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Thursday, September 9, 2010

3 x 3 s



Want to know what 3X3s means?

Okay. A few years ago, I had been beat up and beat down and so had my niece. We were jobless and depressed and had a hard time putting one foot in front of the other.
So, niece #1 and I committed to each other to share, via email, a system we called 3x3s. We wrote three simple lists daily to each other.
#1-3 Things we would accomplish
#2-3 Things we would do that were fun
#3-3 Things we were grateful for

Seriously, if you have ever been depressed, you know that these lists can feel insurmountable. Sometimes, getting out of bed, getting dressed, taking a shower were seen as great accomplishments.

Having fun lists. Really, we are pretty fun girls. But, in those dark days we struggled to find fun and had to rely on each other to figure out what might bring a smile to our faces. There were days that eating a pint of Hagen Daz was the fun thing and we praised each other for it! Well, that’s ALWAYS a fun thing, right?

Gratitude lists—we knew the grand importance of that component. But, sometimes we were saying things like “I am grateful I got to clean the cat box because it means the cat is still alive.”

The 3x3 system works. When I feel a friend is in that dark, cobwebby place, I invite them to play along. It ALWAYS works. Sometimes takes a few days. Always brings light to the darkness. You don’t even notice that you have stopped playing anymore. Life has simply returned to “normal” and is once again joy-filled. If you ever want to play with me, I am thrilled to do it. We will both be lifted!

So today, for me, it goes like this:
A (Accomplish):
*Empty those last two boxes from the move
*Wash clothes after dryer repairman comes
*Take stuff to Goodwill—okay..have Charles take stuff

F (Fun):
*Yoga
*Mexican Food for 1st time in 64 days
*Zozobra event—burning of Old Man Gloom! It’s a Santa Fe Thang


G (Gratitude):
*I am grateful that we followed our hearts to Santa Fe
*I am grateful for the windows and doors being open with a breeze coming in
*I am grateful for walking home from my gallery gig in the rain. How romantic and urban it was walking from the Santa Fe Plaza to our Casita a few blocks away!

3x3s—it’s simple-it works. Join in anytime! (You don’t have to be depressed to play!)


p.s. Linka encouraged me to try to paint BIG after I struggled with the tiny, detailed stuff I used to do. The painting on the blog is my wild and juicy attempt at big and abstract.

8 comments:

TerriLlyn said...

Lisa, I love the 3X3 and I am going to adopt it! I've had a blog for several months and haven't made the first post. I think this is just what I need to get going again.

Thank you,
Terrillyn

TerriLlyn said...

Lisa, I love the 3X3 and I am going to adopt it! I've had a blog for several months and haven't made the first post. I think this is just what I need to get going again.

Thank you,
Terrillyn

Ann said...

Nice to see you back! I love the painting and the 3x3 idea.

ArtistUnplugged said...

Sounds like a good game, very worthwhile.....congrats on your move and the beginning of a new journey...love the photo from the previous post!

Alex said...

Nice post and beautiful drawing =)

secondstorygirl said...

I've been meaning to tell you how I've already used your 3x3's in 3 different ways just this week!

Jim and I are playing along with you;

I shared it with my Thursday night book group friends;

and I created a handout around it and used it Saturday morning at a teacher training. It was the entering meditation which led to our group building sharing between teaching partners.

It was such fun to "introduce" you to these friends and colleagues!

Thanks...you continue to teach me so much! I love you.

jhoeffner said...

I love the painting. And I love your mind.

Margaret McCarthy Hunt said...

painting is awesome...and i love the 3x3 idea...just enough that it can be done...i often put myself to sleep doing a gratitude list...hard to stay awake when you think happy thoughts