Tonight I realized that regular days are extraordinary. There is something so absolute awesome about regular days.
Today was a regular day. There was nothing "special" about it and yet, there was so much special about it.
I laughed. Today I laughed. I laughed at a lot of things. Mostly, I laughed at lunch with one of my students and our conversation about suspending belief while watching TV. I still insist that I am not surprised by the high mortality rate on Grey's Anatomy - those surgeons are so busy talking to each other and looking deeply in each other's eyes that they are not paying attention to where they are cutting.
I made mistakes. Today I made a joke in a meeting that ended up being at the expense of a dear friend and colleague. It wasn't intentional but it upset him and it violated my own expectations around behavior.
I apologized. Today I admitted I was wrong and I apologized to my friend. Not only that but I apologized to everyone at the meeting for role modeling behavior that did not meet my standards.
I napped. Sat on the couch and fell asleep for an unexpected nap after work.
I worked. Today I was productive and got things done.
I reflected. I took time today to think about my day, my life and my feelings. I paused long enough to think. I don't always give myself permission to do that.
I learned. That reflection helped me learn something about myself, my work and the people around me.
I loved. I took care of those around me.
I thanked. Today I thanked someone in my life that has made a significant impact on who I am today. A person that has given me the courage to stand up and to do all of the things I wrote about.
Today was an extraordinarily regular day.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Letting go...
Letting go is not easy for me. When I invest time, energy and passion into something it is painful for me to let it go. It is hard for me to admit that I don't have time for it. It is hard to say that it (or he/she) doesn't belong in my life anymore. This week was a practice in letting go and accepting.
This week I had to let go of a program that I helped develop, design and nursed into reality. I invested blood, sweat and tears into this program - literally. I almost caused an irreparable rift between me and my BFF because of this program. Over the course of this year I had to cede direction of the program to a colleague. This week the program started and I was part of it but I wasn't. I was an onlooker. It hurt so bad and I want to kick and scream and cry. Yet, at the same time...I am so proud of the program. I want it to thrive regardless of who is directing. The program should not be dependent on a person. I had to practice letting it go and being in a different place with it. I still feel it but I get it,
Sometimes things no longer fit in our lives. There is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes things and people grow together and sometimes they grow apart. I am perfectly capable of throwing away a shirt that doesn't fit anymore or to get rid of possessions but admitting that people, programs or ideas no longer fit, is much harder. Letting go of these things also means letting go of who I was when they were in my life. It means being fully honest with myself and admit that perhaps it isn't those people or things that have changed but instead it is me that has changed.
This week I had to let go of a program that I helped develop, design and nursed into reality. I invested blood, sweat and tears into this program - literally. I almost caused an irreparable rift between me and my BFF because of this program. Over the course of this year I had to cede direction of the program to a colleague. This week the program started and I was part of it but I wasn't. I was an onlooker. It hurt so bad and I want to kick and scream and cry. Yet, at the same time...I am so proud of the program. I want it to thrive regardless of who is directing. The program should not be dependent on a person. I had to practice letting it go and being in a different place with it. I still feel it but I get it,
Sometimes things no longer fit in our lives. There is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes things and people grow together and sometimes they grow apart. I am perfectly capable of throwing away a shirt that doesn't fit anymore or to get rid of possessions but admitting that people, programs or ideas no longer fit, is much harder. Letting go of these things also means letting go of who I was when they were in my life. It means being fully honest with myself and admit that perhaps it isn't those people or things that have changed but instead it is me that has changed.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Quote of the Week: Life is Resilient
"There's no such thing as ruining your life. Life is a pretty resilient thing, as it turns out."
- Sophie Kinsella
Resolutions
In January I made two resolutions for 2012: (1) Be Thankful and (2) Be Healthy. The first one was easy. I work in it weekly and take time regularly to be thankful for the amazing things in my life. Being Healthy has proven to be more challenging. I was talking about health in a holistic way. I was talking about my financial, emotional, spiritual and physical health. I've made some progress.
Financially I am in the best place I have ever been. I have an actual savings account and am working on saving a comfortable cushion and enough to put a good chunk of change down on a new car. I'm still working on budgeting and making sure that I don't spend all my money in the first two weeks of the month leaving me struggling in the last two weeks. This is a learning process and I was never taught how to manage money, so now that I'm 33, I am finally getting the hang of it.
Emotionally & Spiritually - eh, well, I'm working on it. I think that writing in the blog again is part of the process to keep myself connected to my emotional and spiritual health. I am throwing myself back into SLTP which is always a place the feeds my emotional, spiritual and intellectual side. I am taking time for myself. I am allowing myself to have the full range of emotions. I am working on communicating and being more fearless. I am taking time to unplug from technology to sit outside, to breath and to be mindful. These are all baby steps and I don't do them consistently. All of these changes are about trying to build healthier habits.
Physically I am making slow progress. I am exercising more regularly. I renewed my membership at the aquatic center and have been swimming and taking water aerobics. I also joined Weight Watchers. I think that WW is really helpful for me in being thoughtful about what I am eating and when. It gives me a picture and forces me to think about the choices I am making. Food has always served as a comfort to me, so I eat when I'm sad, when I'm angry, etc. And I don't eat a little when I feel this way, I eat too much. That isn't a healthy relationship with food. So WW is helping me think about my food choices and to start making other decisions when I want to eat emotionally. So, I have been making a concert effort for 4 weeks. I notice that I feel different physically and that is important. The scale reads that I have lost weight and the body measurements show that I have as well, but honestly, that isn't really the point. I want to feel good.
So, it has taken 8 months but I have made progress on all of my resolutions. That makes me proud.
Financially I am in the best place I have ever been. I have an actual savings account and am working on saving a comfortable cushion and enough to put a good chunk of change down on a new car. I'm still working on budgeting and making sure that I don't spend all my money in the first two weeks of the month leaving me struggling in the last two weeks. This is a learning process and I was never taught how to manage money, so now that I'm 33, I am finally getting the hang of it.
Emotionally & Spiritually - eh, well, I'm working on it. I think that writing in the blog again is part of the process to keep myself connected to my emotional and spiritual health. I am throwing myself back into SLTP which is always a place the feeds my emotional, spiritual and intellectual side. I am taking time for myself. I am allowing myself to have the full range of emotions. I am working on communicating and being more fearless. I am taking time to unplug from technology to sit outside, to breath and to be mindful. These are all baby steps and I don't do them consistently. All of these changes are about trying to build healthier habits.
Physically I am making slow progress. I am exercising more regularly. I renewed my membership at the aquatic center and have been swimming and taking water aerobics. I also joined Weight Watchers. I think that WW is really helpful for me in being thoughtful about what I am eating and when. It gives me a picture and forces me to think about the choices I am making. Food has always served as a comfort to me, so I eat when I'm sad, when I'm angry, etc. And I don't eat a little when I feel this way, I eat too much. That isn't a healthy relationship with food. So WW is helping me think about my food choices and to start making other decisions when I want to eat emotionally. So, I have been making a concert effort for 4 weeks. I notice that I feel different physically and that is important. The scale reads that I have lost weight and the body measurements show that I have as well, but honestly, that isn't really the point. I want to feel good.
So, it has taken 8 months but I have made progress on all of my resolutions. That makes me proud.
Say what you need to say...
My BFF and I have had a long-term argument about John Mayer's song Say. The question has always been do you "say what you need to say" when it might hurt someone else. Or if it is coming from a place of anger or hurt. I tend to err on the side of silence around saying what needs to be said. I worry about my motives and my impact. My BFF is more direct and clear about what he needs to say. He declares that it isn't about saying what you want to say but about what needs to be said in the moment.
I have really been thinking about this concept a lot lately and think I am leaning more toward the side of my BFF. I still think that I need to understand my motives for saying things that may cause pain or anxiety or have a negative impact but I think that sometimes it is inevitable. Sometimes the fear that causes us not to ask for what we want, communicate our own pain, or express our own love locks us in a box and keeps us from forming real, deep, and meaningful connections with the people in our lives.
I have spent a lifetime building walls that protect my heart. As I have gotten older I have start to allow people to chip down those walls a bit from the outside and I have started to chip at them from the inside. Everytime I say what I need to say in a way that leaves me vulnerable, I take down one more brick from that wall. Loving leaves us vulnerable and being vulnerable leaves us open to hurt. That is the truth and it is scary. It also requires me to trust myself more and to put trust in other people. That is the biggest fear, right? Not the fear that someone will hurt me but that I will have put my trust in the wrong person. The fear that I will have been wrong and have made a bad decision. That fear can keep me paralyzed forever.
Last night I made the decision to say what I need to say to people in my life. I shared my feelings fully with someone last night and left my heart open. It was absolutely frightening but once I did it, it was done and we talked, laughed and loved. It was nice not having the truth sitting silently yet so loudly in my head. I still am scared of the aftermath. I'm scared of what happens next. There are a couple of other conversations I need to have with people that I care deeply about because I want those friendships to thrive and I can't expect that to happen if I don't participate in the conversation.
One day at a time and facing one truth at a time.
I have really been thinking about this concept a lot lately and think I am leaning more toward the side of my BFF. I still think that I need to understand my motives for saying things that may cause pain or anxiety or have a negative impact but I think that sometimes it is inevitable. Sometimes the fear that causes us not to ask for what we want, communicate our own pain, or express our own love locks us in a box and keeps us from forming real, deep, and meaningful connections with the people in our lives.
I have spent a lifetime building walls that protect my heart. As I have gotten older I have start to allow people to chip down those walls a bit from the outside and I have started to chip at them from the inside. Everytime I say what I need to say in a way that leaves me vulnerable, I take down one more brick from that wall. Loving leaves us vulnerable and being vulnerable leaves us open to hurt. That is the truth and it is scary. It also requires me to trust myself more and to put trust in other people. That is the biggest fear, right? Not the fear that someone will hurt me but that I will have put my trust in the wrong person. The fear that I will have been wrong and have made a bad decision. That fear can keep me paralyzed forever.
Last night I made the decision to say what I need to say to people in my life. I shared my feelings fully with someone last night and left my heart open. It was absolutely frightening but once I did it, it was done and we talked, laughed and loved. It was nice not having the truth sitting silently yet so loudly in my head. I still am scared of the aftermath. I'm scared of what happens next. There are a couple of other conversations I need to have with people that I care deeply about because I want those friendships to thrive and I can't expect that to happen if I don't participate in the conversation.
One day at a time and facing one truth at a time.
Friday, August 24, 2012
My Best Friend is back....
My BFF has returned from his vacation. I know he was only gone a short time. I knew that he was coming back. I know that he and I spoke a couple of times while he was away. It doesn't matter. I missed him and I am super glad he is back in town. I feel better, safer, more supported and more loved when he is in town, even if he and I haven't talked in a few days. He is a big piece of my safety net and I feel more secure when he is around.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Dracula Opera
"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" is an underrated movie. It is on TV right now and I love it. One of my favorite scenes is Peter (Jason Segel) singing pieces of hit puppet rock opera about Dracula.
Love
Love. There are a lot of things that I want to say about love right now and yet I am also not entirely sure what I want to say about love.
I looked up love on Wikipedia. (have you stopped laughing? ) I know that Wikipedia is not the best source of information in the world but in a pinch, it will do. I just wanted to read what someone else said about love. The very beginning of the entry is a definition. And of course, with something like love, the definition isn't actually a real definition at all. It is complicated and complex but was what I needed to read.
I looked up love on Wikipedia. (have you stopped laughing? ) I know that Wikipedia is not the best source of information in the world but in a pinch, it will do. I just wanted to read what someone else said about love. The very beginning of the entry is a definition. And of course, with something like love, the definition isn't actually a real definition at all. It is complicated and complex but was what I needed to read.
In English, love refers to a variety of different feelings, states, and
attitudes, ranging from pleasure ("I loved that meal") to interpersonal attraction ("I love my partner"). "Love" may refer specifically to the passionate desire and intimacy of romantic love, to the sexual love of eros, to the emotional closeness of familial love, to the platonic love that defines friendship,or to the profound oneness or devotion of religious love, or to a concept of love
that encompasses all of those feelings. This diversity of uses and
meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes
love unusually difficult to consistently define, compared to other
emotional states.
That's just it, isn't it. Who the hell knows what love is? How the hell do we know?
I love lots of people. I love my friends. I love the staff I work with at SLTP. I love my family. All of these "loves" are different. There is more than enough room in my life and my heart for all of those kinds of love.
What I am struggling with is the idea of romantic love? Or that love that kind of fills you up? The love that you read about in books and stories. Is that real love?
I think in the thinking about the idea of "going for it", the concept of love overwhelms me. I want to be in a relationship. I want to have a partner. I just don't have lots of good role models of healthy relationships. I don't know if I trust the feelings. Love may be the most terrifying cliff - the precipice that would require real courage to jump off of... Is it always worth it?
Monday, August 20, 2012
Jacked-up Straw & Iron Man's House
Today I had lunch with one of the great student's that I get to wok with. We were sitting in the restaurant enjoying each others' company. The waiter delivered our beverages. He order a water. I ordered a water and a lemonade. Molly's, the restaurant we were at, has wonderful bendy straws. I opened my straws and noticed something strange. My straw was jacked up. The straw-making machine did not do its job and did not trim the end properly. While the straw didn't allow for drinking, it did create laughter.
Right now I am watching Iron Man on television. I want his house. I want it now. I want to live in this amazing house perched on the edge of a cliff with endless windows that look out on the ocean and other beautiful things. Curved walls, big fireplace, endless windows...just what I want.
 | |||
| Jacked-up Straw |
Right now I am watching Iron Man on television. I want his house. I want it now. I want to live in this amazing house perched on the edge of a cliff with endless windows that look out on the ocean and other beautiful things. Curved walls, big fireplace, endless windows...just what I want.
Song Obsession of the Week: 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
As I parked the car at the Aquatic Center a song came on the radio. I was intrigued by the sound and the lyrics. I didn't know the name or the artist. Then I heard it again and again. It got stuck in my head. Finally on the drive down to Connecticut yesterday I heard it on the Top 40 Countdown with Ryan Seacrest. There it was 50 Ways to Say Goodbye by Train. I downloaded it immediately and have listened to it about 500 times. I just saw the video for the first time. David Hasselhoff, lions, the mention of Yom Kippur, a crappy purple scion.....what's not to love.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Happy Birthday Annalisse!
Tomorrow, August 20th, is my niece's birthday. She is going to be 7 years old. I think she is the most beautiful, intelligent and just amazing young girl I have the pleasure to know. I am very blessed that I live close enough that I can drive down to my mom's house for the birthday party.
Her birthday party was held at this place called Bounce U. It is basically a giant indoor bouncy house. There are bouncy obstacle courses and bouncy slides and a whole myriad of bouncy items. The kids had a really great time. It was kind of strange to be at a kids party without a kid of my own but at the same time I didn't have to take care of any kids. There are plenty of perks to not having kids.
Her birthday party was held at this place called Bounce U. It is basically a giant indoor bouncy house. There are bouncy obstacle courses and bouncy slides and a whole myriad of bouncy items. The kids had a really great time. It was kind of strange to be at a kids party without a kid of my own but at the same time I didn't have to take care of any kids. There are plenty of perks to not having kids.
Friday, August 17, 2012
A Slideshow is worth a thousand words...
When I returned to work after my vacation there were plenty of people that told me that I hadn't had a "real vacation". In many ways, I certainly did not have the traditional vacation - but, as I have said before, it was exactly what I needed. These slideshows tell the whole story so clearly.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Why start writing again?
In the last few weeks I have been making small changes to my life. I was motivated by my two weeks volunteering at SLTP. That experience this year was exactly what I needed. By working in a place with people I love, doing work that I love, I was reminded of who I was and what matters to me. I was reminded that one person can make a difference. I was reminded that taking care of yourself is not selfishness. I was reminded that asking for help is not a sign of weakness. I was reminded that caring deeply, loving fiercely and laughing loudly are things to be celebrated not silenced. While I was supposed to be teaching the students, I believe I may have learned just as much if not more than they did.
With that experience at my back, I am starting the blog again in order to intentionally find ways to hold onto the joy, the love, and the courage that filled me when I left Dudley two weeks ago. This year I am going for it. I am going to work to more fully embody myself and to bring all that I am to the table all of the time. I am going to take care of myself, make time for myself, and not apologize for it. I am going to laugh as loud as the moment calls for. i am going to love as deeply and fully and fiercely as I am able. I am not going to apologize for being smart, for knowing things, for working hard, or for making decisions. I am going to remember who I am and not allow naysayers to convince me of something that isn't true.
I am excited to start writing again. I'm excited to examine my life, reflect on my experiences, and share with people I care about (or random strangers that stumble across this blog in someway).
It's time to live out loud and savor the quiet reflection.
With that experience at my back, I am starting the blog again in order to intentionally find ways to hold onto the joy, the love, and the courage that filled me when I left Dudley two weeks ago. This year I am going for it. I am going to work to more fully embody myself and to bring all that I am to the table all of the time. I am going to take care of myself, make time for myself, and not apologize for it. I am going to laugh as loud as the moment calls for. i am going to love as deeply and fully and fiercely as I am able. I am not going to apologize for being smart, for knowing things, for working hard, or for making decisions. I am going to remember who I am and not allow naysayers to convince me of something that isn't true.
I am excited to start writing again. I'm excited to examine my life, reflect on my experiences, and share with people I care about (or random strangers that stumble across this blog in someway).
It's time to live out loud and savor the quiet reflection.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Reunited....
and it feels so good... Ah, don't we all love a little Peaches & Herb...
Last night Karaoke & I reunited. We hit a rough patch in our relationship. It was bound to happen. We had three solid years of bliss. Every week we would meet up and we would enjoy each other's company. I talked about it all the time and it was always on my mind. Every Thursday, people knew that I would be involved in a meaningful relationship with a microphone and music. I made lists of songs. I made lists of songs for other people.
I should have seen the moment of separation coming. It was clearly marked. All the signposts were there. Haven't we all been in those relationships before? They are so perfect and so important that we ignore the warning signs. The last few months it just hadn't felt the same. So many people had left the table. LS, MdS, JH, TC... Then the regulars from the Cave started to leave, Martin, Pierre, Koozy Man, etc...Then Cher was no longer KJ. So much change. It wasn't the same. I still loved Karaoke...but we had started to grow apart.
It wasn't the experience that I had fallen in love with. So of course, I pulled away. I started making excuses not to be available on Thursday nights. I stopped making lists. I was indecisive about what to sing and could tell I was only half-heartedly engaged. Something had to be done. I needed to either break up with Karaoke or I needed to find another way to reconnect. I didn't want to lose this relationship between me and the music...I wanted to find a way to make it work.
So I recruited new people to come to sing. I found new things to love. I have been working on getting to know the experience all over again. And last night....success. Karaoke was fantastic. It was fun. It was satisfying. It left me energized.
Was it the same experience as before? No. But that is okay....we change, we grow, we evolve and that is true for all relationships. It is worth the effort when it is something we love. So, last night, karaoke and I reunited. It was a blast. There were new faces around the table and new songs and a guitar. Thanks DS, JP, AC for an awesome evening.
Let's raise a glass to many more years of Karaoke fun!
Last night Karaoke & I reunited. We hit a rough patch in our relationship. It was bound to happen. We had three solid years of bliss. Every week we would meet up and we would enjoy each other's company. I talked about it all the time and it was always on my mind. Every Thursday, people knew that I would be involved in a meaningful relationship with a microphone and music. I made lists of songs. I made lists of songs for other people.
I should have seen the moment of separation coming. It was clearly marked. All the signposts were there. Haven't we all been in those relationships before? They are so perfect and so important that we ignore the warning signs. The last few months it just hadn't felt the same. So many people had left the table. LS, MdS, JH, TC... Then the regulars from the Cave started to leave, Martin, Pierre, Koozy Man, etc...Then Cher was no longer KJ. So much change. It wasn't the same. I still loved Karaoke...but we had started to grow apart.
It wasn't the experience that I had fallen in love with. So of course, I pulled away. I started making excuses not to be available on Thursday nights. I stopped making lists. I was indecisive about what to sing and could tell I was only half-heartedly engaged. Something had to be done. I needed to either break up with Karaoke or I needed to find another way to reconnect. I didn't want to lose this relationship between me and the music...I wanted to find a way to make it work.
So I recruited new people to come to sing. I found new things to love. I have been working on getting to know the experience all over again. And last night....success. Karaoke was fantastic. It was fun. It was satisfying. It left me energized.
Was it the same experience as before? No. But that is okay....we change, we grow, we evolve and that is true for all relationships. It is worth the effort when it is something we love. So, last night, karaoke and I reunited. It was a blast. There were new faces around the table and new songs and a guitar. Thanks DS, JP, AC for an awesome evening.
Let's raise a glass to many more years of Karaoke fun!
 |
| Josiah, Amanda & I at karaoke! Building a new karaoke adventure. Picture taken by Dan! |
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Courage doesn't always roar.
I saw this post card today and it really resonated with me. There is something so honest and courageous about taking stock of the day, accepting it for what it was and starting fresh in the morning. It is challenging to let go of what was and start tomorrow with a commitment to being and doing better than the day before. It is one of my personal goals to make each day better than the day before but I often get stuck in a cycle of yesterdays and find myself missing the now. I often beat myself up over all the little things that went wrong or mistakes I made or things I should have done that I don't give myself the space to forgive myself and start again tomorrow. I also don't give myself the space to remember that it is often worse in my own head than it was in reality. Forgiving myself is the hardest thing I do but how important it is. Admit, accept, grow and do better the next time.
MLK & Herman Boone
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
There are lots of quotes floating around to commemorate this day and inspire us to remember MLK and remember his purpose. The one that most resonates with me is:
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
How absolutely terrifying is that idea? Being willing to step out on the edge and take that first step without assurance that there is a staircase (or anything really) to catch you. Trusting in what you believe and following your passion and conviction fearlessly is something to be commended. Additionally, this quote reminds me that celebrating the legacy of MLK is not the actions of one single day but a life time of steps. Social justice is a process, a journey, not a destination. There is always more learning and more work to do.
I was also lucky enough today to have dinner with Herman Boone. Herman Boone was the coach of the Titans football team that the movie Remember the Titans was based on. Denzel Washington played him in the movie. Can you imagine having Denzel Washington play you in a movie? I mean, that is just height of awesomeness. Mr. Boone was at Dartmouth to do the keynote address for the MLK celebration. I was invited along with a few of the students that I work closely with. It was an incredible experience. It truly felt like you were in the presence of greatness. The students were awestruck. He reminded us that the day and the work wasn't about the man, MLK, but about his vision and that it was our responsibility to ensure that the vision and dream that Martin Luther King so eloquently put forward was continued. One of the students asked him if he ever wanted to quit because of fear for himself and his family. Mr. Boone said yes. He said there were many moments when he wanted to let go and leave it all behind. He said he worried about his family and still does. BUT he had to keep going. He said he fell down many times and got back up. He said it isn't the number of times that you fall that matters but how many times you get back up. I truly am thankful that I am in a place in my life where I am given the opportunity to meet such incredible people and to be inspired by their words.
One person can make a difference.
"It is up to us to make a difference. It is up to us to care." -The Jester Has Lost His Jingle
 | |
| Judged not by the color of my skin... |
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
How absolutely terrifying is that idea? Being willing to step out on the edge and take that first step without assurance that there is a staircase (or anything really) to catch you. Trusting in what you believe and following your passion and conviction fearlessly is something to be commended. Additionally, this quote reminds me that celebrating the legacy of MLK is not the actions of one single day but a life time of steps. Social justice is a process, a journey, not a destination. There is always more learning and more work to do.
I was also lucky enough today to have dinner with Herman Boone. Herman Boone was the coach of the Titans football team that the movie Remember the Titans was based on. Denzel Washington played him in the movie. Can you imagine having Denzel Washington play you in a movie? I mean, that is just height of awesomeness. Mr. Boone was at Dartmouth to do the keynote address for the MLK celebration. I was invited along with a few of the students that I work closely with. It was an incredible experience. It truly felt like you were in the presence of greatness. The students were awestruck. He reminded us that the day and the work wasn't about the man, MLK, but about his vision and that it was our responsibility to ensure that the vision and dream that Martin Luther King so eloquently put forward was continued. One of the students asked him if he ever wanted to quit because of fear for himself and his family. Mr. Boone said yes. He said there were many moments when he wanted to let go and leave it all behind. He said he worried about his family and still does. BUT he had to keep going. He said he fell down many times and got back up. He said it isn't the number of times that you fall that matters but how many times you get back up. I truly am thankful that I am in a place in my life where I am given the opportunity to meet such incredible people and to be inspired by their words.
One person can make a difference.
"It is up to us to make a difference. It is up to us to care." -The Jester Has Lost His Jingle
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Have you heard of Pinterest?
Recently my friend AC sent me an invitation to a website called Pinterest.com and I have become obsessed with it. It is essentially an online bulletin board of things that you love, like, want. Things that you want to remember, share or buy. Things that inspire you. Things that you want to create or cook.
It is great.
It is my new favorite thing.
It is great.
It is my new favorite thing.
lazy day movies
Today was kind of a lazy day - mostly because it is freezing cold outside. There were some great movies on today.
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is one of my fave movies. I love it. It is all about believing in yourself and the magic of imagination. The quote of the day is from this movie. Mr. Magorium tells Molly Mahoney: "Your life is an occasion. Rise to it."
I love that idea. It is something I need to remember all the time. This is my life and I need to always treat it as some special and I need to believe in myself. It reminds me of the quote from the movie The Holiday that goes, "You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life." I love the movie and that quote.
The other movie I watched today is 500 Days of Summer. I really enjoy this movie. It is all about love, fate and the things that we can convince ourselves when we want love and companionship.
I especially enjoy the scene after Joseph Gordon-Levitt's first night with Summer (Zooey Deschanel). She made his dreams come true....ooh...ooh. Who hasn't walked around on cloud 9 the day after a great date or a good night.
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is one of my fave movies. I love it. It is all about believing in yourself and the magic of imagination. The quote of the day is from this movie. Mr. Magorium tells Molly Mahoney: "Your life is an occasion. Rise to it."I love that idea. It is something I need to remember all the time. This is my life and I need to always treat it as some special and I need to believe in myself. It reminds me of the quote from the movie The Holiday that goes, "You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life." I love the movie and that quote.
The other movie I watched today is 500 Days of Summer. I really enjoy this movie. It is all about love, fate and the things that we can convince ourselves when we want love and companionship.
I especially enjoy the scene after Joseph Gordon-Levitt's first night with Summer (Zooey Deschanel). She made his dreams come true....ooh...ooh. Who hasn't walked around on cloud 9 the day after a great date or a good night.
2012
Can you believe it is 2012?
I can't. 10 years ago I had just moved back to New York City. In fact, I moved back on New Year's Eve. For some reason I was obsessed with starting the new year in New York. I moved in with DN and as the clock struck midnight, he and I were on a subway trying to get to Brooklyn for what was quite possibly one of the most boring parties I have ever been to. Ah well...memories...
We are two weeks into the new year and it has already been a roller coaster ride. Lots of emotions.
My two promises to myself this year:
I can't. 10 years ago I had just moved back to New York City. In fact, I moved back on New Year's Eve. For some reason I was obsessed with starting the new year in New York. I moved in with DN and as the clock struck midnight, he and I were on a subway trying to get to Brooklyn for what was quite possibly one of the most boring parties I have ever been to. Ah well...memories...
We are two weeks into the new year and it has already been a roller coaster ride. Lots of emotions.
My two promises to myself this year:
- Be Thankful - I want to count my blessings more than I dwell on pain, sadness or other negative emotions.
- Be Healthy - I don't really mean this in exercise and eat well state, although that is certainly part of it. I mean financially, emotionally, mentally. I believe that if I can do more things that make my soul, mind and pocketbook healthy - then it will be easier to do things that make my heart and body healthier.
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