Our Baby's Future Life Space

In April 2013, we are excitedly expanding our home by 2 feet!

Lately I have been busy with nursery preparations to ensure a tranquil life space for our future baby. We ordered the convertible crib I picked out, we received the desired nine piece bedding set as a shower gift, we have a changing table, a dresser (which was mine when I was a baby), and we have an organization plan for the closet. We painted the nursery using two different paint techniques (both of which are ombre and will be shown in a later post!), and if all works out, we will order my favorite glider and ottoman as soon as it is available in retail stores. 

I am so very excited to provide details on items selected for the nursery. One of the items I am most excited about [that my husband will pick up for me in LA since it is only sold in stores] is the  IKEA MASKROS Pendant lamp;  the website says that it "projects decorative patterns onto the ceiling and the wall" which is one of my favorite features  about the light fixture. I also like that it might translate as an abstract sea urchin when surrounded with my selected decor, which would support my "under the water" theme.

I do hope you check back for more details and pictures over the coming months as we prepare a space that the baby is sure to love!

“Looking at randomly listed ideas commonly triggers creative new insights”

The technique of brainstorming is a good example of encouraging insight (…one of the Gestalten concepts that was particularly influential in shaping founder of modern social psychology Kurt Lewin’s work) (Morley Segal, Points of Influence, 1997, p. 260).  “Looking at randomly listed ideas commonly triggers creative new insights”, explained author Morley Segal (1997, p. 261).  I find brainstorming to be very effective, often fun, and I like how the discoveries tap into “the unconscious for creative solutions, wisdom, and whimsy” (Segal, 1997, p. 92).  This type of right-brain activity will be something I will use on a routine basis with this blog.

Personally, I find that I am craving more and more right-brain activity in my personal and professional life and I find myself seeking out ways to infuse my day with creative endeavors.  However, the reason became clear to me when I read the following explanation in Points of Influence: A Guide to Using Personality Theory at Work: “Lewin noted that people try to maintain a dynamic state of equilibrium by moving toward the regions of their life space that will enable them to satisfy their needs…for Lewin, the ability to create alternative pathways around barriers in order to reach a goal was the defining characteristic of psychological growth” (Segal, 1997, p. 264).  As a result of reading this, I aim to be more innovative about constructing my new pathways around obstructions in order to reach my goals.

I could brainstorm about brainstorming techniques for my next post--or I could just look at a list of topic ideas! I could post about: 

• Nursery Design
• DIY Projects
• Organization
• Party Planning
• (Learning more about) Digital Photography
• New Products I would recommend [Thank you, Christmas!]
• Books I'm Reading
• (Learning more about) Videography
• Wellbeing Plans for 2013
• Food and Beverages (that I found Pinteresting)

Regardless of the topic, I'm looking forward to it!

Major Life Space Moment: My BIG Surprise!

When I first learned I was pregnant, my husband was not home so I immediately decided to record a video to share the news with him and capture my initial feelings.  In our household, my husband tends to express himself through made up songs [oftentimes rap--what a treat, I tell ya!] and I tend to express myself through made up dances.  Though he didn't initially sing (out of too much shock), I did dance!!!  And it's a good thing I don't mind laughing at myself!!

Who you are is very much a function of what is present in your life space at a given moment.

I am a wife and soon-to-be mother of a little baby boy [Yay!] with a zest for life…and the changes that it brings.  I love to read, write, act, sing, dance, travel, organize, research, plan parties and create (among many other things!).  I am also a certified professional working toward a Master of Science in Organization Development Psychology.  As a graduate student, it is through my study of Kurt Lewin’s point of influence (among other personality theories) that I have arrived at a theme for my very own blog. 

Who is this Kurt Lewin guy I speak of and what is his point of influence?  He is universally recognized as the founder of modern social psychology.  According to Morley Segal in Points of Influence: A Guide to Using Personality Theory at Work, “Lewin’s point of influence is a figurative glass bubble around each individual, group, or organization that includes all that influences that entity’s behavior at a given moment.  Lewin called this life space, and it include[s] factors such as goal regions, paths to goals, barriers, threats, and social relationships (Deutsch, 1968, p. 414) (1997, p. 258).  Inspired by this abstract concept, each of my blog entries will focus on the factors that make up my life space at a particular moment in time.

Segal explains that “[m]oments of insight can profoundly alter our psychological environment, changing the way we look at people, problems, and situations.  In Lewinian terms, insight can restructure our life space” (Hunt, 1993, pp.292-299) (Segal, 1997, p. 261).  My hope (among many other hopes for this blog) is that writing about my moments in time will provide the additional insight necessary for me to continually restructure my life space, for I love self-improvement and have a lifetime commitment to it! 

Further intrigued by Lewin’s model, I read that “[i]ndividual personality is less a stable structure than a sense of continuity (‘genidentity’) imposed on a changing constellation of behaviors, attitudes, and affiliations (Back, 1986).  Who you are is very much a function of what is present in your life space at a given moment” (Segal, 1997, p. 264).  With the latter statement as the central theme for my blog, I want to speak candidly about my moments of falling away from my passions (such as reading, writing, acting, singing, dancing, painting, scrapbooking, photography, videography, etc.), and how I want to reshape who I am by changing what I allow to fill my life space in the present moment.  My targeted audience will likely be people with similar hobbies and interests or even professional goals who want inspiration with a dash of humor as they navigate through their own life space.  

In an effort to return to my passion for writing, it is on this 1^st day of the new year that I resolve to fill my life space with a new moment…the publishing of my first blog post.  I hope you enjoyed spending a few of your moments with me!