Can you believe that we're nearly HALFWAY through 2010?! I mean, it's almost SUMMER, people! Crowded pools and mown lawns and Otter Pops are right around the corner! And these, too, please?
I think this calls for some revisiting of our new year's wishlists. You know, see how we're doing and such. (Eek!)
1. I wish to get outside of ME and MY wants, MY needs, MY happiness, MY life and give, give, give of MYself until I feel less like me and more like a part of everything else.
Besides pep-talking my stressed-out husband every other day, I've not given much of myself to others. Volunteer? Yeah, I've not done that yet. But Summer is perfect for donating time, is it not? Free gardening? Free dog-walking? Even the simple act of checking my thoughts, asking, "Who can I put first today?"
2. I wish to shine, sparkle, and warm like the summer sun through a white window-shade.
I can recall numerous mornings when I've woken up crotchety. And stayed crotchety throughout the day simply because "the tone has been set." What's funny is that I have no complaints to speak of. My life is wonderful. The people in my life are wonderful. I should be giving credit to the miracle that is my life by brilliantly burning with love. Forget "the summer sun through a white window-shade!" I be burnin' like a megawatt lightbulb!
3. I wish to approach housecleaning like meditation, so that cleaning the hardwood floors is not back-breaking work, but rather mind-altering and soul-soaring relaxation.
I've actually been getting better at this. (Phew! I'm making at least ONE positive change this year!). I've come to somewhat enjoy my house chores. Granted, I'm a big proponent of the saying, "An uncluttered space means an uncluttered mind," so picking things up and putting them in their place clears not only my house, but also my mind, too. A made bed, vacuumed carpets, an empty laundry basket, clean countertops, WHATEVER--make me feel looser and more relaxed, like I've got it together and that I can do anything now.
4. I wish to dress impractically fanciful--ruffled skirts, tiny heels, frilly scarves, and LOTS of jewelry--as if I am the New Year's Christmas tree.
Yeah...um...that. Although, I've not fulfilled this wish because Colorado's weather has been totally oddball thus far. While I'd love to wear little skirts and pretty tights, cargo pants and wool socks have been more appropriate. But as soon as the weather changes, I see visions of sundresses, bouncy curls, dangly earrings, pink lipstick, and short booties! Holla, Summa!
5. I wish to show my friends, family, and husband how often I think about them, how much I care about their happiness, and how much I loooooooove them by offering small kindnesses (i.e. Greeting cards in the mail? Random and unimportant text messages? A batch of chocolate peanut-butter fudge? A hand-crocheted doily?).
I've certainly sent my fair share of silly face pictures. But handwritten notes? Homebaked goodies? I'm not exactly "lacking the time" for such things. Maybe I'm just nervous about making a couple dozen cookies and NOT sending them away. Maybe I'm worried about eating them all MYSELF! IN ONE SITTING! That's ridiculous, isn't it? At least 3/4 ridiculous. And so, with A as my witness, I will hearken my self-controlled, adult self and tupperware my homebaked goodies as soon as they're cooled! And then ship them off IMMEDIATELY! And then, to reward my sweets-abstaining self, I'll lick the bowl. Don't question my logic, please.
6. I wish to notice the tiny changes that distinguish one season from another.
I've been better about this, too! Walking into work, I make a point to look around--take in the smell of the trees, the rain-soaked grass, the feel of the breeze, and how quickly the clouds are floating across the sky. At home, I look out our kitchen window--at the trees' leaves filling out, flower petals blowing across the sidewalk, and red-headed sparrows flitting about in the gray sky.
7. I wish to people-adore, which is a step above people-watching. I wish to see people, observe them, and find beauty in their every move and breath.
I sit in a cubicle 8 hours a day / 5 days a week, so I don't really see anyone outside of the office walls. BUT! That's no excuse for not people-adoring! After-all, it's not about quantity, but quality. And because I'm around the same few people all day, nearly every day, I've got plenty of time to notice their expressions, what they're wearing, and how their moods progress throughout the day. I can focus on SMILING and saying HELLO to each person I pass in the hallway, CHIT-CHATTING to each person I meet in the break room and remembering what was said so that I can continue to build those conversations later. I certainly appreciate being acknowledged and seen, so I should pay those good feelings forward. No-brainer :-/
8. I wish to write ridiculously and uncritically. And instead of immediately trashing them, I wish to laugh at the no-goods.
Though my writing's still not on the front-burner, I'm writing more than I was, which is an improvement. I'm still writing once-a-month poetry prompts supplied by Applehouse Poetry Workshop, and recently, I've been submitting to my fellow Naropan's website The Ex Letters, where you can write letters to your exes--boys or girls, to your first kiss, your ex-boss, your ex-friend, etc, saying everything you wish you'd said way-back-when. It's a frickin' fantastic website. An emotionally-charged firecracker! Check it out.
9. I wish to savor food instead of scarfing it. Make meals take an hour AT LEAST. Talk in between bites if I HAVE TO ;)
A and I have absofruitly been improving on this! Our success can be credited to our recent obsession with going on dates. We looooooove going out to dinner (that is, when we can afford to and when A has time to). And lately, our dates have lasted 2-3 hours! I'm telling you, we milk those meals for all they're worth. We eat slowly, relishing every bite. And we TALK! Thank God for those dates, because they afford quality face-time with A when there's little to be had.
10. I wish to memorize a joke and PERFORM it whenever possible.
So, I've not memorized a joke, per se, but I HAVE been cracking "Ware" puns left and right. Just last night, walking into the restaurant, I told the hostess that we had a reservation "under Ware." Bwahahaha. The first of many, my friends.
HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING WITH YOUR 2010 WISHLISTS?!?!
P.S. Long ago, on the fridge in our office breakroom, I taped a quote: "You can use your life in a very useful and intelligent way. You can very well transform that negative energy into a positive energy that empowers you and makes life meaningful." (A quote that's been referred to as "graffiti," mind you. How can Thich Nhat Hanh be graffiti?! I'm still confused. But ANYWHO...) Someone recently got a free gift with their wine delivery: wine-related word magnets! And so, lately, people have been placing those wine-related word magnets overtop of the quote, creating pretty hilarious boozey-spirutal sayings (which I've been loving and which promotes the reasoning for my placing the quote there in the first place--INSPIRATION AND INTERACTION! But that Thich Nhat Hanh quote has been up there for awhile, so I thought that something different might increase people's creativity. Well, driving home the other night, I heard the "Commuter Comedy" clip on the radio. It was Mitch Hedberg talking about food. Appropriate break room magnet/quote fodder? You tell me...
"On a traffic light, yellow means yield and green means go. On a banana, it's just the opposite; yellow means go ahead, green means stop, and red means, 'Where'd you get that banana?'"
"I opened up a yogurt and underneath the lid it said, "Please try again." They were having a contest that I was unaware of, so I thought maybe I opened the yogurt wrong. Or maybe Yoplait was trying to inspire me. 'Come on, don't give up!'--An inspirational message from your friends at Yoplait. Fruit on the bottom, hope on top."
"I think animal crackers make people think that all animals taste the same."
"I hate sandwiches at New York delis. Too much meat on the sandwich. It's like a cow with a cracker on either side. 'Would you like anything else with the pastrami sandwich?' 'Yeah, a loaf of bread and some other people!'"
This post made me smile and laugh quite a bit. Sounds like you're doing pretty good at keeping your "glass half full" this year. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of one for new year's resolutions because it seems they're too often broken. However, I'm overall trying to work on seeing the bright side of all things. Positive thoughts. I'm also trying to spend more time doing things for myself because for the longest time I was neglecting myself and my health in order to attempt caring for others. Although I am still caring for others and giving daily pep-talks (like you to A) I've gotten much better at taking care of myself as well.
PS... Popsicles as drink garnishes sounds awesome! I'll have to try it. :)