Thanksgiving

You know those days when your mind starts racing and for whatever reason you are worrying about everything that is not within your control? Those things that you can't do anything about? Why are we not friends anymore? Why is this person so selfish? Why is traffic so horrible? Why didn't I run today? I hate those days.

I hate those days because my life is great. And one small negative seed gets planted somewhere in my brian and it takes 24 hours to get it out. To distract me from focusing on the negative, I keep going back to the resolution list.

• Stop trying to plot giving; do it spontaneously, and often.
• Pick a new, favorite charity.
• Every time you food shop, buy 2 extra cans of nonperishable items and donate them to a food bank.

I don't know why it popped in my head, but it did, to organize donations to the Denver Rescue Mission, I spontaneously reached out to my friends and coworkers. I have learned that sometimes just having the information in front of people will motivate them. The Denver Rescue Mission is close to where my good friends live and takes care of those in need that are so close to my home.  I can't ignore the reason for the Mission. Thanksgiving is a great time to remember how lucky we really are and help those that are less fortunate. I am trying to make it a year round thing.

So while I continue to work on these resolutions:

• Shift perspective on your situation once every day. Take five minutes to look at a situation, relationship, conflict, or so-called problem ongoing in your life from a completely new perspective every day. Hopefully, issues will not be so frequent that you’ll need to every day — but such a positive perspective-shifting practice as “reframing” helps us to break bad habits of thinking and realize that everything ain’t so bad after all.
• Lose expectations. On purpose. And stop expecting specifics. We tend to believe that knowing, wanting and even demanding specifics will be the fastest path to seeing results. The truth, as I’ve learned, is that expectations actually hamper achievement and, maybe ironically, that decision-making without expectations is the real powerhouse of positive growth and forward momentum

I keep smiling at the good things in life. Happy Thanksgiving!

Still Time for Resolutions

It seems like just yesterday I was talking about all the things I had planned for 2012... San Fran, Vietnam, Olympics, weddings, concerts... I managed to keep the schedule pretty full.  I saw some amazing things.  I did some amazing things.  When the year started a good friend sent me a link about resolutions, 57 Life-Changing Resolutions. 

I am starting to feel that life is more than bucket lists, accomplishments and material things.  The more comfortable I become with where I am, the fewer things I want and the less I want to be around negativity, people or otherwise.  I constantly look at this list and I have challenged myself to grow by changing a few things I do.  A few things that the boyfriend and I have done lately that I love:

• Leave a 30% tip, every time- It really makes a difference.  I challenge everyone to do this.
• Go 1-for-1 on your wardrobe.- This is now a solid rule, we really don't need stuff.  And not having the room since the boyfriend moved in has made it easier to enforce.
• Do less better. - I have stopped planning so far in advance to make time for random dinners, brunch dates with old friends.  Or one on one time instead of time at a bar with 20 people.  I have really reconnected with some people I really missed.
• Break an old habit.- I haven't bit my nails in 2 months.
• Bury the hatchet.- They know who they are (in fact this year there were many), and I am glad to say it is water under the bridge.
• Teach gratitude, selflessness and charity (quietly). - I started keeping dollar bills in my car and told myself any time I see someone that needs help, I will give them a dollar if I have it.  No judgement.  We were walking downtown and we passed an old man, reading, in his sleeping bag in a doorway.  He had one tomato by him.  Without me saying anything the boyfriend went to the ATM, we went back to him and handed the old man some cash.  Life gets hard.  I am not here to judge and being poor is not a crime. 
• Write more letters. -I focused on my Grandpa.  I think he loves it.  Better late than never.
• Create something real. 

So here is where the boyfriend comes in, "create something real."  I do not have a creative bone in my body.  When he was moving in he had some old end tables.  We decided instead of throwing them away we would make them into something we wanted and create something, even get a little creative.  We have very similar tastes when it comes to furniture so with his know-how, skill and well... he did most of it.  Haha... we have some amazing end tables and we had time to do them this past weekend because I didn't schedule anything to do.  One thing at a time.



Before:  There were two, product of the 80s?







During: Mixing concrete on our deck

Finished Product with the concrete top

I kinda love them

What's Next

When you read the articles about why Romney lost the election and they mention that the grass-roots, on-the-ground campaign that Obama's camp ran was superior to that of ol' Willard's.  They are right.  I saw it first hand.  I would show up at a local supporters house, where his first floor was set up with campaigning materials, computers, snacks and be greeted by a happy, eager organizer, Eddie.  Eddie would explain what we were doing, the laws around how it worked and patiently answered questions.  The first phase I registered voters, the second phase I made sure those that registered were going to vote.  Each time I showed up to volunteer Eddie would be there with a map printed, names of registered democrats or unaffiliated voters on the two by two block area I would canvass that day.  It amazed me.  We really did win this election "block by block."

I enjoyed the moment as long as I could, with a beer in hand watching Brian Williams announce Ohio was projected blue... and relaxed.  Then the sad stat was realized, the country was subjected to this LONG, EXPENSIVE campaign for 18 months and we are back to where we started... a do nothing House and a Democrat President.  But is it worse?

Thank you GOP for portraying Democrats as lazy, self-entitled minorities.  Thank you liberals for stereotyping Republicans as the rich 1% of the population whose greed collapsed the banks.  Thank you to those around me that bought into it and focused on what they didn't want in our government more than what they wanted.  Once my neighbors, friends, coworkers remove their yard signs, I have to accept our differences and work as a community again.  Will Congress?