) helps build that deep, inner confidence for both the facilitator and the participant. Not to mention, the trip is going to be so fun and validating! I will probably experience the most heart-to-heart, mind-to-mind connections of my life during this training, as the other thirty to fifty participants in the training will also be on this same healing path of being and becoming healers of bodies and consciousness itself.
On a different line of travel preparations, I tried to find a eco swimsuit for my journey. I already have some swim gear, but most of it doesn't fit well, or is sagging, or is falling apart, or falls off too easily. (The swimsuit shown above has since stopped being functional.)
I have a single swim shirt that I like but the bottoms I got at the same time (around ten years ago) fell apart. Also, the swim shirt is too short and my back got a sunburn on the lower, exposed part when I wore it to swim on the nude cruise back in February, 2018. Yes, I wore a swim shirt on a nude cruise, as shown below. (I'm photographed with a friend I made on the cruise there. Good-looking guy, huh? He was also very kind and courteous.)
To my delight, a lot of eco-friendly swim options exist now. Some companies actually clean the oceans by collecting plastic from them and then recycle that plastic into swimsuits! Amazing! Many of them offer really sexy, beautiful swimsuits too.
Unfortunately, none of these companies offered the sort of full-cover shirt and bottoms I was looking for. (Well, one offered one that I thought was ugly and difficult to match for $80 and they were sold out of my size anyway.) I was hoping for long-sleeves, a little neck protection, full torso coverage, and matching shorts that went down to about my knees. Ideally, in a fun paisley-purple pattern!
So, after thoroughly stressing out about the issue for a day, I had a small epiphany: I can just wear my cotton sports bra and matching underwear that already look like a swimsuit. (The actual bra and panties I'm referred to are seen in my latest youtube video where I made a trench coat from upcycled jeans. It's kinda like an Easter egg in the video, although you can't miss it if you watch the whole video.) Since the cruise, I have discovered that I can wear Badger sunscreen safely (YES! YES! WOOT!), so I no longer actually have to cover up completely while swimming anyhow, and furthermore, I can throw on a linen dress when I get out of the water which will be quick-drying. So there is a whole solution where I don't have to pay $80-$90 for a swim shirt I don't really like that much and then another $50 for some swim shorts that I also don't like that much. I mean, the thing is, even though eco-polyester is better for the planet, I still hate wearing polyester at all, so I feel really relieved and happy about having come to this solution.
A big digital hug to all my friends, fans, and followers who are a "J" on the J/P axis of Myers-Brigs! (I'm an INFJ.) I already feel like I'm in last-minute pack mode even though my trip is five weeks away! (This may also sound like Enneagram type One, but I've concluded I'm actually a type Four.)
Love & blessings,
Raederle Phoenix

Sunday, September 22, 2019

About Me, An INFJ — Using Other People's Words!

What if I wrote a description of myself only using quotes about INFJs? I wondered. As I began implementing this idea I realized it would be a little dry if I didn’t add some personal notes that were genuinely specific to my life experiences occasionally, so there are some statements below that are not in quotes that I have added. Also, I have adjusted the quotes to put them into first person so that it reads like I wrote this about myself, which, via compilation – I have.

INFJ Quotes That Describe Me – Raederle

INFJ Quotes That Describe Me: Career

“Sharing my insights through writing, counseling, and leadership makes me happy.”
I can be described as a “dreamer with a plan.” I “follow through on my ideas with conviction.” In fact, everything on this website reflects lifestyle choices and experiences that I’ve personally undertaken for at least a few months of my life (if not years). I don’t just repeat the revelations of others; I seek my own truth, walk my own truth, and then tout it from the rooftops if I deem it valuable enough. I “live for the opportunity to bring about positive change in the world.”
I “see through situations and people effectively and enjoy developing practical strategies for action.” I am a “creative problem-solver and I look for the emotional core of an issue to create a meeting of the minds.” When my clients have food cravings I look for both the physical cause and the emotional cause to help build an encompassing, healthier solution for them.
I “desire cooperation, but I am not willing to go along with an idea that does not feel authentic to me. When it comes to my core values and ethics, I am unwilling to compromise.” I once refused to put labels in the ground after planting a garden for someone because it would be littering. I “function best when I am in control of my life, environment, priorities, and schedule.” In fact, I only had a boss for about a year of my life (while I was a teenager) and I couldn’t stand it. I’ve been freelance since I was eighteen. (In 2022, I’m thirty-three.)
When I’m emotionally exhausted or disengaged, I’m not “always as diligent about the small stuff as I should be.” And when I “doubt myself, I struggle to stay committed, and exhaust myself in the process.” The thing is, “simply working to pay my bills will leave me feeling empty and restless. Sure, I can do routine tasks, but I must see how it fits into the bigger picture.”
I am “productive and effective when I make a concerted effort to focus on one project at a time. But my fertile imagination frequently undermines my efforts to stay focused. I will often start new projects based on fresh inspirations before old ones are finished. There is really nothing I can do to moderate the pace of their inspirations” and I can’t imagine wanting all my good ideas to stop coming anyway, “but if I constantly remind myself to slow down, I can sometimes resist the urge to go off on new tangents.” Ideally, I would work with others who were good at carrying out my visions so that I could see more of my ideas and projects completed.
I “require some amount of routine and orderliness to function at my best. I like planning because it gives me time to prepare. My plans tend to be fairly loose and flexible, however, because I am an N, not a S. A weekly calendar with a few things penned in serves me, but not an hour-by-hour day planner.”
“In my head, I’m constantly working out schedules and to-do lists, from tasks for the next five minutes to complex visualizations of what the next five years should look like. Obviously, these arrangements get adapted as things develop in different ways and situations change, but the point is, the plan is always there — even if I don’t write it down.” One of the best examples of this is my garden. At any given moment I have a vision for how I ultimately want my paradise to look, and whenever I am gardening I am working toward that vision. That said, the internal plan I have is revised at least a little every couple months, and it has gone through at least one major revision each year.

INFJ Quotes That Describe Me: Environment

I am “deeply moved by beauty, whether it’s a masterfully designed environment, a breath-taking work of art, or a song that touches my heart.” I find it easiest to concentrate on work when I am surrounded by beauty whilst also creating beauty. I “need my environments to be organized. I am not the type to alphabetize my bookshelves – as attending to tiny details in my environment can drain me – but I do need things generally picked up, put away, and clutter-free. I tend to like minimalist environments, because too much stuff in sight can overwhelm my already busy mind.” I also simply love a bare room with a beautiful floor for expressive dancing.

INFJ Quotes That Describe Me: Intuition

“Introverted Intuition, or Ni for short, is my main cognitive attitude,” also known as my dominant function as an INFJ. My “Ni collects seemingly random details from the world, assimilates, and then is able to pull out astute conclusions that stupefy bystanders with their accuracy and insight.” Many INFJs report not knowing how they come to these conclusions, but I often am able to trace the steps my mind took to come to the conclusion. My awareness of my subconscious processes is extraordinary.
“For example, I would meet an individual and my spidey senses would start tingling, telling me to avoid this person, and later, I would hear how this individual had swindled money from several of my friends and relatives. Or I would meet a lovey-dovey couple and instantly sense they were on the verge of breaking up, and a few days later, they separated.” With couples that aren’t bound to last longer than two more years I can usually tell within a couple months of accuracy how soon they will break up.
“I wish to convey this message to all intuitive people out there – not only to other INFJs – that your intuition is your best friend.” Hence, I’ve taught Dream Interpretation Workshops and Intuitive Gardening. Everyone can access inner wisdom from the masses of data subconsciously collected – it just comes more naturally to INFJs (and INFPs too, for that matter).

INFJ Quotes That Describe Me: Romance

I have been known to “try on different identities, or enter into relationships with people who are vastly different from me in the search for who I am. Without intimate self-knowledge, I feel lost and aimless.” I “rarely disregard others’ viewpoints; I generally try to look at the topic through someone else’s eyes, and treat everyone’s opinion as worthy. Even when I don’t agree with someone, I can usually see where they’re coming from.”
I have “zero interest in casual dating in a world that’s obsessed with flings and one-night stands.” I “live for an authentic experience and I’m not satisfied by relationships founded on non-emotional benefits.”
My “interest in human development applies to my mates as well, and I am encouraging of my partners’ dreams, aspirations, and achievements.” Sometimes this just looks like me creating “ridiculous standards for other people in my mind and then become disappointed when they fail to live up to them.” It is important to understand that I “not only hold myself to a brutally high standard, but I also tend to set high expectations for others. And the closer you get to me – as a significant other, a best friend, or child – the higher the standards rise.”
Nevertheless, my “nonstop search for learning, self-growth, and development – and wishing the same for everyone else – makes me very reassuring to others” in a general sense. I am often told that I am an inspiration, which in turn inspires me.
I “want a high degree of intimacy and emotional engagement, and I am happiest when I feel that I am sharing my innermost thoughts and feelings with my mates.” I “value a partner who respects my deeply held values and ethics, and one who appreciates my creativity and inspiration.” In fact, I’ve learned to dismiss potential partners who do not appreciate my home-made, home-dyed clothing, or the board games I create. If these facets are not interesting aspects of me, then we are not a good match.

INFJ Quotes That Describe Me: Belonging

I “kind of fit in everywhere but really fit in nowhere.”
I am “just idealistic enough to conceive of a Utopian society but just realistic enough to understand all of the reasons why it could never exist.”

INFJ Quotes That Describe Me: Imagination

“While my vivid imagination benefits me as a creative type, it is very easy for me to get lost inside of my mind and out of touch with reality.” I even “bump into poles while walking and trip over my own feet because I am busy daydreaming.”
I “reflect at length on issues of ethics.” Specifically for that reason, I found the anime Death Note worthy of years of contemplation. In 2013 I launched my first edition of my game Conscience, the game of ethical quandaries, which is now my best seller.
I am “intensely idealistic, and can clearly imagine a happier and more perfect future.” However, I am easily “discouraged by the harsh realities of the present.”
I “can be ruthlessly self-critical, and that’s one of the reasons guilt preys on me.”

INFJ Quotes That Describe Me: Socializing

I can “appear cold and standoffish, especially when deep in thought.” I am highly “reluctant to engage with others who might not understand or appreciate me.” I’ve been repeatedly hurt by mistakenly opening myself to others who dismissed me, invalidated me, or even shamed me for my most cherished insights and experiences. Now, my “sentimental nature may not come through when I am being guarded with my heart,” or daydreaming, “but as I slowly open up around trustworthy people, my capacity to connect with others on a deeper level is unparalleled.” In my teens and early twenties I was particularly “guilty of pushing people away and throwing a pity party. Of course, I’d want someone to confide in, but more often than not, I feel that most people wouldn’t understand me even if we did open up.” These days I just try to be upfront that I want understanding, accepting attention.
I am “fascinated by people — how they make decisions and what drives them. I enjoy the chance to engage with their perspective.” I particularly “want to hear the secret thoughts you’re afraid to utter.”
I am “complicated myself, and so I can understand and deal with complex ethical issues, and with deeply troubled individuals.” It is easy for me to empathize with the people that others deem the ‘scum of society’ because I have found the fragments of myself that reflect these broken individuals; I can give them true acceptance and validation, which helps them accept themselves and thereby helps them heal.
With my “loved ones, I am loyal and compassionate, warm-hearted, and sentimental. I value relationships with an intensity and intimacy that can surpass shallow bonds and resonate on a ‘soul’ level.” I open up to people I trust and I “feel better just being able to express my feelings and concerns.” I feel most safe if I know you won’t “judge, criticize, or offer solutions.”
“Thanks to my Ni and Fe functions, I excel at predicting what people will do.” When my Se and Fe are active and coordinating well together, I “read between the lines, pick up on nonverbal cues, and note the disparity between what you’re saying and what you really feel.”
My “sensitivity also makes me a gifted healer, highly attuned to what other people need in their journey towards personal development. I use my emotional intelligence to excel in teaching, counseling, and coaching. I inspire great personal growth in others as well as social change.”
However, “if you want to hear only what you want to hear, do not come to me. I give honest opinions; I try to do so gently to soften the blow.” Sometimes I may be too “brutally honest, but I’m rarely malicious.” In fact, I think I’ve only done one or two malicious things in my life, both of which were in my teenage years (and they were directed at someone who was clearly being malicious toward me).
I am “talented at making connections to bring people together and integrate ideas, values, and human potential.” The most awesome example of this was two friends of mine coming to the raw potlucks I hosted and eventually getting married.
My “friends, family, and loved ones call me psychic.” I “have dreams and premonitions that come to life.” I have “gut feelings that, while at the time seem ridiculous, are later confirmed by unexpected life events.” “The truth is, I’ve already had multiple conversations with you – you just weren’t physically present when they occurred.”
In my teens it was common for me to have “a clear idea of something in my mind, but it was nearly impossible to convey it using words, so I would talk around the concept for hours and end up making everyone more confused than ever.” By my mid-twenties I had no problem getting my ideas into words – but not everyone is ready to hear and understand what I have to say.
Once I have “made up my mind, I tend to be very confident in my conclusions and not have much tolerance for those who continue to dissent. When someone challenges my conclusions, I can react very strongly.” Usually I argue people down and relish in any triumph where I prove myself right through my wits and swift words. Nevertheless, I am “especially vulnerable to criticism.” I argue so vehemently because I feel I defending my very identity. What seem like mere ideas to others feel like cherished, hard-won parts of my soul to me.
I can “have a difficult time setting boundaries with toxic people at the onset, but I eventually reach my limit.” I “tolerate numerous transgressions prior to ending a relationship.” Over time I have learned that when I am “feeling frustrated or introspective, I must retreat from social contact” to recharge and find myself again.
I am “among the most social of introverts. Sometimes I am mistaken for an extrovert. However, as a true introvert, I get drained by small talk and the trappings of socializing. Rather than social contact, I need human contact – that is, mutual human understanding. I need people who can enter into my private, inner world. I need people who will listen without judging and try to see the world from my unique perspective — even if it’s just a glimpse. These people are hard to come by, but they are absolutely necessary for my happiness.”
Sources include: Jenn Granneman, Heidi Priebe ENFP, Shahida Arabi, Truity, Amy Wannenburgh INFJ, David Keirsey, Amelia Brown INFJ, Jess Chua INFJ, Nele Giese INFJ, Boom Shikha INFJ, Otto Kroeger, Will Gemma

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Saturday, September 14, 2019

How to Become Polyamorous

I have a stable monogamous relationship right now, but I'm interested in acquiring someone who would be like a sister to my wife and and a lover to me. How can I manifest that?
Getting into polyamory is really all about mastering monogamy and relationships in general. The better you are at directly asking for your needs, owning up to yourself what your needs actually are, admitting when you've been wrong, etc, the easier it is to manifest and maintain multiple relationships.

Practical Polyamory Tips

  • Attend polyamory-themed events and gatherings.
  • Buy polyamory-themed game to help prepare you and your partner for polyamorous life situations.
  • Read polyamory-themed forums.
  • Read books or listen to podcasts about relationships in general. I prefer Teal Swan for relationship advice.
  • Communicate a lot with your existing partner about what you want, what both of you need to feel safe and happy, and where your limits are and where her limits are.
  • Develop a clear idea of both what you have to offer in a relationship and what you want to get out of it.
  • When meeting potential people, bring up your unmet needs and also ask them about theirs. Two people who go well together are two people who can meet each other's unmet needs much more easily than they can meet their own.
I highly recommend reading these related articles to gain further understanding on relationships and polyamory in particular:

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