Month: May 2015

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Kiss the Fish!

  Side note: I haven’t forgotten about the Note to Self series. It just needs a little more attention than I’ve had to dedicate to the topic over the course of Memorial Day weekend. Bear with me, okay? 

I want to throw a quick thought out for your consideration. 

What is one thing you’re afraid of trying? 

Others have told you to give it a go. The passion to work hard on this activity, project, etc. is there. You just can’t do it. Or even worse: You won’t try it. 

Let me give you an example. 

This past weekend I was fishing with friends. My first fish was caught on their pier, which I soon found out involved a tradition. 

They wanted me to kiss the fish…

My answer was a hearty no. I don’t kiss frogs or fish or any other animal. 

My friends begged me and I continued to refuse. The moment passed and we all moved on.  

Later that afternoon, I felt really bad for not playing along.

  What harm could come from kissing a fish?
 I missed an opportunity to joke around with my friends and share a fun moment. 

Sure, that situation is not a big deal, but how many chances zoom by because I won’t be brave in the little things?

 Being the resident stick in the mud is the best way to miss out on life.  

A small act can lead to big things. And in my case? Maybe a bigger fish. Who knows?

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Note to Self: Remembering What’s Important

don't forgetI leave a paper trail wherever I go.

Sticky notes, notebooks, Evernote….I have to capture ideas, tasks, and all other vital information down as fast as I can or it flies out of my brain.

And I think the biggest reminder we need is about our worth.

Many of us go through life feeling less than important.

The mirror, our bank account, and the naysayers point out the flaws.

Negative things stack up a lot faster than positive things–if we allow it.

There are so many things that are supposed to lead to happiness and joy and a “fulfilled” life. If you buy into the lies out there, you’ll walk around confused about your worth.  

That’s what I want us to explore together over the next few days.

So, here’s a question for you:

What dictates the worth and purpose of your life?  

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Navigating Construction Zones

  Construction zones are everywhere. I drive through two to three each day. The world around me is exploding with new buildings and improved roads. When I think about redeveloping an impoverished area or new businesses starting up, I get excited. 

My favorite kind of progress , though, is when people change for the better. 

The terrain of pain, shame, and hopelessness transforming into a landscape of beauty and joy right before my eyes. 

And we are all progressing in one direction or the other. No one lives in a neutral state. 

We all have construction zones. 

Like I said earlier, construction isn’t bad, but it can be tricky to navigate at times. Traffic jams will happen when heavy machinery is in use. 

Keeping people at a distance until construction is over is not a good idea. 

Getting frustrated at the construction zone surrounding a friend’s life is pointless. 

What’s the answer then?

  • Keep your eyes on the everyday progress.
  •  See the improvements and additions as victories. 
  • View difficulty as the temporary setback that it really is. 

Our lives will always have some kind of construction zones in them. 

Demolition projects, remodeling, additions, or touch ups. The level of construction depends on the person. 

Learn to navigate the changes gracefully. This is one skill we all need to master–for the sake of others and for the sake of our own sanity. 

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Your Goals Need Feet, Part 2

  We talked yesterday about your goals needing feet. I thought we’d spend today looking more at what that means. 

A lot of people are planners. They will create detailed lists of work that needs to be done. Each of their goals have nifty pie charts and deadlines on the calendar. 

Some people are dreamers, idea people. They can help everyone else figure out what to do, but they can’t seem to get their own act together. 

And then there are doers. 

Doers are people with a dream, a plan, and….feet. They get moving toward the life they desire. They are consistent, disciplined, and focused. 

Maybe you have a dream and a plan that maps out the next 20 years of your life.

 But what are you doing?

Committing to blog every day for a year is a big step for me. I’m not sure where this path will lead. I’ve never made this kind of commitment before and stuck with it. 

But here I am. Daring to dream big and work hard for something I want. 

What is the next step you need to take?

 Let’s go on this adventure together. I’ll be walking right along side you, but only you can move your feet. 

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Your Goals Need Feet

  I got this jewelry box for Christmas. It’s been hanging up on my wall since then and I still haven’t added any pictures. 

While I was drying my hair this morning, it occurred to me that many of us need to add some pictures to our lives. 

The fake families and individuals in picture frames represent daily living. These pictures are merely fillers. 

You are supposed to go out into the world and make picture worthy memories of your own. But many of us don’t. 
The idea that it’s possible to live vicariously through others needs to die.

 You can’t leave fake pictures in your picture frames and think it’s the real deal. 

Go out into the world and do something.

 Make some memories with friends and family. Volunteer your time instead of just writing a check. 

I am calling 2015 the “Year of Doing” for a reason. I was sick of dreaming and wishing for things to happen. At 24 years old, my regrets were starting to pile up high. 

 I determined to put some feet on my goals. 

Now on to my next task: putting pictures in the frames…


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The Power of a Meal

  Today was a family day. Our whole family was together for a birthday bash in honor of my Nana. 

Of course, food was a big part of the celebration. 

The table was spread with yummy food and all the trimmings. 

It’s fun to sit around the table and chat about all the important things going on in our lives. 

What I find most amazing is how valuing each other’s differences only adds to the unity of a family. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to be. 

Putting all the giftings together enables the family to have a greater impact in the world. 

A great place to take notice of these things is around the dinner table. 

Food is–and always will be–the most powerful ally in the quest for unity. 

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The Worst Millennial Ever

millennials

The title of this post says it all. I am the worst millennial ever.

Hashtags, Twitter, Snapchat, and don’t even get me started on LinkedIn.

Sigh.

Can someone please explain all of these social media tools to me?

Instagram is simple enough for anyone to use. Take a picture, add a caption, and BAM! The world can see how awesome your filtered life really is.

Facebook? It’s the grandpa of all social media. I mean, it beat Myspace and took over as the Yo-Mama! of all social media. Zuckerberg’s empire is not going anywhere–even though the movie that explains it all is probably the worst….

Moving on…..

Why am I talking about this? Because I have a goal for this blog now. It’s quite simple.

Blog every day of my 25th year.

Sometimes the posts will be super serious.

Sometimes I will post a book review.

Sometimes  I will post a YouTube video with some commentary (it is a blog after all).

I don’t want to limit myself in what I choose to do. The only goal is to post something every day.

Which takes me back to being the worst millennial ever……

I need your help to improve my mad skills because right now I have none.

That’s another goal of mine for this upcoming year:

Figure out the complex world of the blogosphere and social media.

Any and all help is much appreciated.

For those of you know my birthday is in July, you might be wondering why I’m posting this now.

Thanks for asking!

It will take me that long to get into the habit.

Consistency is my kryptonite.

Now, to end the most random blog post ever…..