52 Lists: Ways You Can Cleanse for Spring

52 Lists

Week Ten// List the Ways You Can Cleanse For Spring

• sort through winter clothes and make a donation
• clean out the fridge and start from scratch
• get rid of unhealthy food
• hang the pictures on the wall in the apartment
• organize personal papers
• clean up the spice cabinet
• get back on track with exercise
• start to journal
• begin to meditate and practice yoga
• clear out email inboxes
• send the thank you notes/letters that I've been meaning to send
• Put old furniture and boxes in basement storage
• clean out my car!!
• Full cleaning of the baseboards, windows, etc. 
• align chakras with Suzanne
• start a new journal

52 Lists: Places you want to go

52 Lists

Week Nine// List the Places You Want To Go

• Ogunquit more often this summer
• Firewater in Providence
•  Paris
• The Museum of Picture Books in Japan
• The fairy pools on the isle of Skye, Scotland
• the Merced River beaches in Yosemite Valley
• Mardi Gras in New Orleans
• Carnivale in Rio de Janiero
• Riomaggiore, Italy
• Amsterdam
• Horseshoe Bend - Glen Canyon near Page, Arizona
• Garden of Cosmic Speculation
• Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
• Fiji
• World's Largest Pool, San Alfonso del Mar, Chile
• "The Mammoth" - the latest and greatest ride in water slide history is set to open next year at Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, US
•  Apple picking
• Blueberry & raspberry picking
• Lake Champlain
• Great Lakes
• San Francisco
• South Africa

Lovely tulips

On Thursday, I walked into my office and found a box from ProFlowers.  It was lovely tulips.  The note said "Just because you deserve someone doing something nice for you for a change."   There was no signature.  There was no name.  A few years ago, I received an awesome anonymous gift of the Gilmore Girls box set.  It just showed up in my office one day.  I am a lucky girl!

I have no idea who the flowers are from.  I have asked everyone that I can imagine but they have all denied sending them.  They are glorious and bright and lovely.  They make my office very happy and feel full of love and life.  

  Thank you universe for giving me what I need.  Thank you universe for putting people in my life that love me and care for me. Whoever sent the flowers - I sincerely thank you.  The flowers came at the perfect time.  They meant a lot to me and they made me feel feel loved. 

52 Lists: Your Favorite Albums

52 Lists

Week Eight// List Your Favorite Albums

This is actually kind of a hard one for me.  I listen to a lot of music but I've never been very good at identifying the full album.  Here goes my lists of songs/artists/albums that I love (I'll have to look some things up.  :))

• Jannet Jackson - Janet
• Little Mermaid soundtrack
• Rent soundtrack
• Adele - 21
• Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time
• N*Sync - No Strings Attached
• Digital Underground - Sex Packets
• Jason Mraz - Mr. A-Z
• Jason Mraz - We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things
• Madonna - The Immaculate Collection
• Maroon 5 - Songs About Jane
• Boyz II Men - Cooleyhighharmony
• Garth Brooks - Ropin' The Wind, Sevens, In Pieces, Fresh Horses
• Alanis Morisette - Jagged Little Pill
• Matchbox 20 - More Than You Think You Are
• Whitney Houston 
• Michael Jackson
• Hairspray Soundtrack
• Justin Timberlake - Justified
• Christina Aguilera - Stripped
• Lionel Richie
• TLC - CrazySexyCool
• Bell Biv Devoe - Poison
• Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
• Fiona Apple - Tidal
• Sarah Mclachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstacy, Surfacing, Mirrorball, Afterglow
• Into the Woods soundtrack
• Grease Soundtrack

52 Lists: Things that make you feel healthy

52 Lists

Week Seven// List The Things That Make You Feel Healthy - Mind, Body, and Soul 

This list idea kind of comes at a perfect time.  I could really use a moment to reflect on the things that make me feel healthy - mind, body, and soul.  The last few weeks have been challenging.  I haven't always taken great care of myself but I've been working on taking care of myself.  So here goes the list...

• laughter
• spending time with my friends
• aqua zumba
•  taking walks
• cuddling with Sally my dog
• playing board games
• eating fruits and veggie
• reducing the amount of candy that I eat
• spending time in water
• making lists
• keeping a journal
• writing thank you cards
• volunteering with the Student Leadership Training Program
• singing along to musicals
• coloring in coloring books
• doing crossword puzzles
• aligning my chakras
• fruit smooties for breakfast
• organizing my house
• clearing out my email inbox
• random dance parties in random place at random times
• driving
• writing thankful lists
• tell my friends that I love them
• learning new things
• doing something that makes a difference
• getting some sunshine
• sleeping
• spending time browsing the library or a bookstore

41 days and counting....

In 41 days I will be headed to Puerto Rico.  My friend TC and I are taking our moms on a much needed vacation.  We're going to Puerto Rico and spending 8 glorious days in the sunshine.  TC and I have splurged a bit on the trip. 

I'm really looking forward to it.  I have started to go to the website of La Concha Resort and look at the pictures.  I know that they are stock photos, so they may look nicer than the space could ever look, but I'm so excited. I'm excited to be in the sunshine.  I'm excited to unplug my phone and computer and enjoy 8 incredible days away from work. 

Mostly I am really excited that I am able to take this vacation and that I'm able to give my mom this vacation.  My mom deeply deserves a real vacation away from kids and sickness and hospitals.  She would never do this for herself nor could she afford it.  I'm glad that I'm in a place where I can do this for my mom.  I know that TC feels the same way about her mother. 

I have to admit that I have been kind of obnoxious about the whole thing.  I've been telling people at work about this vacation for almost 8 months now and making sure that everyone is aware of the fact that I plan on unplugging during this vacation. 

This morning it was 10 degrees outside but felt like -6 with the windchill.  In Puerto Rico it was 74 degrees. 

41 days...and counting...

52 Lists: Ways in Which You Can Love Others

52 Lists

Week Six// List The Ways In Which You Can Love Others

I can love others by.....

... writing handwritten thank you notes.

 

...pausing and listening to the answer when I ask someone the question "how are you?"

...saying please and thank you for all requests no matter how large or small and no matter from whom I am asking.

 

...giving strong, solid, and loving hugs.

 

...sharing my feelings and thoughts with those I love.

 

...asking others about themselves.

 

...getting out of my own head and paying attention to the needs of those around me.

 

...giving people space when they need it and being present when they need me.

 

...sending youtube videos that they would love.

 

...sharing the things you see with them to let them know you are thinking about them.

 

...saying I love you.

 

...buying them their favorite candy just because you were thinking about them. 

 

...sharing jokes and memories to make them smile.

 

...being a safe port from the raging storms.

 

...showing kindness even when I don't want to be kind.

 

...taking time to listen even when my schedule is crazy busy.

 

...stopping by their apartment just because I was in the neighborhood. 

 

...remembering their birthday and other special dates.

 

...walking their dog when they have to work late.

 

...sending a random text message to say hi.

...laughing with them. 

...giving them what they need not what you would need if you were them.

...cherishing their flaws.

Early morning stillness

Last night it started to snow.  Unlike lots of places in the country, we haven't gotten that much snow this winter...at least not yet.  We are supposed to get 5-10 inches over the course of the day, so I'll have some shoveling to do later. 

There is special quiet that happens in the early morning when the newly fallen snow is on the ground.  The snow acts almost like soundproofing.  Everything is just a bit softer and a bit stiller.  This morning when I took Sally out for her morning constitutional I was struck by the pre-dawn light and the incredible stillness. 

There is something so beautiful about that moment before the entire world comes alive; before that moment when it feels like you are the only person awake in the whole world. I love the morning for that reason.  It feels like a fresh start and a new beginning.  It feels like I can take a breath and actually pause before the go,go,go of the day begins. 

52 Lists: Things I am grateful for

52 Lists

Week Five// List The Things You Are Grateful For

I am grateful ...

...for the fact that my family, despite not having gone to college themselves, always told me that I was going to go to college 

...that Mary Leger believed in me enough my first year of high school to give me a scholarship to SLTP and to then pay for my attendance when I couldn't afford to go
 

...that I met Jim Fitzgerald and have had the great honor and privilege to be loved, supported, mentored, and challenged by him
 

...for the MayFlower singers - Lisa, Jeff, and Jason - and the great adventures we had finding Tam the goat
 

...that I moved around a lot when I was younger and changed schools because it made me more resilient

...for the laughter and love of my beautiful niece

...for my involvement in the Student Leadership Training Program - the skills I've learned, the people I've met, and the laughter we've shared has been a foundation for me to stand on

...my best friend - my life is fuller and more complete because of him.

...for my friends.  I am a lucky woman because I have been blessed with some incredible people in my life (past and present) and I am lucky enough to call them friends. Each of you has helped me grow and has made my life fuller.

... to have a reliable car, a wonderful home, a cute dog, a regular paycheck, and a job that challenges and fulfills me (most of the time)

... that I can find humor even in the darkest moments, a skill that I learned from my mother.  No matter what was going on in our lives, there was always laughter and music in our life. 

... for the storehouse of random lyrics that I have in my head and the eclectic taste in music that I have cultivated over the many years. 

...for Thursday night karaoke and the friends, laughter, and ridiculousness it has afford me

...for the upper valley aquatic center

...for pandora, netflix, facebook, pinterest and other media that have made some things in life easier.

...for books and the adventures I've gone on and the characters I've met between the pages

... for lists and file folders and labelmakers and color coding and other terribly ridiculous organization tools

... for YouTube videos

... finding joy in small moments

...for the walk to work and back home because it gives me time to decompress and process

...for a good glass of wine or an excellent Cosmo

... for having learned some things the hard way and for working to make a difference so that other young people don't have to learn the hard way

... for twizzlers and reese's peanut butter cups and jelly belly sour jellybeans

...for Santa Claus and the holiday season

...for moments where I have laughed so hard that my stomach ached, for moments when I have cried so hard that my eyes got swollen, for moments when I have loved so deeply my heart burst, for moments when I have been so filled with anger that I saw red, for moments when I have been in deep despair that it felt like I would never get out of the darkness...all of those moments have taught me how to live and to feel and to share and to love.  They weren't easy but in retrospect I am grateful for these moments because to me they mean that I am living and engaging with the world.  They mean that I am facing my fears.  These moments and the lessons learned from them are what make up who I am.

2014 Goals Update

Happy February!

2014 has started off fast and furious.  So far it has been a largely positive year  There have been ups and downs but I have felt great about it. I have steadily taken small steps towards My various goals.  I realize that most of them are long term habit changes rather than finite actions.  Although, come warmer weather, I hope to knock out a bunch of the items on this list.

Having set some hopes and goals for myself, I have found myself more involved in my own life, taking care of myself, and living in the present.  I needed to refocus my life some and build in more meaning and more intention.  For some reason in 2013, I managed to let a lot of time slip away without engagement, intention, or meaning. I feel more fully awake this year so far.  Lots of great change happened last year but I think I let it drive me rather than driving it.  I let the changes and the "busyness" overwhelm me and take over.  I spent a lot of time worrying and dwelling on every little thing.  I let anger overcome me and I let things that were outside of my control impact my behavior and how I view the world.  The goal is to prevent that from happening again this year - so far, so good.  (*knock on wood*)

With that - here's the February update

In Progress

• Continue improving my healthy habits - Good going on this front.  I've been exercising, eating well, reflecting, journaling (and blogging), managing my money, keeping the house clean, spending time with friends...etc...
• Apply to graduate school - I'm doing it!  I am applying to MBA programs.  This is a decision that surprised me too but I believe that it is the right decision.  Maybe I'll write about that at some point because I have lots of thoughts (positive and conflicting) about the reasons behind this decision and some of the forces behind it.  I think it would be surprising to many that money is not a motivator in this decision at all but maybe my own bias is showing.  I'm applying to "executive" programs which are designed to complete in 2 years while working.  I'm applying to MIT, NYU, Cornell, UVA and UPenn.  I've got open houses scheduled, and interviews, and the GMATs.  I have to write my essays and finish my applications.  There is a lot to do but I'm working on it.  When I write my update on March 1, I should be able to say that I have finished all of the applications. 
• Take better care of my teeth - check! I love my sonicare toothbrush.  Now I need to make a dentist appointment - blech!
• Read a book every 2 weeks - Every 2 weeks might have been a bit ambitious while also trying to applying to grad school.  I have been reading though and I renewed my library card.  My inclination is to buy more and more books but that is silly when there is a wonderful place called a library where I can get them for FREE.  Besides, until I have a home with a dedicated library I just don't have the space for more books.  What am I reading right now? Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (yes, I had to copy and paste his last name).  It is an incredible book and it is totally blowing my mind. 
• Increase my investment and ownership in SLTP - The book I  am reading is an excellent segue into this goal.  The concept of flow is on of the foundations of how SLTP is built and why it works.  Reading the actual theoretical foundations behind it is investing more in the program.  It is helping me understand the way we work and why we work more deeply.  I also was able to recruit East Hartford High students back to the program and that has been awesome.  I am regularly finding ways to invest in the program and to help however I am able.  I am bringing colleagues with me to the Interlead tomorrow to get a feel for the program and to show them what it is that I do and what this SLTP is that I spend so much time on. 
• Take a trip to NYC - I'll be in New York on February 11 and February 12.  Done! I'm going for my NYU interview and a couple of information sessions but there will be enough time in between the events that I hope to be able to see some people while I'm there.  
• Take a baking class at King Arthur Flour - AC and I are going to take a class in March...or maybe April but we have talked about it and are working on identifying the class.  This will be happening!
• Increase student contact at work - This I am doing!  I created student specific office hours.  I've been reaching out to students for conversations.  These are check-ins with no agenda other than to connect.  I've been going to student organization meetings and finding other ways to connect.  It has been great and what I love about the work.  It is the reason that we do it.  I think the further away from on-the-ground student work we get the easier it becomes to forget that they are the reason for the work.  Student learning and well-being is our why and it is what needs to be at the forefront of our minds all the time.
• Practice Kindness - Every day I am practicing kindness and compassion as a mind set.  One of the things that crystallized for me is that practicing kindness doesn't mean that I don't say the challenging things, it means that I say them in the right way, to the right person, for the right reasons. 

Stalled - Going to try and pick these back up in February...

• Research and work towards becoming a Zumba instructor.
• Hang stuff on walls.
• Read the New York Times on Sundays and attempt the crossword puzzle.  
  
• Take myself on a date once a month.  
• Paint the wood furniture. 

Off Season

• See firewater in Providence. 
• Spend more time in Ogunquit this summer. 
• Ride a roller coaster. 
• Go to the Big E. 
• Go apple and berry picking.  
• Buy a bike. 
• Run in the Electric Run 5K in Boston in October. 

52 Lists: Current and Future Goals & Dreams

52 Lists

Week Four// List Your Current and Future Goals & Dreams

I've already written up my 2014 goals in the blog.  I'm actively working on those and plan on providing a monthly update. What other current and future goals do I have...? 

•  Write more letters 
• Keep in touch with friends old and new better
• Spin a globe and travel to the place where my finger lands
• Save enough money to retire comfortably
• Become a Dean of Students at a liberal arts college
• Be the best friend I can be
• Build a family of my own - more and more I think this won't look like the pictures in fairy tales but it will be my family
• Never forget my niece's birthday
• Make sure my brother knows how proud I am of him
• Take an art class
• Write a book, even if it is a really crappy one
• Dance more
• Tell more puns
• Visit each continent at least once (Can I go to Antartica?)
• Own my own house with a porch and a backyard patio and fence so my dog and my BFF's dog can run unhindered
• Go skiing again and try to enjoy it
• Go parasailing
• Learn to bartend
• Research my family tree
• Complain less and love more
• Learn to play the piano or the guitar
• Perform on stage
• Win a karaoke contest
• Go to a nude beach/resort
• Swim with the dolphins
• Throw my mom a giant 60th birthday party
• Find an occasion to wear my beautiful banana yellow heels 
• Not be afraid to say I love you

I'm in Redbook Magazine

In one of those strange twists of life, I was asked to interview with Redbook magazine about my weight loss last year.  The trainer at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center gave them my name because they were looking for someone that had lost weight by swimming or other water-based exercise.  I was hesitant but I figured what the hell, right?  I had worked hard to become a healthier human being.  So I did the interview.  I had no idea what was going to come from it.  I didn't really know what the angle of the article was and after the interview I was excited but VERY nervous about it.

The article came out in the January issue and indeed my little piece was in there.  A friend got the issue and showed me the article. Instead of being excited about it or celebrating it, I was mortified because they printed my starting weight.  I scoured the other 9 stories looking for the weights of the other women profiled. Mine was the only number printed.  I didn't want anyone to read it because I didn't want anyone to see that starting number. 

A colleague stopped me after we returned to work in the New Year and told me she had seen my name in the magazine.  In reflection, her voice was kind and full of nothing but positivity.  She congratulated me on my weight loss and commented that she had notice but was never sure if one could comment.  I smiled and nodded and thanked her but realized as I left her office that I felt exposed and vulnerable.  I felt sure that she was secretly judging me. 

I guess this post goes along with my post about my gray hair.  I am always shocked by how deep the shame lives when it comes to my body.  I am always surprised at the moments when guilt, shame, and self-loathing wash over me.  I don't remember the interview but I do remember saying that being healthy for me required me to change my internal narrative.  My physical health changed when my mental health changed.  When I started to focus on how I wanted to feel and the things that I wanted to do. 

And I'm able to do many of those things now...I can climb stairs without feeling like my heart is going to explode.  I don't dread meetings across campus because of the walk - in fact, I intentionally schedule meetings in other people's offices in order to be outside.  I can swim laps easily.  I can take a zumba class and enjoy the movement.  I can touch my toes.  My blood pressure is in the normal range.  My sugar level has gone down to normal range.  I feel better. 

I have a long history with weight and I am always worried about telling my story or discussing weight loss because I don't want young women or men to look at a number on the scale and define themselves by it.  We are so much more than that.  Ironically, it wasn't until I really started to believe that I was more than my weight and was a full person, that I started to lose the weight.  I have made lifestyle changes that make me feel better but I don't deprive myself.  I no longer binge.  I'm finding other ways to deal with my emotions (anger, happiness, sadness, loneliness).  I'm investing time in myself. 

The weight loss is the most noticeable change to the outside world but my health is far beyond the number on the scale.  Yet, that number on the scale is part of my story and not a part that should be hidden away or a part that should be shameful.  It is just a part of my story.  It does not define what my life has been or where my life is going and only I can give it that power. 

So here is the story and the number.  I still look at it and it looks like it is bolded and in a larger font but I know that isn't true.  It is simply a number.   I am made up of so much more than pounds on a scale.  I'm torn about posting this, or having my name being associated with a "how to lose weight" article.  I'm not sure how I feel about contributing to the never ending narrative that tells us that we need to be thinner to be happier and healthier.  I don't believe it is as simple as that.  I know it isn't as simple as that. 

One of my goals this year was practicing kindness and that starts with me.  Being kind to myself means fueling my body better, moving my body more, reflecting more on my choices, and accepting the complex story that is my life.  I guess, this long rambling blog posts that ends with the words from Redbook and that 3 digit number is part of that acceptance.  Part of sharing who I am, where I've been, and the journey forward.

 Start by forgiving yourself

"In November 2012, I hit 421 pounds, my heaviest weight ever. I've tried pretty much every fad diet out there: Atkins, the grapefruit diet, pills. But my journey to better health really began when I changed my inner monologue from one that was negative and critical and said You're not worthy to one that said, You can do this; you deserve to be healthy and happy and have love in your life. I've had to forgive myself and be kind to myself in order to move forward—after all, I can't change what happened yesterday, but I can change what happens today and tomorrow. I started by signing up for Weight Watchers and finding a pool I could use for exercise. Now the Upper Valley Aquatic Center is my second home. The water is so relaxing, like a cushion, and I can move without feeling hot or sweaty or straining my joints. I love it—it feels meditative. There's no way to shed the amount of pounds I have to lose and not be confused by the process at times. My weight has been such a part of my identity that losing it can feel overwhelming. Every day I have the opportunity to make choices about my health. Before, my eating and physical habits were thoughtless. Now, I pause and think before I decide to put something in my body or skip a workout. I still have a ways to go, but my goal isn't to be skinny; it's to feel better about myself, and I'm definitely on that path." —Elizabeth Agosto, 34, Hanover, NH; lost 78 pounds and has kept it off for a year

The full article can be found online.

My first gray hair

I found my first gray hair.  I'm 34, it seems like the right age to acquire one's first gray hair.

I was surprised by my reaction to this single strand of white.  I have always been a person that has wanted to grow old naturally.  I don't want to dye my hair or alter the process in any way.  I want laugh lines. I am pretty low maintenance when it comes to all things beauty.  My mom is a serious hair-dyer.  She does it often and frequently.  She tried multiple times to get me to dye my hair.  One day I let her but it didn't stick.  My hair had to be in direct sunlight at just the right angle for you to even tell that my hair was the slightest tint of red.  It just isn't my thing.  I have sometimes secretly wanted it to be my thing...I wanted to care more about it.  I've purchased all the products.  I have entire drawers full of make-up and hair product.  I've just never figured out how to make it work and every time I do my make-up in any shade other than "barely there" colors, I look in the mirror and feel like I'm looking into someone else's face.  So, I'm a wash my face, brush my hair, low fuss girl.  Just who I am.

And then I saw the gray hair.   I will admit that I had a bit of freak-out moment.  Years of hearing the evils of gray hair and aging came crashing over me.  It was a remarkable thing.  I stood there in my bathroom staring at this single gray hair.  I almost pulled it out and then a saying that I heard countless times growing up came to me.  "If you pull it out, seven more friends will come to visit".  What?!! As though me pulling out my gray hair would cause more to grow out of spite and revenge.  The gray hairs would gather together and avenge the death of their friend.  I laughed at myself...but I didn't pull the hair out of my head. 

Why would I want to pull it out anyway?

That's the real question, isn't it?  What is so wrong with having a gray hair?  Why did it freak me out?  Why can't I, as a woman, be excited to be aging?  Why can't I be described as distinguished as I age? Why should I feel like I need to remain forever young?  I studied sociology and worked for a long time to figure out how to respond to the societal pressure to be thin and balance that with how I felt, my own sense of self, and my own feelings of health.  I understand how the culture and society I live in influences my feelings about beauty and aging.

There has been a lot of news lately about beauty and photoshopping and the unrealistic and unfair standards of beauty.  I saw an article by the The Telegraph recently where they were discussing Diane Keaton at the Golden Globes and then the L'oreal commercial where she was smoothed and photoshopped.  I truly think she looks better at the Golden Globes.  She looks alive and real and naturally beautiful.   There have been stories about the Aerie american eagle brand that is no longer going to allow photoshopping.  Their move has been considered revolutionary.  It makes me sad that showing young women as really beautiful people just as they are is revolutionary but it is.  I know that the comments on those ads will say that those women are fat or they will analyze every ripple and every curve.  We commit unspeakable damage through the ways that we treat one another, the ways that we rip one another apart.  I know this.  I see it clearly.  I have worked to empower myself and those around me to see themselves as more than failures because we can't live up to standards of beauty that aren't real or attainable. 

That said, I was surprised at the vehemence of my repulsion to that gray hair but I refuse to surrender to it.  I have made friends with my gray hair.  I reserve the right to dye my hair at some point.  I celebrate women that choose to express themselves and their beauty however they want.  The point, isn't that we shouldn't use make-up or dye our hair or lose weight or wear high heels or whatever it is.  The point is that we shouldn't feel like we HAVE TO in order to be beautiful because we already are and it is our flaws, imperfections, quirks that serve as our ultimate beauty marks.

We are a term my friend Meg was taught by one of her students - We are FLAWSOME!

My New Fitness Binder

One of my 2014 goals was to maintain my forward momentum on adopting healthy food and exercise habits.  To that end, I created my very own fitness binder. 

I got the template from Fit.Strong.Lean.  I printed out the pages that worked for me and not the ones that I knew I was never going to use.  I printed them in black and white and used some crayola markers to color the templates in and make them bright and colorful. 



I ended up with 3 sections for the binder: My schedule, Goals & motivation, and Body management.  I don't love the title "body management" but that is what it is, I guess.  I'm committed to not focusing solely on weight, so part of the body management piece for me was about what my body can manage  For example, how long can I hold a plank or how many jumping jacks can I do without feeling like my lungs are on fire. 

Once the inserts were all colored in and pretty, I put it together in a binder.  I've started to plan out my exercise schedule and working to get a little bit of intentional exercise in every day. 

Isn't the binder nice?  :)

February, I'm trying the 30 day Plank challenge!  Supposedly I will be able to hold a plank for 4 minutes and 30 seconds at the end of the challenge.  That seems HIGHLY unlikely to me, but I'm going to give it a try. 

52 Lists: the things you should be proud of

52 Lists

Week Three// List the Things You Should be Proud Of

I'm going to start by saying that I find this to be a really hard list to make.  I appreciate that it says the word "should".  I believe that there are probably a lot of things that I should be proud of but I find it really challenging to say those things out loud.  I find it even more challenging to not accompanying every single item on this list with a caveat or explanation.  Here goes my attempt to admit the things that I should be proud of without explanation, excuses, embarrassment, or caveats.

•  Attending and finishing Dartmouth in 4 years
• Asking the question "how are you" and standing still long enough to hear the answer
• Helping a friend when they need it
• Working with SLTP and making a difference in the lives of students
• Not settling or lowering my expectations
• Practicing kindness, especially when it is hard
• Writing thank you notes
• Getting out of debt and rebuilding my credit
• Taking control of my health and exercising and eating better
• Losing 80 pounds last year
• Believing in Santa Claus
• Building the FYSEP program and seeing its impact on students
• Finding my career in student affairs and excelling at it
• Being able to synthesize ideas
• Helping my family
• Moving away from home
• Making it through some terrible situations without losing hope
• Putting people before product

52 Lists: Your Greatest Comforts

52 Lists

Week two// List your greatest comforts

• time with my best friend
• hugs 
• the amazing staff of the student leadership program
• laughter
• a giant mug of hot coffee
• books
• being in the water
• the smell of ocean air
• my mother's cooking
• old photo albums
• my collection of cards, letters, and magic notes 
• lists
• a deep belief in the ultimate goodness of people, even when it doesn't feel like I have a reason to believe
• my niece's laughter and love
• playing board games
• a text message or call from the one person you needed to hear from at exactly the right time
• writing letters
• an organized desk
• color coding
• my gigantic bed with its pillowtop mattress
• soup in a bread bowl
• my dog Sally
• driving with the windows rolled down and the music on high

Flock of Alpacas

I came across this website somewhere...Not sure where...I clicked on it and it made me laugh.  These alpacas all have their own sense of style.  I'm impressed at the wide range of hair styles available to alpacas.  I had no idea.  Below are my 3 favorite.  Looking at them, I clearly appreciate an alpaca that rocks an 80s Flock of Seagulls type hairdo.

52 Lists: Words that touch your soul

My friend MLS posted this idea she found on her blog, so of course I had to check it out.  I love making lists, so the idea of 52 lists completely peaked my interest.  She found the idea on the blog of Moorea Seal.

So, if I can remember...BIG IF... then I am going to participate in this excellent project.  I'm already a week behind but here goes nothing. I'll keep these short and sweet.

52 Lists

Week One// List the Words That Touch Your Soul

Friendship          Ocean         Annalisse          BFF          Difference-maker

Laughter          Love           Learning          SLTP          Thank you          Jaja

Cuddles          LY=          Ogunquit          Books          Resilience          Joy

Faith          Hope         Heart-work          Mommy          Family          Compassion

Care          Kindness          Candy          Water          Moonlight          Depth

Reflection          Karaoke          Passion          Intimacy          Kisses

Snowflakes          Responsibility          Christmas          Students          Angels

2014 - new year, new goals

I started out making a list of 14 goals for 2014 - that list became a list of 20.  I'm really looking forward to the new year.  I'm not sure why I feel full of joy and hope about this year, but I do feel that way, so I'm going to go with the flow.

My list of 14, errrrh 20, goals is as follows:

See firewater in Providence.  I really want to see this event.  I have for a long time and I've never made the time to see it.  This year is the year.

Continue improving my healthy habits: Last year I lost 80 pounds but more importantly I learned to eat healthier and I exercised more.  I feel better about myself, I have more energy, and I am more engaged.  The goal is to keep it up.  I had a specific weight loss goal on my original list but I don't think that is smart and not really the point.

Apply to graduate school.  It is time for me to finish procrastinating on this and actually finish the applications!

Spend more time in Ogunquit this summer.  I love it.  My BFF has a cottage there.  Why not?

Take better care of my teeth. I hate flossing.  I need to floss.

Read a book every 2 weeks.  Doesn't matter what the book is, I just want to read more.  I used to read all the time, I couldn't get enough of it but I have been very remiss in my reading.  I probably should  make sure I have a current library card.  :)

Research and work towards becoming a Zumba instructor. Specifically, I want to become an Aqua Zumba instructor but that requires me to do the main certification first.

Hang stuff on walls. I have pictures and stuff sitting in a corner and for 7 years they have moved with me from apartment to apartment.  It is time for me to hang them up.

Increase my investment and ownership in SLTP.  This is a program that I love and I want to become more fully involved and find new ways to give to the program and help grow the program.

Go apple and berry picking.  Not necessarily on the same day. I've never been apple picking.

Take a baking class at King Arthur Flour.  I love to bake.  I love to learn.  Why not do both?

Ride a roller coaster.  I haven't been on one since I was in high school.

Go to the Big E.  Anyone from Massachusetts or Connecticut likely knows what this is.  It is a giant country fair - I guess is the best way to describe it.  I used to love it as a kid and I want to go back.

Take a trip to NYC.  I want to meet baby Nico and see my dear friend JF.

Take myself on a date once a month.  Dinner and a movie for one?  yes, please!

Paint the wood furniture.  I have a ton of unfinished wood furniture and I am going to paint or stain it this year.

Buy a bike.  I also hope to ride it but the main goal for 2014 is to simply purchase a bike.

Increase student contact at work.  I like my job but I want more student contact.  I can find ways to do it, I just need to be proactive and intentional.

Read the New York Times on Sundays and attempt the crossword puzzle.  This used to be one of my favorite activities when I lived in NYC.  Generally, the news makes me VERY depressed and so I stopped reading regularly. I want to get back to it so that I can be better informed but also because I like it.  I've never completed a Sunday crossword puzzle but I've got 52 weeks to try.  :)

Practice Kindness.  I generally try to be a very kind person.  I am usually kindest to other people.  So I want to practice being kind to myself.  I want to continue to practice kindness towards others.  I want to be more intentional about the ways that I should my care and compassion to others.  I want to practice random acts of kindness. 

So that's it.  That's the list.  2014 - here I come.


*** Whoops!  I missed one.  There are 21!  The last one is Run in the Electric Run 5K in Boston in October.  My friend AC and I are going to do it together using the Couch to 5K method.  :)