This is Sir Ken’s description of the Element so I suppose my first task would be to figure out the things which I am good at and enjoy and see if there is any crossover. I realize that this isn’t simply a task I can do and have the answer but it seems like a good place to start so here goes.

What am I good at?

• being a mom
• reading
• understanding people’s motivations
• writing passionately (if not always mechanically correct)
• mediating
• organizing
• big picture ideas
• composing subjects in photographs
• putting things into perspective
• finding information
• saving money while still living well

Things I love:

• reading
• writing
• taking candid pictures
• understanding human behavior, learning, and spirituality
• organizing but not cleaning- I love organizing closets but hate laundry, same for cabinets and dishes
• traveling- especially to places I’ve never been

I’ve added another idea of my own- the Element can’t include large chunks of things you hate. You can be good at something and love parts of it but hate other parts. If you actually hate, not just dislike, any part of something it can’t possibly be your element. For example, I could be very good at gardening and love planting, harvesting and enjoying the vegetables but if I hate the heat then it is never going to be my Element. It may be a hobby that I enjoy occasionally but it isn’t my Element. So…

Things I hate:

• heat
• mundane, repetitive tasks
• conformity/ forcing others to conform
• getting up early, going to bed early
• inflexibility in scheduling- an 8 hour workday confounds me, it isn’t conducive to creativity or to allowing yourelf a natural rhythm in your schedule

So, that’s it. My starting place, I think I’ll be revisiting and perhaps even revising these lists as I continue my search.