Feb 23: Get Inspired

This was the best...day...ever.  I slept in, I wrote, I walked downtown and just browsed in little shops for a few hours, and then I went through tons of photos from the past few months and remembered how blessed I am to do so many fun things with people I love.  My theme today is on getting inspired.  With all the new opportunities I've had come up lately, I am seeking more than ever for new ideas and inspiration.  My time downtown was just what I needed.  I felt so alive as I walked along the windy bayfront.  I listened to street musicians, bought a delicious chicken wrap from "Mary's Harbor View Cafe," found the cutest new shops, looked at art, and got to know my city again.  It's easy to know what inspires us (traveling, reading, music, movies), but it's hard to make sure we do those things on a regular basis.  Here in St. Augustine, there is so much at our fingertips that it can be overwhelming.  Some of us have lived here so long that we take it for granted.  But when life is wearing us down or we are feeling lost, dreary, or uninspired, we can turn to those things that lift us up.  The places that take our breath away, the people who love and encourage us, the experiences that remind us to enjoy the simple things, those are the things that make life worth living.
     I researched ways to get inspired and found these interesting tips: 1.) go for a walk, 2.) write a letter or call someone, 3.) indulge your senses (eat something yummy, light some candles, listen to music, take a warm bath)  4.) meditate (sometimes calming your mind clears space for new ideas to grow)  5.)  study the work of other people whose creativity or talent you admire.  PLEASE comment if you try these suggestions and let me know what came of it.  I'm very curious, and I believe sharing in and of itself is inspiring.

Feb 22: Be More Social

Work was long today, and by the time I got home I was sore, tired, and felt kinda gross.  I was really close to not wanting to go to class, but I did, and I'm so glad.  There's nothing like seeing a bunch of your friends, getting hugs, talking about each other's lives and upcoming plans, and just laughing and having fun together.  With all of the technology at our fingertips, it can be easy to stay connected to old friends and share in the daily events in each others' lives.  But to see each other, touch, and have live interaction brings a level of intimacy and connection that facebook can't.  Socializing has been proven to help: relieve self-esteem, decrease shyness, loneliness, and anxiety, help us build more meaningful relationships, create more opportunities for enjoyment, provide better career opportunities, strengthen individuality, and increase I.Q.  Weird, I know, but socializing actually makes us smarter.  Whether you are interacting with family or friends, in a religious, athletic, or any other capacity, it is important to get out there and mingle.  My sisters and I are proud to announce that we are officially starting a book club.  I will also have to be going to a lot of places around town for my blogger job, so hopefully that will open up a whole new social network.  Any time we get outside of our head and interact with people around us, we are acknowledging that we are not alone in the world.  And that is a beautiful thing.

Feb 21: Grow Up, a.k.a... Do things even if you don't want to.

This morning I wanted so badly to stay in bed that the second I hit snooze on the alarm my mind started working.  Well, if I stayed home I could do this.... I'll tell him this.... he won't be mad for too long... I do need to do this... because... Ever notice how easy it is to talk yourself out of something you don't want to do anyway?  I am especially bad about this.  For years now I have worn my "free spirit" like a badge of honor.  I respect people who dedicate their time to something they don't necessarily enjoy simply because it is the responsible thing to do, but I always consider myself an exception to that concept.  I tell myself that I was not meant for such a life, that I have amazing potential and will somehow never realize it if I allow myself to be "captured" by something ordinary.  And even though I don't want to lose the desire to reach for an extraordinary life, there is certainly something to be said for sucking it up and dedicating yourself to work (no matter how boring or difficult it may be.)  Without fail, every thing that has been difficult for me to make myself do has turned out to be so much more rewarding than I thought it would be.  In fact, one might even say that the difficulty of doing a task is in direct proportion to the satisfaction following its completion.  Doing things we don't want to do is part of living a purposeful life. It goes from little things like taking out the trash, to big things like getting up early every day for years to work at a thankless job to support your family.  So in an effort to do the things I don't want to do I researched How To's online and found some great advice from Henrik Edberg, author of positivityblog.com.  He recommends 1.) accept it (acknowledging your feelings and knowing exactly what you are trying to avoid is a big part of the battle) 2.) list the positives (what opportunities/benefits will come from doing this thing?)  3.) just do it (if you think about it too much, you'll end up right back where you started.)  This man is a genius.  Any time I've made myself do something, I've used some form of this advice.  Except when I am only doing it to avoid something negative- that is a bad way to start a yucky task and probably won't bring the same satisfaction once it's complete.  In conclusion- some things in life are just not enjoyable.  But we have to roll like Maria, and climb every mountain in front of us, until we reach the glorious top.  The trick is to try to enjoy the climb along the way.  Mix things up with little enjoyable moments, like music or chocolate, and even the tallest mountain seems a little more pretty.

     Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain 

Feb 20: Make Food for People You Love

Yesterday was fun, but it certainly took it's toll on all of us.  All but one of us stayed home for the day, recouping.  We were able to spend a lot of time together, especially me and my little brother.  We watched movies, we talked and I even cooked a little.  In fact, I made a fruit salad, deviled eggs, black beans and rice, and cornbread (not all for one meal).  I used to cook all the time and really enjoyed it, but lately it has been hard to find the time and motivation.  Too often our relationship with food is an unhealthy one.  We grab what's fast, accessible, cheap, or tastes good.  We eat quickly, with little appreciation of texture, taste, temperature.  We think little of nutritional value, having a balanced diet, or where our food comes from.  I highly recommend watching "Food Inc.," "Julie and Julia," and "Ratatouille" for help on all of these topics.  To take our time with food, to share it with those we love, to appreciate that we are able to eat, will make our relationships with food more meaningful.  It's funny to think of all the cultures around the world, how different their ingredients, methods of preparation, and food partaking-of etiquette.  In some cultures, for example, they only eat what they catch, kill, or harvest themselves.  Packaged and processed foods are not even an option.  In some cultures it is rude not to burp, or to leave food on your plate, or to use improper utensils, or to use utensils at all.  We are so blessed to have such variety at our fingertips, and even more blessed if we have someone to share it with.    

   ~ God gives all birds their food but does not drop it into their nests ~ Danish Proverb

Feb 19: Sleep

So I have been up for like 20 hours, I spent all day on my feet, and I am sore and exhausted.  But it was wonderful!  We went to Universal again, and stayed for the Mardi Gras parade and a little of the B52's concert.  The last thing I want to do right now is work on this post, so I thought I'd write about the one thing I want to do more than anything, and something I always quite enjoy... sleep.  According to Wikepedia, Sleep is a naturally recurring state characterized by reduced or lacking consciousness, relatively suspended sensory activity, and inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles.  Sleep is a heightened anabolic state, accentuating the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, skeletal and muscular systems.  Effects of sleep deprivation include: irritability, cognitive impairment, memory lapses, impaired moral judgement, impaired immune system, higher risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, aches, tremors, and growth suppression.  Benefits of sleeping include: pretty much the opposite of all of the negative things just mentioned.  Sorry... I am quite tired.  Tomorrow is Sunday, the day of rest.  And that is just what I intend to do.  There is nothing like a busy day to make you really appreciate how comforting and amazing it can feel to go to sleep at night.  Like I said before, opposition and balance :)  


O bed! O bed! delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth to the weary head.
~Thomas Hood, Miss Kilmansegg - Her Dream

Feb 18: Seek

In "Eat, Pray, Love" Elizabeth Gilbert is suggested to be a woman "in search of her word."  A word that defined her, not what she does or who she is in relation to someone else.  She finally settles on "attraversiamo," an Italian word that means "let's cross over."  In my life I have been (and will be) many things.  But while there are some words that only describe us, it can be difficult to find a word that truly defines us.  For me, a very fitting word would be "Seeker."  Not the kind that's in Harry Potter, but I have a kind of seeking nature.  I am always interested in new things, places, people, and ideas.  I can't imagine, even as an old woman, that I will feel any differently, and I hope I'm right.  There is so much joy to be had in seeking something, sometimes it's better than the attainment itself.  A few years ago I went with my Aunt and Uncle on a fishing trip to Pulaski, NY.  Now, I am not particularly fond of fishing, but I love to go to new places, and so I tagged along.  One day I rode a bike to a nearby town called Selkirk because I'd seen a picture of the Selkirk lighthouse and thought it was beautiful.  I don't remember how long it took to ride there, I want to say it was about 5 miles.  I also didn't know exactly where I was going.  I just got on the bike and headed out.  I took a couple lucky turns, and ended up riding right up to it.  It was such an amazing feeling to find it.  It was as if I was meant to go there, and some invisible force had guided me to it.  In life there are so many wonderful things to experience- making new friends, going new places, learning new things, falling in love.  Sometimes those things will stumble into our laps, but more often we have to actively participate in the process.  We have to seek.  Today, for example, I had a wonderful writing/reading/meditation, watched a good movie while I cleaned up and chilled, cashed my V-day checks, and did a little superfluous shopping with my sister.  It was a wonderful day, and yet when I sat down to do my blog, I completely blanked.  I searched the web for some inspiration, I went through my day looking for a recurring theme, but came up with nothing.  Then just when I was on the brink of skipping tonight, I realized that seeking is an action in and of itself.  It's important that we are seeking the right things and for the right reasons.  But without seeking something, we cease to grow.  

"Seek and ye shall find." - Matthew 7:7

Feb 17: Be Committed

This is not the kind of committed like in Girl, Interrupted, though around our house it can seem like that's where we should be headed.  Rather, this is a way to focus on what you are doing instead of doing things half-heartedly.  Today was my training call for my new blogger job, and I was really nervous.  I decided that if I was really going to do this, I'd better really commit.  And so today I got up early, spent a few hours going through the information packet she'd emailed me, checking out the links, etc.  I even spent some time cleaning and organizing the office (b/c it was ridiculously cluttered- and that is NOT conducive to a pleasant working atmosphere.)  Now I am trained and ready to get started!  Those who know me know that I have a hard time committing to things.  I have an insatiable wanderlust.  An irrepressible, irresponsible, free spirit.  I'm grateful for all of the opportunities I've had, but sometimes I wonder where I'd be if I'd stuck to one of them, really committed.  In life there will be experiences that come and go, people, jobs, hobbies.  But we have to really grasp the good ones with both hands and hold on tight for as long as we're able.  Pretty ironic, I know, after yesterday's post... but I believe that there is opposition in all things, and wisdom comes from knowing how to balance them.

"There's no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love.  There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen."  -Wayne Dyer