This is me
I would like to introduce myself. This is a picture of me, Shanti O'Connor. I'm wearing the black jacket in the center of the photo. Today is my birthday, July 17. I am usually shy about sharing my birthday because I tend to not like a bunch of attention. In astrology I'm a cancer. You know, those moody, emotional, sensitive, loyal, family centered, nurturing people.
Some would be surprised to know that I consider myself to be shy and introverted. I love people and I love to be around people, but boy does it exhaust me. I have to be very mindful about what I do and who I am around because I can literally feel other people's emotions.
My shyness comes out as seeming like I don't care to meet you. I can be awkward until you get to know me. My awkwardness is often misread as I don't like you, but trust me I do. Meeting new people just scares me because I'm not very good at small talk, so it feels very uncomfortable initially. I am literally in my head trying to figure out what to talk about when I meet new people. It's exhausting! So, I try to avoid it for the most part.
I thought since it's my birthday I would share a little about myself. My birth name is Shanti. Shanti is a Sanskrit word that means peace. These days, a lot of people change their name to Shanti, but I did not. You would be surprised at how often I get that question. For the majority of my life my name was considered unusual and not too many could pronounce it correctly. With the explosion of yoga it seems almost everyone can easily say my name and many think I changed it. I was one of the few lucky people of my generation to grow up doing yoga and meditation. I was taught about reincarnation, karma, energy healing, angels, ghosts, spirits, and intuition as a child.
My middle name is Athena. I love that name, but it's also my younger sister's name, so it's a name I feel does not belong to me.
If asked where I grew up I say San Diego, but that's not entirely true. Majority of my childhood was split between Las Vegas and San Diego, but as a child I briefly lived in many other cities and states from New York to California, none of which I claim. Since I absolutely hate Las Vegas, I hardly mention I lived there as a child. Since I absolutely love San Diego, I claim it as my home.
Those who know me best know that I am painfully sensitive. You would be surprised at the things I carry on my heart and what I allow to emotionally impact me. If I am not doing well in the self care department I can easily become emotionally overwhelmed by what I am perceiving around me. Self care practices like exercise, walks, writing, prayer, yoga, meditation, energetically clearing myself, healthy food, tons of water, good sleep and loving people are the corner stones of my life. I have learned that all of these things plus a few more help me to be the person I like best and keeps me out of dwelling on all the feelings that can consume me.
I am very discerning about who I allow in my life. Very few people make it into my inner circle, but those who do I am fiercely loyal to. Once you make it into my heart, you’ll be there forever.
I feel so utterly happy and satisfied with being a mom. For me, there is nothing greater and more meaningful than being a mom. I can see how parenting my children is the most important gift I can offer to this world.
Here are a few more fun facts about me
I am mostly Irish with a mix of Scottish, Welsh, and English.
My favorite food is Indian food.
My favorite color is rainbow
I aspire to live more fully in my heart
My favorite people are children
I have so much respect for any woman who is going against the grain.
Maya Angelou and Ani Difranco are two women whose work in our world has changed my life.
I have 5 siblings, one full sibling, two half siblings, and two step siblings.
I consider myself a feminist.
I am a born rebel.
My dream job is being a mom.
When I'm gone I hope people remember how much I loved them.
I have one cat, one dog, one snail, and 10 chickens.
I taught for 10 years in the public school system and I was also high school basketball coach during that time.
I think have a chip problem, like I am addicted to chips, any chips, all chips I'm not picky