E: Future psychologist?

2009 is my year of changes. My relationship status has gone from boyfriend to single. My housing arrangement has moved from rent to looking-to-buy. Last up is daytime occupation. I will most likely start studying again in August – to be a psychologist!

Moreover, I am fed up with all conventional bullcrap regarding opinions, actions and what is found appropriate. I will keep behaving, but have stopped playing safe in cases where I know there is really others things I wanna do or say. Now work is up.

I have enjoyed being a journalist, and still do. As long as I am a journalist, there are not too many other work locations at which I would rather be. But for the last year or so I have experienced a growing unsettling feeling of not quite being where I am supposed to be. I do not aim to be best, but to be all that I can be and what I am. I love getting paid to share what I learn, but I still believe there are other qualities and settings where I could “shine” even more with my abilities – thus being happier and doing a better job.

I have been thinking quite a bit about leadership positions. About strategy, conflict solving, HR management, consultation, therapy, teaching and pedagogic etc. Working with motivation and encouragement have been key desires. Psychology may be the answer.

All my life I have enjoyed engaging in conversations, issues and problems in other people’s life. I have had many a person turn to me in times of difficulties. I am able to listen and analyze, and believe I have the guts to let people know what I think – even when it hurts. While in the US as an exchange student, I had psychology in high school. I felt it was real obvious, but just did not know the terminology on forehand. Most importantly

When applying for university, I thought about either journalism or psychology. But I had been thinking about writing for so long, that there was really just one option. And I have had a good run with journalism and the continuation of media studies master. But now times are set to move forward.

A few weeks ago I applied to be enrolled in university again, starting next semester. At the bottom of this entry, you can find the list – in Norwegian. The topics in brief; Psychology, economics and administration, physiotherapy, sign language and leadership. But it is mainly to fill the list. I am going for psychology. To become a psychologist I need not less than six years of study. I have five from before. This will be a long, challenging journey, but I am motivated to begin.

And that is probably my main drive. I need to start to figure out if this is what I want to do. And I need to quit (or reduce) my job (heavily) to understand if I really should have stayed. The last thing I want is to wind up as s 65-year-old, wondering why I never dared to try. ‘Cause if I regret, I can always go back to work. I have a master’s degree and plenty of opportunities to work in various fields. There is also chances of changing to a bachelor’s degree in psychology or go onto a master degree in organizational psychology and leadership.

This is where I am now. And I like to be in offense when facing challenges. I do not have to quit my job, start studying or rethink my future. But I am, and am doing it when and because I want to.

1. UiO Psykologi profesjon, start høst
2. UiO Psykologi profesjon, start vår
3. UiO Psykologi (bachelor)
4. HiO Økonomi og ledelse, årsstudium, deltid
5. HiO Økonomi og ledelse, årsstudium
6. HiO Fysioterapeututdanning
7. UiO Offentlig administrasjon og ledelse
8. UiO Tegnspråk og tolking, årsenhet
9. HiHm Informasjon og samfunnskontakt, deltid, Rena
10. HiL Organisasjon og ledelse

E: From homeless to own home?

For nearly two years I have enjoyed the company of sharing an apartment with to great lads from Trønderlag; Asbjørn and Bård. A couple of weeks ago we received a letter of breaking news: We are homeless from June (possibly from July). Some family member of the owner is to leave here in this 100 square meter pearl in central Oslo (Adamstuen), and we are (judicially rightfully) evicted.

It is sad, but true. Scary, but exciting. Reluctantly, but possibly beneficial.

For the time being I do not know where I will reside from this summer forward, but the likeliness of leaving Oslo is small. In the midst of doing research, I consider a few options:
1) Buying an apartment of my own. Owning my own place has been an idea for quite some time, and the Norwegian economy and real estate market is far from its peak. Either Asbjørn and I buy and renovate a large apartment – in addition to lease a third bedroom. Or, I find an apartment with one or two bedrooms, and get another person willing to rent a room to help the costs.
2) Renting somewhere else. I do not envision a campus college or a shared house with heaps of people, but living alone is no need of mine.
3) Tracing really cheap or free accommodation with work/responsibility attached.

My good friend Kjetil is a likely future house mate, regardless of which alternative I end up choosing. I found him to be much amusing company.

Picture taken from www.clipartof.com

X: 1st in division 1 / Først i førstedivisjon

On the weekend, my volleyball team seized gold in division 1. We went undefeated 10-0 in the regular league play, and won 2 of 3 so-called ranking tournaments.

The season finale breeds reflection and evaluation. Why spend the countless hours traveling to play a brief match or two in some city far away from Oslo? I do not how much of my life I have spent getting inside some sports arena to fight for some abstract points received based on where a single volleyball winds up in regards to some lines and a net. From the outside, this probably appears all awkward. From inside though there is something about the joy of sports, willingness of training, competitive attitude and great companionship which keeps us going. But we will not move up to the premier/elite division, as we technically should, as this will require even more money, time and sacrifices.

Nonetheless. As soon as a knee injury settles, I will spend some time giving the sport handball a go. I have never played it outside physical exercise in school, but believe this is something I in many ways are better crafted to do than both volleyball and soccer, as I run fast with a decent stamina and have better skills with my hands than feet. The coming weeks will tell.

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I helga ble førstelaget til OSI volleyball seriemestere i 1. divisjon. Vi trengte å komme til kvartfinalen i rankingturneringen i Førde før å innkassere gullet. Det klarte vi, selv om vi tapte de neste tre kampene. Statistikken viser likevel at vi er ubeseiret i seriespillet og har triumfert øverst i 2 av 3 rankingturneringer. Det er en stor ting for et studentlag - selv om vi ikke har noen (heltids)studenter igjen stallen på 14.
Ved sesongslutt, med en sliten kropp og mindre krefter, går det noen eksistensielle tanker gjennom bevisstheten; Hvorfor driver man med dette? Hvorfor bruker 60 timer for å spille fem kamper a 1 time? Og man er ikke inne på banen hele tida heller. Hva med vanlig seriespille der man bruker minst to døgn på å spille én, toppen to kamper? Hvor mye tid, penger og krefter har jeg ikke brukt i mitt liv på å komme meg inn i en idrettshall for å sloss om noen figurative poeng som gis avhengig av hvor en liten ball havner i forhold til noen streker på gulver og et nett som deler banen i to. Utenfra kan dette fortone seg nokså snodig. Innenfra er det noe med idrettsglede, treningsvillighet, konkurranseinstinkt og fellesskap som holder en i gang. Men vi har ikke tenkt å rykke opp, som vi også hadde muligheten til i fjor med andreplassen. Til det blir det for mye penger, reising og ofring i forhold til hva vi allerede legger ned i volleyballen.
Likevel. Nå etter sesongslutt vil jeg bruke noen treninger til å teste ut håndball. Mest for å prøve en idrett jeg tror jeg på sett og vis er skapt til å spille, men aldri har forsøkt.

E: In the middle of the world

Greetings, family, friends and fellow internet users!

Ecuador is Spanish for equator. Right north of Quito, you find a location marking La mitad del mundo (middle of the world). I was there yesterday (the pic ain't mine, but taken from wikimedia).

I am in Quito, Ecaduor, about to head south towards the Cañar range. Being a journalist is great when you get paid to tell people what you learn, and even greater when you get to explore the world while doing so.

Through my journalist position in Agenda 3:16, the Christian montlhy magazine for which I work, I am shipped off to South America for the ongoing two weeks. I will go around in this exotic land full of contrasts, scenery, warm cultures and cool people with black hair. My Spanish has also somehow been mainted ok. Even if it is fairly plain and simple, I remember more than I thought I would and get by fine. Doing interviews still require a bit of translator-help once in a while.

We landed yesterday, after about 24 hours of journeying and when going to bed last night I had been up close to 48 hours - as sleeping sitting in a plane is not my strongest skill. I still woke up fresh and ready this morning after studying the backside of my eyelids for about 7 hours.

The forecast said rain, but the sun is up. Hopefully this can be applied to my inner self as well.

I do not know how much internet access I will have from here and out, and my mobile phone does not support the required network. But I am alive, well and feel fine.

Puslelig interessant

Puslespill er undervurdert. Jeg har knapt lagt et brikkedelt motiv siden jeg begynte på skolen. Og i utgangspunktet kan det virke meningsløst å dele et bilde i masse små biter for så å sette det sammen igjen og eventuelt gjenta prosessen. Men i min nye ”mer av mindre”-livsstil er dette midt i blinken. Det er en sjelden aktivitet jeg kan gjøre der stoisk ro og minimalt med bevegelser ikke medfører snarlig rastløshet. I stedet får jeg bruke all min konsentrasjon på å sortere brikker etter område eller studere enkeltbrikker inngående – uten at det blir slitsomt eller kjedelig.

Vel så viktig er at det er en særs god måte å koble ut på. Det er godt å utføre noe som er såpass altoppslukende at tiden og rommet rundt sløres. Pusling kan også ha en terapeutisk effekt der vanskelige tanker kan finne sin plass ved hjelp av underbevisstheten parallelt med at puslespillets enheter trykkes fast med sine nabobrikker.

En annen konsekvens er forholdet man får til motivet. Dette mitt første puslespill i nyere historie er 1000 brikker som viser Peterskirken og englebroa i Roma (se bildet). Jeg har ikke vært i Italias hovedstad, men har stor tro på at jeg vil sette ekstra pris på disse arkitekturiske konstruksjonene – som jeg har tatt nøyere i øyesyn enn bilder flest.

Jeg anbefaler ekte vare på det sterkeste, men det finnes også muligheter på internett. I en puslegenerator kan man lage et eget med eget bilde. Prøv det, eller pusle ferdig et av mine bilder (20 brikker) i løpet av de neste 24 timene: Båt på høstvann

More of less/Mer av mindre

2009. A new year. New hope and opportunities. And even if one doesn’t care about change and new chances to improve and achieve, the turn of the year may be a time of reflection and evaluation. Who I am? How am I really? Is there something I would rather do? Are there some things I do not have to do?

I had a most interesting 2008. And like the previous ones I had no problems filling my time. That has also been my greatest challenge – how to lessen my workload of life. I have had a little too many good things going on. I have the same amount of time as everyone else and there is no reason I need to be busier than most.

My new year’s resolution is therefore to be more present in fewer things. Do less.
• I wish for (more) unplanned days
• I want to relax (more). I started laying jigsaw puzzles the other day. I find it most comforting.
• I will spend more time with fewer people
• I want to be more available for my beloved girlfriend. She is also a strong motivational force for actually enforcing my long-desired ideals
• I will take on less volunteer positions and tasks (of great work load) – without becoming irresponsible
• I will read more
• I will document less: Fewer diary entries and less or none personal accounting (as long as it is not required). This also involves reducing my blog activity. It does not mean quitting, but most likely less frequent publishing. If you wanna know how I am and what is happening; keep in touch :)

These suggested modifications in my everyday has not to do with health issues. I am healthy and fit and had not undergone any breakdowns. But I do not want to either. My primary motivation however, is to be more actively present in my own life – rather than just letting life be something that is happening to me.

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NORSK:


2009. Ett nytt år. En ny vår. Nye muligheter. Nye tanker. Den gregorianske tidsregning er en av de mest sammenbindende elementene på planeten. En nærmest verdensvid ny start. En mulighet for refleksjon, ettertanke og evaluering. Hvem er jeg? Hva vil jeg? Er det noe jeg vil ha mer av? Er det noe jeg strengt tatt ikke behøver å gjøre?

Jeg liker å fundere og filosofere, tenke og vurdere. Jeg mener jeg tidvis finner frem til gode forslag og ideer til hva jeg kan fylle livet mitt med. Utfordringen har vært at jeg ikke har vært like god til å redusere gjøremål. Livssituasjonen har bestått av for mange gode ting. Jeg er en fan av det å være. Jeg ble inspirert til og inspirert av å skrive hovedsak om det å holde hviledagen hellig i forrige nummer av Agenda 3:16. Jeg har flere ganger hevdet at et komplett liv ikke behøver å inneholde alt.

Jeg har like mye tid som alle andre og det er ingen grunn til at jeg må være travlere enn folk flest. Mitt forsett er å være mer til stede i færre ting. Altså gjøre mindre. Dette er ikke knyttet til nyttåret (og kan kanskje heller kanskje et ”fortsett”), men kan aktualiseres gjennom det.

Dette kan inkluderer følgende:
• Jeg ønsker å ha (flere) uplanlagte dager
• Jeg ønsker å kunne puste og slappe av (oftere)
• Jeg vil lese mer
• Jeg vil bruke mer tid på færre mennesker
• Jeg vil være enda mer tilgjengelig for min fantastiske kjæreste. Det å leve i nær relasjon med henne og andre gode venner og familiemedlemmer, gjør at livet mitt vel og ve også er av betydning for mine medmennesker. Min kjære er også en super inspirator med tanke på å faktisk sette endring ut i livet.
• Jeg vil sjeldnere takke ja til ansvarsoppgaver og tidkrevende prosjekter (uten å slutte å være ansvarlig). I fjor kjente jeg for første gang på det å være lei å ha ansvar.
• Jeg vil dokumentere mindre
o Forenkle eller (midlertidig) slutte å føre regnskap
o Skrive sjeldnere i dagboka
o Trappe ned blog-aktiviteten. Jeg har ikke tenkt å slutte, men vil ikke nødvendigvis publisere like ofte som før.

Disse grepene har ikke med helseproblemer å gjøre. Jeg er frisk og rask og har ikke møtt veggen. Men jeg ønsker ikke å gjøre det heller. Hovedmotivasjonen er et ønske om å være enda mer aktivt til stede i eget liv – at livet ikke bare blir noe som skjer meg.