Waking up to Snow

Nothing beats looking out the window in the morning to discover that, while you were asleep, a dusting of snow crept over the land.  It's a Winter Wonderland!

The forecast looks like it is going to stay white outside way for a while, and I LOVE IT!

I still race to the television (or my computer/phone since I don't currently own a television) to turn on the list of closings.  My job is often listed on there, so it is almost exactly like being in the second grade again.  If only I could knock on the neighbor's door and ask him to come build a fort with me, or an igloo, or have a snowball fight!  I've only built a few snowmen in my day; I prefer igloos.  They are more fun.  We sure have made some extravagant ones, too!

I'm probably an oddball for still feeling excited about snow in my mid-twenties.  Most of my friends detest the snow.  ...and the sleet.  ...and the horrible New England drivers.  In their defense, many of us forget how to drive in bad weather until the very end of the season when it starts to warm up again.  It's a vicious cycle, really.  I, however, decided to never grow up (Peter Pan, are you listening?).  Yes, incompetent drivers annoy me (and often try to kill me).  Yes, I would much rather sleep in than shovel the driveway.  No, I don't like it when a "wintery mix" follows a snowstorm leaving nothing but the formula for a great big sheet of ice to battle the next morning (I detested that even as a child).  And yes, it truly does bother me that we are throwing massive amounts of salt and other chemicals on the roads, not only damaging the environment by adding toxins to and significantly altering the pH of our runoff, changing the flora capable of growing near our roadways, but also slowly eating away at our cars.  If I wanted to, I could go on about how "coping" with snowstorms here in New England is harmful to our environment and our economy, but I am NOT a pessimist.  That doesn't mean that I turn a blind eye to those problems (surely we can't think that salt and chemicals is forever the answer to nature's never-ending dustings?), but I don't get bogged down about it, either.

Snow is beautiful.  Plain and simple.  I swear, the cold wouldn't be worth it without the snow.  There are entire sports that wouldn't exist without the snow!  Some of my favorites, too - hockey, snowboarding, skiing, & ice skating!  I'm sure that people who are involved, competitively or recreationally, in those sports get just as excited as I do when they wake up and see a sheet of white!

Still, as exciting as the sports are, nothing beats the still silence of the snow falling from the sky on a crisp winter morning.   Close your eyes and picture it for a moment: The snow glistens in the morning light.  Sounds seem distant, creating more space to hear your own thoughts, or lack thereof.  Everyone in your neighborhood, or maybe even the whole state, wakes up and can't help but feel a tad more peaceful.  The weather literally forces you to stop in your tracks and appreciate the stillness.  Your morning beverage of choice, be it tea, hot cocoa, or coffee, somehow tastes a little better.  The blanket of snow covering the earth muffles every sound, as if Mother Nature just knew that we all needed a little more peace than usual this morning.  So, appreciate the still reminder, and the workout you will get shoveling yourself out this morning.  You are gaining strength of body and peace of mind, all because it snowed!

Message of the day: You can't control the weather.  Embrace it!

...Or move; just fly South, you snow-haters!  God knows you can't change the weather!  Cheers!

Snow Princess!

Gotta love snow days!

So, one of these past snow days, my landlord came out of nowhere & hit me with a snowball while I was shoveling!  He went inside too quickly to get him back.  Good surprise!

I had planned on just painting all day long, but it was such great packing snow that I took breaks from shoveling & made this guy:

/girl:

It's a double-sided snow prince/princess (bowl for a crown, broccoli for those gorgeous green eyes, tomato lips, and a chocolate nose)!

...and I didn't get any pictures, but I also made some snow angels!

What do you do on snow days to make you happy?

Message of the day: Play in the snow!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Nail Polish

From what I've gathered, everyone has their "thing" that they do, buy, or eat when they desperately need a pick-me-up.  Yesterday, all my evening plans for the week got cancelled & I got some troubling news.  Needless to say, I was having one of those days during which a cheery smile only gets me about halfway there.

While explaining to my dad how some people shop for a new shirt, buy a pint of ice cream, hit the gym hard, etc. when they just need to be in a better mood, I had an epiphany.  When my mom is having a bad day, she has chocolate.  Seconds prior to putting it into words, I realized what mine "pick-me-up thing" is.  Nail Polish!

Of course, my dad's response was "Oh I see!  So when I see you painting your nails weird colors & designs, I should tread lightly!"  I enjoy painting my nails, whether I'm happy or not about everything else.  If there is nail polish on the table at my parents' house, though, I've either promised my mother a girls' night, or I'm putting a big band-aid on my day.   It's when I stop at the pharmacy on the way to my mom's for chocolate and bright $2 nail polish that I'm not playing around!  Of course, I end up getting double the chocolate I usually get because my mom & I most definitely split it!  Who doesn't enjoy chocolate, honestly?  I'm pretty sure chocolate is nature's happy pill.

What's your "pick-me-up thing?"

Message of the day:  Identify & use something to pick you up after a not-so-pleasant day.

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Blank Canvas

On my list of top ten things in this world:

A blank canvas.

Both literally and figuratively, a blank canvas is one of the most wonderful things in the world!  There is so much potential!  Today is a blank canvas.  So is tomorrow.  How will you fill it?

Allow me to preface this by saying that the impending snow storm had most people flocking to the grocery store.  Sure, I went to pick up a couple groceries for a stew and some tea (half of which the store was out of, anyway), but I made a more important stop, first!  Last night, I walked into an art supply store intending to pick up one or two canvases.  Who doesn't make sure they have what they need for their favorite hobby before a storm?  They were on sale if you bought in bulk, and I took that as a sign from the universe encouraging me to follow through on my intent to "paint more."  I walked out with about a dozen (for less than $25)!  I reckon I'll be doing quite a bit of painting over the next few months, and I couldn't be happier!

Painting on a tangible blank canvas feels amazing, but there is also something to be said for a figurative one.  The figurative meaning of a "blank canvas" can, like many things in life, be positive or negative.  Day to day, you can wake up and say "I have no clue what to do/how to act today," or you might say "I can't wait to see what today brings me!"  Creating a bright feeling every day can change your life for the better, believe me.

A more long-term definition of a "blank canvas" is slightly different, though.  One who can say that they have a "fresh start" or a "clean slate" has most likely closed a previous chapter of their lives.  This often creates a reason to fear the blank canvas, because it means leaving something behind.  A few of the scariest examples of new chapters include marriage, a brand new business venture, a change in career, a move to a new city or a new country, and a small person growing inside you whom you're expected to care for until the end of time!  In the past year, I have either done or seen all of the above examples happen to myself and/or the people around me and do you know what I have found out?  The potentially "scariest" new beginnings often turn into the most exciting, rewarding experiences!

It is sometimes difficult to be optimistic when you don't see the whole picture at first, but once you embrace the creative spirit that comes along with staring at the blank canvas in front of you, magical things can happen.  If you don't believe me, ask my Kundalini yoga instructor (I'll call him "M").

M had a 9 to 5 job.  He had been working hard there for a long while, so it was stable and comfortable.  M couldn't understand why, but he began to feel unhappy and stressed.  His job was a little stressful, but mostly he felt as though he needed a time-traveling device to accomplish everything he wanted to accomplish in his day.  This feeling persisted day after day, week after week, and began to affect his mood.  M was on the path to becoming a serious yogi, but he felt as though he didn't have enough time to practice because of his 9-5 schedule.  He felt stuck, and wished for change.  As soon as he put that wish out into the Universe, he got fired!  If M was telling this story, he would say "...and it was the best thing that ever happened to me!"  Imagine getting fired from a job that you generally enjoy, are good at, and have had for years.  Naturally, M was very upset and made he it known.  Shortly afterwards, M decided to use his newfound free time to become a yoga instructor.  He also set goals to change his lifestyle, rearrange his house to promote healing, and meditate twice a day.  I met M years later; by that time he had accomplished all of those things and more!  M is one of the healthiest men I know, spiritually and physically.  If you ever ask him about it, he will tell you it is all because he got fired from his office job!

Months, maybe years after he lost his job, M went back to his old office, shook his boss' hand (the  same man who fired him), and said "Thank you!  I don't think I would have had the guts to quit by myself.  I am in such a great place right now and I am doing what I love.  I was unhappy.  You noticed, and set me free."

M likes telling this story to his yogis because it is about embracing the unknown, wonderful things that are ahead of us in this life.  No matter how young or how old you are, every one of your days is a blank canvas.  I have come to know that unknown to be synonymous with: full of endless potential!

Message of the day: Every day is a blank canvas; fill it with some color!

...Or don't.  But know that it will get filled with or without your conscious intent.  You might as well hold the brush!  Cheers!

Icy Conditions

I'm alive.

You're alive.

We made it through today.

That is "positive" enough for me today, because if you live near me, that is quite the feat!

Kudos to you if you took the adult version of a snow day!  I should have probably called out of work, but I didn't.  Partially because my norm is being a work-a-holic, partially because I didn't feel like ruining a child's birthday, and partially because I figured there wasn't much better for me to do!

I woke up to a text from my coworker/supervisor saying: I heard the roads are really bad ICY!!! Be careful coming in.  Look at traffic reports - I heard the thru way is really bad.

As if that wasn't a bad enough omen, I went to the window first thing after getting out of bed and saw an ambulance rushing off somewhere.  The ground was covered, I mean COVERED in ice!  I could have (possible should have) ice skated to my car.  In fact, the only reason I didn't smash my car into another car today is because I've picked up a few evasive driving tricks and I'm not afraid to use my CVT transmission vehicle as if it were a standard!

Friends, please don't do what I did today.  Generally, when the roads are covered in ice, you shouldn't try to get in a big metal box with wheels that act quite like dull ice skates.  Dull ice skates slip and slide with only some control, much like rubber tires.  Even if you think you're a good enough driver to cope with the hazardous conditions, chances are all the other drivers on the road are not.  I distinctly remember trying to get to work a few years ago when a driving ban had just been lifted.  It took me hours to get there and, more to the point, I spun 180 degrees into a snow bank on the Interstate!  Staring at oncoming traffic slipping toward you in the snow isn't very fun.  Sometimes, it is better to just stay home.

So, just to recap, ominous text from supervisor, ambulance, crazy amounts of ice, and near-accidents.  Oh yeah, there were also about 15-20 cars stopped on the side of the road, 3 stopped in the middle of the road, 1 in a ditch, and about 5 accidents.  Next time, I think I'll wait it out indoors.  Please consider doing the same and, again, congratulations for being intelligent and staying home today if you did.

All in all, I had a great day, and a child had a great birthday party because I went to work.  I thank my lucky stars that my car and I are both in one piece.

Message of the day:  Respect Mother Nature, especially when she tries to give you a day off!

...Or don't.  But please, Please be careful!  Cheers!

Controlling the Sun

Ah... waking up to sunlight is the BEST!

No matter how we try to control everything around us, the weather often affects us more than we realize.  Oh boy, did I take advantage of today!  Not only did I wake up to sunlight this morning, but it pretty much lasted all day.  I mean the WHOLE day!  It was so amazingly bright and cheery out that I was extra (some might argue a bit too) bubbly.

I realize that I'm talking about the weather.  Sometimes I wish that I "talked about the weather" less, but sometimes I actually wish that people would notice it more.  When I lived on the border of Canada, it was pretty much gloomy and grey 90% of the time during the winter.  Waking up to sunlight was rare.  It made many of us grumpy.  When you live somewhere dark and gloomy, it tends to make you appreciative of the sun.  That warm glow can wake you, melt the snow, or keep you awake.  Or bring you peace witnessing it rise and set...

As a child, I woke up with the sun every day.  The light dancing across my face was a gentle invite to explore the world.  I recently heard about the most wonderful lighting system that can mimic the waking of the sun.  There is already have a patent in the works it: a light you can set to turn on and brighten on a timer.  That would trump any alarm clock we could invent, in my opinion!  How awesome would it be to wake up to brightness, every day?

Alas, I wake up to various sounds and jingles most days like everyone else, but mark my words, one of these day I will have an alarm clock made of light!

...Maybe it will look something like this... just a thought!

Earlier, I trailed off from my thoughts, mesmerized by the sunlight reflecting off of the frozen river.  At one point, my friend and coworker had to snap me back to reality.  She responded to my "the sun is shining" attitude by telling me that I pretty much view the world in a "sunshine and rainbows" sort of way and there isn't anything that doesn't make me happy.  To say that she was right is usually stretching the truth too far, but today, she was right.  And it's infectious!  Some days, I walk in the office and I get that 'So NOT in the mood for sunshine and rainbows; come back later' look, but most of the time when she tries to tell me I'm too positive, she does it with a twinkle in her eye! ;)

Message of the Day: Have a sun-shiny day!  ...and notice how marvelous it is!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Waiting Room Magic

Okay, so "magic" is an odd word to choose for this story.  "Magic" is going a bit far for the average encounter in the waiting room.  Miracle might be a better word, but even that seems a tad too extreme.  I guess I should explain my logic behind calling it 'magic.'  You see, I hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail (I'll tell you more about that another day).  When you make the decision to hike for days, weeks, or even months, alone in the woods, you have to carry all of your worldly possessions on your back.  With nothing but the necessities in your pack, even something as simple as a sandwich can make your day.  There are people who give thru hikers (people 'passing through' an area) little surprises, from a cold beer and a hot lunch to some extra Gold Bond (it truly is GOLD when your feet are exhausted).  These little gifts and acts of kindness, we hikers refer to as Trail Magic.

Thus, that brings me to the actual story behind this entry, "Waiting Room Magic."  "Magic" can happen any time, anywhere.  Around Christmas (and this year it seems to be lingering into the New Year more than most), it seems as though the world is full of kind, giving, people.  They/we keep the "magic" alive, and you can feel it.

Okay; story time!  The day after my "Achilles Hell / Achilles Heaven" day, all I had scheduled for the day were 2 doctors' appointments.  I called out of work (which I promise I'll stop doing as soon as I can walk for an hour without hurting), relaxed in the "sauna," and took some muscle relaxers before bed.  Well, I also sent my parents a very long text message about why I don't like muscle relaxers, complete with side effects and some sciencey lingo about benzene rings, side chains reacting as hormones getting amplified by our bodies, and a bunch of other scary things I learned in Organic Chemistry.

Anyhow, the next day I went to an orthopedist (bones & muscles doctor), and then a chiropractor (after much debate - jury is still out on my feelings toward cracking my spine on purpose).  Sounds like fun, right?  You can imagine why I slept in (I blame the muscle relaxers).  "At least I'm finally addressing the problems in a new way," I said to myself, dragging myself out of bed after my "You're f***ing late, mate!" alarm went off.

Yes, I really named it that; it's my ultra-final alarm.  The one that will get me out of bed every time, without fail (only to be used for extreme emergencies)!

Is it just me, or is the "Snooze" button waaaay too tempting on this alarm clock I'm using?!?

Fighting my still foggy brain, I got out of bed and went to the window.  I looked outside, and the world was a winter wonderland!  That made me extra happy... until I saw the line of cars on the main road.  I live on a main road, and the only way to my appointments was South, along with a wall of halted cars I had to insanely try to wiggle into (something we all learned as kids about not following the crowd off a cliff apparently does not apply in this situation).  We've all had those days here in New England, where you reach the main road and go "Yup, gonna be late today!"  I somehow forgot to check the weather the night before, and in my 'winter wonderland' dilution, I somehow forgot that New England drivers only remember how to drive at the very END of the season (okay, Mainards are an exception to this rule, and Vermont is like THE place to go for winter all year round).  So, I called up the doctor's office and told the receptionist that I was going to be late.  Kindly, she attempted to assure me that everything was fine and said, "The doctor is running a little behind as well so you should be fine."  She was wrong; "You're so sweet," I said, "but I think I might be about 45 minutes late.  That's just a ballpark, but it has taken me 30 minutes to drive 2 miles, and I still have a ways to go!"

That's how I started my day.  I finally got to the waiting room (about 55 minutes later than my appointment, making my 30 minute journey 1.5 hours).  It was full.  Full of everyone else whose journeys were extended by that gorgeous, white, fluffy stuff outside.  Everyone was excused for their tardiness and we all just went with the flow.  I love snow days.  Even though we might have a rough morning, get our workout in shoveling whether we wanted to or not, rush about, and deal with loads of traffic, most people just shrug it off as the weather and slow down in acceptance by midday.

Those of us who had just joined this party in the overflowing waiting room "checked in" on tablets.  It's actually pretty nifty - miscommunication errors are now all our fault, not reception's!  I changed a "D" to a "B" here, and a lowercase to an uppercase there, then got added to the long queue of people there to see the doctor.  Most people were playing with some technological device, and I took my cell phone out for a minute (to call and postpone the second of my back-to-back appointments).  But then something strange happened, the youngest person in the room (me) pulled out a book!  Not an e-book, not a tablet, but a paperback-you-actually-have-to-turn-the-pages book!  I keep one or two in my purse for such occasions.  Not long after I pulled it out, the gentleman next to me, who kept stealing glances at it, struck up a conversation with me.

A stranger in the waiting room was asking me about the book I was reading.  In the "old days," this happened every so often, but what I was doing was considered 'normal' since a lot of people brought books or magazines to read.  Now that most people have phones, tablets, and e-readers, I seem to be an anomaly.  Fellow readers of bound books, do you notice this as well, or is it all in my head?

This stranger (who is no longer a stranger, but I'll get to that) asked to hold this book in his hands.  He read a quote in the beginning of the book and laughed.  He showed it to his wife.  She laughed.  Three people, laughing at a book in the waiting room.  Sharing.  That alone made me smile.  The woman said, "Oh that is so good.  Would you mind if I wrote that down in my notebook?"  Another anomaly happened; this woman pulled out a pen and one of those bound notebooks with built-in ribbon bookmarks and began to write down a quote from my book (Super Brain by Deepak Chopra and Rudolph Tanzi).

"Aristotle taught that the brain exists merely to cool the blood and is not involved in the process of thinking.  This is true only of certain persons." - Will Cuppy

Then, the no-longer-a-stranger told me that he wrote a book.  Knowing full well that he was clearly promoting himself, and sharing something he is quite proud of, I asked him about it.  This gentleman pulled a card out of his wallet and showed me what he was talking about.  He wrote a joke book.  And it was funny!

I told my new friends that my grandfather would love these.  He passed away 6 months ago, but I can picture him laughing every time I read them.  I was not sure who I would give it to, but surely someone in my family would adore it, and maybe find comfort in the laughter.  Eventually, his wife came up with the idea that instead of buying the book online, she could give me one from the car.  While her husband was braving the weather to sell me one of the books he is so proud of, I confided in the not-so-strange woman that my mother self-published a book as well.  Completely unrelated, still the couple reminded me in some way of her, so proud of the accomplishment and so open and friendly selling books out of her car.

In Bob's book, there are 285 modern jokes about golf (written between 2012 and now).  One of the jokes on the back of his business card is:

"Just about every golfer talks to their ball after hitting it.  So do the pros.  They got it all wrong.  I talk to my ball before I hit it.  At least it is within hearing range." - Bob 

A sense of humor somewhat defines us as people, and people define their sense of humor very differently.  I like corny jokes.  They're fun, they're innocent, and almost everyone can understand them.  Science humor will also get me laughing, but those I only bust out around my nerdy friends.  My Dad is a "Fun-gi" (Hahaha - no?), and I probably get my corny sense of humor from him.  His birthday is coming up and, unfortunately, he knows what I got for him.  He also knew before Christmas what his gift would be.  I hate that.  It was nearly impossible this year since he actually had a Christmas list of things he truly needed to surprise him. My Dad likes surprises, though.  Hardly anyone ever surprises him.  So, I will surprise him with a joke book full of corny golf jokes he'll love, thanks to the stranger in the waiting room!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Message of the day: Talk to strangers.  That's how you make friends (and get cool stuff)!

Oh & surprise your loved ones; it shows them you care!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Ghost Neighbor

I saw my neighbor last night for the first time in probably over 3 months.  We literally share a wall.  I find that odd.  Actually, the only reason I saw him is because he rang my doorbell to tell me that I left my lights on (whoops - I never went back to the car for the rest of my stuff).  I wonder where he goes?  Does he have a girlfriend?  Or another house somewhere that he escapes to during the winter?  Was he on vacation?  We both work strange hours on occasion, but 3 months is an awfully long time to go AWOL.  Has he resorted to just using his apartment as a storage facility during the winter months?  A note about this: All I really know about him is that, to the best of my knowledge, he is a limo driver and has a ton of stuff in his tiny apartment.  I have never actually set foot inside his apartment, but judging from the overflowing car, the bins on our back porch, and the sliver of his space I see when I pass by the window, I don't imagine he has much free space in there!

Do you have ghost neighbors?

I am actually smack dab in the middle of two apartments.  My other neighbor, a sweet Romanian woman, chats with me at least once a month.  It seems as though we have begun chatting more during the holiday season.  I knock on her door to invite her for tea, she texts me to ask about the heat or what I've been cooking all day.  We are kindred spirits, unlike the sweet old man with whom I share the opposite wall.  Settled into quiet apartments by ourselves where nobody will bother us if we don't invite them over, we sit at our tiny tables on the patio in the morning with a cup of tea and watch the birds at her feeders.  I'm not as much of a loner as she is, but we bond over good places to go hiking in solitude, and we exchange healthy foods.  She talks to her plants; I sing to mine.  She has a very gentle, nurturing demeanor and is quite pleasant to be around.

Still, if I couldn't hear her laughing at old films on Saturday mornings through the walls, I could probably avoid the existence of little Romanian woman next door if I wanted to.  Initially it made me uneasy that we can hear one another through the walls, but she swears that my singing doesn't bother her a bit, and I don't mind eavesdropping on her occasional loud Skype conversations in Romanian, admiring the strange yet beautiful language.  In fact, we are generally quiet and I've quite enjoyed waking up to the pleasant sound of her laughter the past few weeks; it certainly beats an annoying ringtone!


I never hear a peep from the opposite wall - I mean nothing.  Ever.  Not to be creepy or anything, but I wonder if the man next door can hear me singing and smell my cooking as well?  I am just a knock on the wall away, after all.  I probably shouldn't admit this, but I have stared at my accent wall (the bright orange one, seen above) more than once pondering what would happen if I should knock on it.  Alas, not a peep from him!  Shall I try?

My bright orange accent wall

Gah!  I chicken out every time!

Message of the day: Know your neighbors?  Oh & watch what you say; you never know who is listening!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Old Friends

An old friend of mine rolled into town yesterday just to see me!  It's always so surprising to me how really good friends can just pick up where they left off.  In a totally awesome way, we hugged it out and decided that we wouldn't go so long without making an effort to get together again.  All of my best relationships have gone through some sort of "what happened while we were caught up in our own lives?  That can't happen again - HOW did I miss that?"  So, we caught up, he took me out to lunch, and he helped me fix the shades in my living room!  Typical day, I suppose!

It is SUCH a pleasure to see an old friend.  They "knew you when..." and can get all nostalgic.  They've either watched you grow up or grown up with you, so they can essentially see the true you.  They know who you wanted to be "when you grow up," and what has changed.  They can often help you to reflect on where you've been, where you want to be, and where you are going.  Old friends also pretty much know how to make you laugh, pick you up when you're down, and listen when life gets you down.  Oh, and they know all your old tricks, so good luck pulling a fast one on them!  Most of all, if old friends are still good friends, they can tell when you need a friend.

Message of the day: Old friends are irreplaceable.  Stay in touch.

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Too Many Resolutions?!

Most driven individuals make New Year's Resolutions, right?

This is about the time of year - Day 10 or so - that people serious about their goals begin to evaluate them.  If they're good goals, they deserve a second glance.  If you can't remember them, they probably were not as important.  I use New Year's as an excuse to better myself, but you don't have to start on January 1st (or November like I do).  You can start today.  Or on your birthday, or some other day with less added pressure if that takes some anxiety away for you.  I've developed a few tricks that help keep me on track.  If they have helped me, maybe they can help you too.

Hint #1: It's all in your attitude!

Does following our list make us better people?  Does giving up on our resolutions make us worse for not following through with them?

I often think about this, as many of us do, when we realize that the gym seems just a bit more full in January.  The truth is: IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU ANY "BETTER" OR "WORSE" IF YOU SET RESOLUTIONS.

Hint #2: It doesn't matter when you start, as long as you set a date.

That said, I'm one of the weird ones.  I usually begin my "New Year's Resolutions" in November, as a sort of "trial run" not "putting things off until tomorrow that you can do today," as my mother would say.  For the past couple of years, this has been a great plan.  When I think up my resolutions, I start to follow them within a week.  However, most people are not that way.  In 2014, a friend taught me that sometimes making too many New Year's Resolutions, or being too strict or uptight about them is actually a BAD thing.  He was right.  They made me stressed; so I adapted.

Hint #3: Don't be a drill sergeant; be a cheerleader!

Last year, I decided that I would get a new job, limit myself to 1 alcoholic beverage per day (2 on special occasions), I would limit my television watching to 2 hours/week, practice yoga 3x/week, and the list goes on with similar rigidity/specificity.  Do you see the pattern?  It's designed to either make me very structured and uptight or fail.  I actually made it until May following my regimented list of resolutions, but you know what?  That made me feel more accomplished than "failing" would.  I had already done what I needed to do.  I gained 2 new fulfilling jobs, moved into my first non-university apartment, proved to myself that I could stick to some pretty strict structure for 6 months, and became more active.  However, I realized that I actually drank more (about every other night compared to the once/week in 2013), and I was stressing myself out sometimes trying to stick to the strict routine.  Now, I'm not saying to forget your resolutions altogether; acknowledging your goals & dreams is wonderful and inspiring!  Setting attainable, specific goals is admirable.  I'm merely advising you to analyze them a little if you are serious about them.  No matter whether you're like me and make an extra long specific list, or you'd rather not change a thing, setting attainable goals for yourself and not judging yourself for completing them the way you originally imagined can't hurt.  Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes.  Which brings me to the final hint:

Hint #4: Do, then adapt!

Really, there are three steps involved here: Set resolutions. Follow through (with a kind, judgement - free attitude).  Reassess (again, without observations as opposed to harsh judgments).

My modified trick as far as resolutions go is to create a "sticky note" on my computer - I LOVE the digital sticky notes - with a list of Resolutions.  I advise you to actually look at them at least once/month (maybe more in the beginning to solidify your resolve to accomplish them).  If they no longer serve you, toss or modify them so that they do.  If you need structure, setting quantifiable goals (# of hours/days/times you would like to do things) is great in the beginning to help set you on course.  Remember, this is all designed to make sure you build up to a routine that you can manage without added stress, so adapt if you need to.  Your personality will dictate a lot of this.  Nobody has to know that you didn't "exercise every day," but it will make you feel better if you make an effort (whatever that means for you) to be active.  You know it will.  So, I'm sure you had some derivation of this on your list.  Stop reading already & get outside (or to the gym or whatever it is that you aspire to do this year)!

Message of the day: Set attainable goals.  Recognize that they will change along with you.  Adapt!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Writing on the Wall

I had some friends over for New Year's Eve, and one of them noticed that there was writing on my bathroom wall.  He looked perplexed and impressed.  I told him that it comes right off the tile since it is drawn with dry erase markers.  Understanding the impermanence of the graffiti, he seemed to accept it.  At first, he thought that I write lists in the shower or something.  Then, he looked a little closer and read what I wrote.  Still puzzled, he opened up a dialogue about my logic behind writing this here.  Surely there were better things I had to do in the shower than write inspirational quotes?

The shower is the one brainless task we do [let's face it - almost] every day, during which we cannot be distracted or disturbed.  Sure, we brush our teeth, make our bed, take our vitamins; there are other daily monotonous tasks, so why is the shower special?  Easy.  I'm not talking about those simple 5 second tasks we do without thinking while the world around us is bustling with chatter, I'm talking about an activity we DO every day without distractions.  I make my bed while I'm figuring out what to wear for the day.  I brush my teeth often while I'm putting together my lunch or sending an e-mail.  I drive to work with the radio blaring and a to-do list forming in my head.  I'm multitasking every which way except in the shower.  My time in the shower is sacred.  It is sacred because I can lock the rest of the world out; nothing is being forced upon me but being with myself (and getting clean).

I live alone, but I'm sure that when I have children my precious "me time" in the shower will be even more sacred.  No matter how crazy life gets, we have to shower.  I can shower in silence or with some music on, but I don't have to think in the shower if I don't want to.  It feels amazing!  Sure, I often come up with a new song whilst I'm washing out my shampoo (and I can scribble lyrics on the wall if I'd like to), but I also take time to revel in the simplicity of feeling the water massage my skin.  If I feel the need to focus on a particular thought or goal, I write it on my whiteboard until it is etched in my brain, and then I let it be.  I allow it to become a part of me, and let it go without stressing about it.  I do this before I begin my day so that I gain whatever clarity of mind I need to bring into the day.  That is why you will find writing on the wall in my shower!

Where do you find peace?

Message(s) of the day: Find stillness where you can.
Enjoy the feeling of the water against your skin every once in a while.

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Achilles heaven

Update:

Earlier, I made a post called "Achilles hell," which was more positive than it sounds.  It was all about creating your own heaven.  Last night, I created heaven in my bathroom (turning it into a spa).  Today, I invited my mom and her friend over for dinner and they helped me turn the rest of my apartment into heaven!

They didn't let me move around much (because of my ankle), but they helped me make the apartment feel a little warmer.  It needed a little change/ fung-shwea or however they say it to brighten my mood and make my apartment homier.  I've had some trouble moving the furniture around on my own and I just never did - until today!

It feels SO great to get my apartment looking like someone lives here!  It's finally an appropriate space for entertaining and we created separate rooms and reduced the cluttered look and... here, I'll just show you:

From this (which wasn't bad, but wasn't what I wanted):

To this (which I LOVE):

Message of the day: Change it up a little every once in a while!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Achilles Hell

No, I didn't mis-spell that.  My Achilles heel is in Achilles hell!

Yesterday, an old injury crept over me and that smacked me in the face!  Well, actually it shot me in the foot.  I sprained my Achilles tendon about a year and a half ago.  Experiencing random onset bursts of sharp, shooting pain up your leg while you're sleeping is easily the worst feeling I've ever had.  Headaches, menstrual pains, broken bones, digestive issues... most of those things will hurt and then pass eventually.  They say that when you injure a tendon, or have another possibly chronic injury, that the pain may return some day.

Yesterday was that day.

So, I made an emergency doctor's appointment, got some muscle relaxers, and went home to turn my bathroom into a spa.  I ran the hot shower to fill a warm bath but also fill the room with steam to heat and relax my muscles.  I iced my ankle (ankle needs ice, muscles need heat), and drank a full bottle of water.  I turned on my lavender-scented mist in the living room, switched my Pandora to "Spa music," and lit two candles (Ocean mist and Japanese Cherry blossom scented) to create a calming atmosphere.  Then, I took some muscle relaxers and went to sleep (in my bed, of course).

I may just do that again (minus the muscle relaxer part-not a fan) even when I'm healthy like once/week because it was SO relaxing.

Message of the day: When life is hell, create your own heaven!

...Or don't.  I'll be at the spa!  Cheers!

Santa Claus

Yesterday's post about Aliens got me thinking about Santa Claus.

Weird transition, I know, but go with me on this one.  I was talking about explaining the unexplainable and believing in strange things.  Surely, an entire mythology centered around a man who enjoys breaking into people's homes to leave them presents is a little odd, don't you think?

Most of us believe(d) in Santa Claus at one point in our lives.  Before...

"Santa didn't eat his cookies!  Daddy says that's because Santa is on a diet... just like him... and the reindeer had full bellies from all the carrots and apples so they didn't eat the moss I left them... but you would THINK that reindeer would love to eat moss since that's what they eat every other night, wouldn't you?  The reindeer were really quiet on the roof last night.  I know because I stayed up all night and I NEVER HEARD them!  ...Daddy says they are extra special because they can fly and they have to be extra quiet so they don't wake all the boys and girls of the world... but not all 9 billion of them have roofs and that's okay because Santa knows exactly where to put the presents if they don't... and Santa only comes to give kids presents if they're REALLY good... but I pulled my sister's hair and Mommy says I made a scene in the store and I didn't go to bed on time a single night this week and I still got presents for Christmas.  Daddy says that Santa will know if we're good or not because the Elf on the Shelf who moves around every night tells him if I should go on the Bad List or the Good List.  The Elf is only around in December, though, so how does he know what I'm doing the rest of the year?  Oh one time, on accident, I SAW one of my presents before Christmas and Daddy said that could only have happened because one of Santa's Elves took his work home with him and was finishing up making some last minute toys but I never saw any parts lying around and it was in a box inside of a Toy Store bag nowhere NEAR the Elf on the Shelf!...!  Daddy also says that Santa went to burgling school so he can get inside people's houses when there is no chimney to climb down... but Daddy told me he won't do that unless it's Christmas Eve because he respects our privacy and doesn't want to scare us and I should never open the door for strangers because even I think it's Santa, it probably isn't because he doesn't come unless we are asleep but guess what? ...last year I stayed awake ALL night WITHOUT TELLING and I STILL got presents under the tree, so Santa doesn't really know when I'm asleep and I guess Daddy doesn't know everything, either!

...but I still Love him.  Even though I know he's lying to me - or he is very, very silly (that's the word we say when we think someone is s**pid, but s***** is not a very nice word)."

Santa Claus teaches us an important lesson in life.  Doubt.  If we believed everything everyone ever told us, we wouldn't learn to think on our own.  I admit, one of my classmates "ruined Christmas" for me.  I didn't get there on my own, but I asked "Daddy" how it was possible for Santa to visit all the Children in the world when there were almost 100,000 people just in my town alone.  After a botched attempt to convince me to believe for one more year, he settled on making me promise not to spoil it for my brother.  I'm pretty sure I went through the stages of grief after that.

After my Denial of the truth was shattered, I was Angry with my parents for LYING to me my whole life.  How dare they?  They said they would never lie to me, but of course, they were LYING (Duh)!  I went through "Bargaining" with my parents, trying to convince them that lying to me, even if it seemed okay at the time, was NEVER, ever okay to do EVER again.  Then, I might say that I got Depressed.  Not that Santa wasn't real, but that my innocent view of my parents was shattered.  I never looked at them the same way again; I DOUBTED them.  I think I'm still struggling on the Acceptance part.  I accept that my parents lied to me for years, and I realize that it taught me to doubt the world and think for myself.  Yet, after realizing that they lied to me for YEARS and that the entire country/world gets away with knowingly lying to their young about so many things got me wondering whether I would have naturally learned to doubt my parents if I hadn't caught them in a bold-faced lie.  I doubted them about little things before then, but never the big stuff.

Seriously, Wikipedia isn't always right, but you should check this out!

Finally, I suppose I Accepted that people lie.  People lie on purpose, and they tell lies purely by accident.  For example, how do you know who is lying to whom when I tell you that the Earth is flat and you tell me that it is round?  Now, here in 2015, we can laugh about it, but over 2,000 years ago (because Jesus could have learned the Earth was round thanks to a man named Eratosthenes - look him up if you've been spreading lies about Columbus yourself), we now know that parents were spreading lies to their children about the Earth being flat.  One of those children decided for himself to reject the lie and prove an observable truth to the rest of the world.  Think for yourself, people!  You may just learn something...

Message of the day: Doubt is a powerful, useful tool.  Use it.

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Aliens

I just finished an episode of Doctor Who, which I understand is a fictitious series.  Nevertheless, I've been thinking quite a bit recently about the size and inhabitants of the universe.  A few people I know, whom I respect greatly, believe in aliens.

Do you believe in aliens?

I'm honest about my stance on alien life: I believe that it is possible for another intelligent life to exist in the Universe, and therefore I am open to dialogue about it.  Frankly, it doesn't matter!  Whether or not I believe in aliens doesn't matter to me, and it doesn't matter to my friends - as far as our relationship goes anyhow.  People often get bent out of shape about what they believe (and what others believe), but if we were open to new ideas, beliefs, or ideologies, we might get along a little better.

Let me ask you this: In 50 years, will your belief system be exactly the same as it is now?

The answer, unless you have a severe developmental disorder of some kind, is no.  We change as we learn and experience the world.  If you met an alien tomorrow, and you refused with every fiber of your being that they couldn't possibly be out there, either you would go mad or pass it off as a dream because your mind literally cannot reconcile the existence of aliens with your system of beliefs.  However, if you were just open enough, you would change your mind about aliens.  Shocking, I know!

This happens regarding relatively believable things all the time.  People believed in Sea Dragons before they discovered the Oarfish, the Kraken before Giant and Colossal Squid were discovered.

Our belief systems change over time, both as individuals and as a collective.  No matter whether someone has a PhD from Harvard or dropped out of high school, chances are they still know something you don't.  I always assume that I don't know any more about life than the person to whom I am speaking.  I doubt what they tell me (even the guy from Harvard) and continue to think for myself, but I keep an open mind.  Who knows?  You might just learn something that way.

Let me pose another question: Do you believe in God?

Your sentiment and beliefs regarding a Divine Being certainly matters to you; most people define themselves in some way relative to this viewpoint, but we all have different answers.  Is the first question you ask someone, "Do you believe in God?"  If they said something that didn't align with your own beliefs, would you walk away?  You probably wouldn't associate with individuals who aren't [insert your religion here: Mormons, Muslims, Christians, Jahovah's Witnesses - okay maybe that one is stretching it a bit] if you were too firm about your beliefs to hold a conversation with someone who didn't agree with you. Most of us aren't so closed off that we can't associate with people who have different views about God.  I have friends who are Mormons, Muslims, Christians, a few atheists, Buddhists, Jews, and probably some other religions I'm forgetting about.  I've entertained a few Jahovah's Witnesses about religion, just to learn about what they believe.  I don't have to accept their beliefs to accept them as individuals. We wouldn't be "individuals" if we all believed in the same things anyway (and life would be pretty darn boring)!

So, do me a favor?  When one of my friends tries to talk to you about aliens (or Allah or Jesus or the Messiah), just listen!  You don't have to agree with them.  In fact, they probably already assume that you don't.  But it can't hurt to listen to what he or she has to say.  Who knows?  You might just learn something.

Message of the day: Be open.  It can only make you more wise.

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Sound

Since I can't express myself via sound, I've been dancing around my apartment (and picking up the guitar, but as a singer, it's frustrating when my main instrument doesn't work)!  I wondered how someone who couldn't speak or sing, or even hear might express themselves.  Maybe through dance or art.  Most of us can hear Idina Menzel in the background, but maybe "singing" looks something like this YouTube video for those of us who can't:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veGYZ6CE0UA

Frozen really did take over 2014, but I like the message.  Cheers!

"Listen to My Body"

I'm not always a chipper, bubbly, happy person, but I try to smile my way through the day.  It really does make the days brighter, even when they start off looking gloomy.  Like today, for example, when I woke up around 5 am to discover that no, my voice had not yet returned.  Another day of silence for me.  Oh well; time to warm up some of the chicken soup I made yesterday... right after I sleep for a few more hours!  "It's okay to sleep in sometimes."  Yup, that's what my body said to me this morning.  Following through with my New Year's Resolutions, I am going to "Listen to my body."

Message of the day: Listen to your body.

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Friends!

May your 2015 be full of more tears of joy than sadness,
the vision to see the successes hidden in your failures,
the knowledge that change is normal - just go with it,
the drive to accomplish those things you've been putting off,

the confidence to look in the mirror and see your true beauty,
the love to build stronger bonds within all of your relationships,
and, of course, a heart full of endless laughter and joy!

Cheers!

Starting Off on the Right Foot

Today is January 1st, 2015.

Usually people begin the New Year with resolutions.  I'm beginning mine with a cold!  I lost my voice & got sent home from work early with the sentiment "I know you'd like to stay and do your job, but you're basically useless if you can't speak!"

Oh well!  I could sulk & get upset about it, but I shall silently laugh (because there currently is no other way for me to do so)!  I guess today's lesson is about staying positive even when life seemingly has other plans.  So, since I got sick on Day 1 out of 365 this year, I shall begin my resolution to "write more" (right after I make some chicken soup).  Behold, the beginnings of my new blog which will be full of uplifting stories & points of view, yogic sayings, and hopefully some fun.

Truthfully, this past year holds some significant losses & days when I couldn't fake not being down about myself or the situations life has thrown at me.  Sometimes, we need to talk about it or cry or go pick up a pint of ice cream at the grocery store, but enough funny dog pictures can brighten even the worst days (yes, clearly I prefer dogs to cats - don't hate)!  So, I designed this site to make me happy, force me to further explore the warmth within myself, and share some of it with the world.  Hopefully you can glean some inspiration from my bright spirit!  If you ran into me today, that's all you would get anyway - unless you know sign language!  [Cheers!]

Message of the day: Start off your day/year on the right foot.  If that fails, roll with the punches!

...Or don't.  It won't change my reality.  Cheers!

The Begninning

Everything has a beginning, and this is actually NOT mine! (Gotcha!)

Back in college, I was having a difficult day, as we all do, when I asked my friend to "just read" what I had written in my diary.  I'm not all that faithful about writing in it, but I write when I'm upset or enlightened to just work it all out on the page in a tangible way, with no intention of allowing anyone to read it.  I don't remember what I wrote, but my friend began to laugh.  It definitely wasn't meant to be funny!  At first I thought that he was either laughing at some funny quib or the fact that I seamlessly transition between cursive and print without a rhyme or reason as to when, but instead he looked up at me and said, "You're precious!  I'm sorry for laughing; I'm not laughing at the situation - that sucks - I'm laughing at the words you used!"  I stared at him and said, "What are you talking about?  That's the way I talk; I pretty much write the way I speak."  If you walked in at that moment, you would have thought he just had an epiphany that I'm not an idiot.  "I can't believe you actually write to yourself in proper English, with fancy words, and grammar and everything!"  I think he used "cacophony" as an example of something 'normal people' don't write in their diaries.

I had contemplated writing a book (which I'm still working on) long before this, but it was the day my best friend took a look at my diary and saw a writer that I believed it myself.  I've started other blogs before, but this one is different.  I finally feel as though I have a purpose to write about.  Whenever I'm feeling down, what I find most uplifting is brightening other people's days by giving them a smile, some of my time, and insight into the root of my positivity.  I can't really smile at you, but I can give you the latter two and hopefully that is enough to brighten your day!

*Disclaimer* I am not an expert.  If you think I'm negative or boring or just plain old depressing, don't come back.  Or do.  Come back when you're in a slightly better mood.  I won't judge.  Cheers!