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#ThankfulThursday Part-time Job

On this day, I am thankful to announce that I’m now gainfully employed once again. It’s a part time job in food/ retail, and the personnel manager has already recognized that I’m overqualified — but she acknowledged that even overqualified applicants need to pay their bills. She’s absolutely right. I’ve got bills to pay just like everyone else. While it’s only part-time, I’m choosing to view it as more time for me to find tutoring clients, write, and align my websites. And today, I’ve got plenty to be grateful for. Gwen Bell’s offering a spectacular deal* on doing just that — aligning my websites. Nearly every item on her “this is for you if you” list spoke directly to my situation and visions.

Things are going to change for the better. I’m going to get back to reading Ashley Ambirge’s ebooks, and I’m going to make this work. In 2012, I’m going to set an income goal, and I’m going to pursue it full force. First I need to pay for my overhead. Then I need to pay my bills. I’ll need to replace my paychecks, and I’ll need to start meeting goals. I expect that by 2013 I will be well on my way to making this dream come true. I will become successful before my 30th birthday. Today is a great day to be alive.

*I may not make it in time to reap the rewards of this deal, but it’s the thought that counts here.

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#MindfulMonday Focus

Brenda Della Casa recently shared some things she’d overheard, including this: “Do not focus on the now.  Focus on where you want to be, the life you want to be living.  That might help you make better decisions now.” I’ve spent the weekend ruminating over these very wise words. I regularly try to balance living in the moment with daydreaming of what I want. However, a more mindful way to daydream is to sit down and creatively brainstorm. Imagine that ideal life. What are you eating? Where are you living? Who’s with you? How do you spend your days? What activities and adventures do you put on your calendar? Imagining these details can seem a bit overwhelming, but having a clearer picture of what you want out of life can give ideas for baby steps to get there. If you can change one small thing every few weeks or so, you get one step closer to your ideal lifestyle that much easier.

We can’t necessarily make our lives suddenly near-perfect overnight, but we can take steps to make the life we have now closer to our ideal. I’m not waiting around. I’ve already been making changes that I’d like to keep — daily writing, drinking plenty of water, eating a healthier diet, and getting regular exercise. I know that in time other aspects of life will fall into place if I apply myself and take steps to change it. Now if only sleeping better would hurry up and fall into line — but I’m applying myself and making the effort. Adults need bedtime, too, but it’s up to us to enforce it.

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#Trust30 Come Alive

Come Alive by Jonathan Mead: “Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive.

Bonus: How can your goals improve the present and not keep you in a perpetual “always something better” spiral?

If I had one week left to live, I certainly wouldn’t be tearing my hair out searching for jobs that might not fulfill me. I’d much rather spend that last week having picnics and playing board games with my family. I’ve been preparing to re-enter the workforce, preparing to be a business owner/ freelancer, preparing to get back to life as I once knew it. Obviously, I can’t just stop the former two items, but it’s time to stop expecting a “return” to normalcy. Things can’t go back to the way they used to be. That’s an etched mark on the timeline now. It’s time to stop waiting for the life I planned and start living the life I have. (Loosely paraphased from an Honest Tea bottle cap via an old friend.)

This past week, I began writing manageable to-do lists — items I knew weren’t contingent upon variables like illnesses, family issues, and the like. I resolved to do everything in my power to eat healthy breakfasts and lunches, mind my snacking, and get moving. The sense of accomplishment alone made up for any unexpected dilemmas that I faced this week. These simple goals can help me to feel a sense of accomplishment on a daily basis, rather than stressing over the long range planning. It’s all about baby steps. As Marla Cilley would say, it didn’t get this way overnight, and it won’t get fixed overnight.

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#FoodieFriday Oatmeal

For a quick, simple, healthy breakfast, you only need three ingredients: oatmeal, pumpkin, and vanilla almond milk (or any other milk — dairy or otherwise). Mix 1/4 cup of quick-cooking oats, 1/2 cup of almond milk, and 2 tablespoons of pumpkin in a microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle in cinnamon if desired. Microwave for 2 minutes. Let it sit to cool for a minute or more. The oatmeal will thicken, and you’ll have a nice healthy breakfast. Pair it with a piece of fruit if you’d like.

If you’re not feeling like pumpkin oatmeal, you could also have apple cinnamon oatmeal. Instead of adding 2 tablespoons of pumpkin, you could add in half of a chopped apple. Mix 1/4 cup of quick-cooking oats, 1/2 cup of almond milk, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Cook for 1 minute in the microwave. Add the chopped apple and microwave for 1 and a half minutes more. Let it cool for a minute or more. Ta-da! Apple cinnamon oatmeal. Eat it with the other half of the apple.

Share any other variations you like with me. And of course, you could substitute quick-cooking oats with whatever you’ve got on hand. It’ll take a little longer to cook, you’ll probably want to cook it on the stove, but I know the results will still be healthy and delicious.

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#ThankfulThursday Heat Reprieve

I’m incredibly thankful to have seen mid-80 degree weather for a couple of days, followed by upper-60 degree nights. After spending months above 90 and hoping to see mid-70s by morning, it was such a relief to step outside without feeling like I’d sweat standing still. It was a pleasure to open the windows in the evening and enjoy fresh breezes and the sounds of crickets chirp as we fell asleep. Alas, it was only a brief reprieve as we’re now on our way back to the sweltering temperatures we’ve been suffering all summer. Of course, I should remember that we’re not in Florida anymore — the 90-degree weather will be gone soon enough. I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to crisp breezes, changing leaves, apples, pumpkins, and the scent of cinnamon and cloves permeating the air. I’m looking forward to welcoming back my sweaters and scarves sooner than normal.

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#Trust30 15 Minutes to Live

15 Minutes to Live by Gwen Bell: “We are afraid of truth, afraid of fortune, afraid of death, and afraid of each other. Our age yields no great and perfect persons.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

You just discovered you have fifteen minutes to live.
1. Set a timer for fifteen minutes.
2. Write the story that has to be written.

Chasing dreams. That’s essentially all I’ve done so far. I’ve chased dreams that always seem to elude me — sometimes by mere steps. All too often, I’ve fallen into the same rut most average Americans settle for each and everyday. The 8-to-5 rat race, spinning the wheel, chasing the cheese, and doing what The Man tells you to do. I dream of something more. If in the next 12 minutes I cease to exist, I’m going out with regrets of things I haven’t done. Dreams I haven’t achieved. Enjoying each and every day to the fullest. Don’t make that mistake. Make your life worth living. Find joy in the simpler things. Don’t settle. NEVER settle. Life isn’t perfect, and it never will be — but that’s no excuse for thinking negatively. Playing the victim won’t win you sympathy for ever, nor will it change the situation. If you don’t like something, do what you can to change it. Please be advised that this is not applicable to people. People have to want to change in order to change. Nothing you say or do will make them. Also, a wise woman once told me that you can teach people a lot of things, but you can’t teach someone to care. You either care or you don’t. It’s in your best interests to be one of the ones who cares, though. The ability to care makes you stronger.

Don’t just chase dreams. Take steps to reach them. Don’t cry. Don’t whine. Just do. Get it done, even if you’re not getting paid for it. Do what you love. Do what inspires you. Practice your passions. Quit worrying about what everyone else thinks because it’s all arbitrary in the end. We’re all going to meet the same fate, so we might as well live our lives with gusto. Make time to be unaccountable, too. The saying about all work and no play absolutely holds true. Working all the time leaves very little time to enjoy hobbies and interests. Passions become burdens if we’re always working. There’s no reason why you can’t sip some tea on the porch or lounge in the hammock. Just let it go. Again, it’s all arbitrary. And make sure to smile and laugh often. We’re not meant to function on angry mode all the time, nor are we meant to function on anxiety all the time. How is that a life worth living? Stressing yourself into an early grave? Just let it go already! It’s just complications we’ve created for ourselves. No other species creates such complicated procedures to go through their lives. We’re unique.

And with my final three minutes, I want to remind you that we need love. Love your family. Love your friends. Love for the sake of loving. Love is a necessity in life. Loving and caring are both very important. And of course, love yourself. No one else knows you the way you know yourself.

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#MindfulMonday What Food Network’s Taught Me

Last year I became engrossed in The Next Food Network Star and loved nearly every episode of season six. This year I wasn’t as excited about season seven, based on the advertisements. It seemed to me that the producers took a few too many cues from shows like Jersey Shore and Big Brother. I’m not about watching contestants cause drama, so the clips turned me off. However, Brian encouraged me to watch the season with him. It took several weeks to weed out a very dramatic individual (good food isn’t going to mean star power), but I finally warmed up to this season’s star hopefuls.

Last night was the finale, and I can’t imagine the two runners up not getting at least some air time. The charisma and stories these individuals sent a very clear, valuable message, though — follow your dreams. These are people who dreamt of having their own shows on Food Network and showcasing the dishes they grew up with. I was so profoundly struck by this realization last night that I felt a sense of calmness wash over me. My dream may be different — a cooking show would completely get in the way of my writing career — but I still need to harness that star quality. Both situations require captivating your audience. If you’re not engaging your audience — readers and viewers alike — you’re not going to succeed. It’s also about focus. Of course, if you focus on chasing your dreams, I personally believe the rest should fall into place. Nicki has certainly provided plenty of inspiration and encouragement in that regard.

The biggest take-home message, however, is to be mindful at every moment. You never know what you’ll learn from even the simplest of things.

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State of the Website

First of all, you’ll begin to notice some changes around here. I’m not big on a huge unveiling, though, because too many steps go into it. Instead, we’re going to take small steps from the current layout to a brand new layout — I’ve been completely inspired by Gwen Bell’s website evolution and Gretchen Rubin’s policy of doing what will get done instead of fantasizing about perfection (I’m loosely paraphrasing). I’ve started off by adding an avatar, courtesy of the lovely Axel. She’ll be designing a second avatar for me as well, and I’m sure I’ll figure a way around CSS to include both avatars in my layout. The color scheme will change, as with the content layout.

Secondly, I’ve also decided to go forward with introducing my tutoring services, in keeping with the concept of building upon a blank slate. I openly invite you to share this link with any of your Georgian and Tennessean friends. As a new school year approaches, I hope to bring my services to everyone in need — including those who may be economically disadvantaged. There’s no reason why financial hardship should be a barrier to educational success. We can’t break the cycle of poverty unless we extend the same educational opportunities to everyone.

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