Saturday, October 24, 2009

Quotes That Make Me Smile: #1

Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years wrinkle the face, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt,self-interest, fear, despair- these are the long, long years that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back to dust.

- Watterson Lowe

Friday, October 23, 2009

Adam Lambert: Time For Miracles!

The high point of my day yesterday was watching Adam's video premiere for his new song "Time For Miracles". Don't judge me. It made me smile after a very long day at work. I've been hooked since his first performance on American Idol. Just because I'm a mom(and 32) doesn't mean I'm not allowed to have boy crushes once in awhile. In my defense, 27 is hardly a boy, correct? Besides, you don't see Adam Lambert's everyday. Not only do I love the song, but he looks delicious. And strangly, alot like Elvis who was also delicious during his better years. I think Adam's going to hold up to all they hype and really touch people with his music. Too bad it wasn't literally!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Serenity Now! Notes to self ...

The other night I put "analyzing my life" as my facebook status. Do you ever do that? Just sit there and get into that deep thinking where absolutely everything under the sun runs through your mind? I do, mostly when boredom sets in, or during those nights sleep just doesn't find you - your mind starts working overtime. This is what this brain of mine has come up with. Oh, and this is totally for me, so don't think I'm trying to offer advice!

(one) Relax. Things aren't as big of a deal as they usually seem. Emergencies can be handled, and crises eventually pass. In most cases, if we'll just settle down and keeps our heads, we'll come out the other side sooner and better for it. A lot of the drama I tend to experience is the drama I create for myself, sometimes not knowingly but it still happens.

(two) Don't trust your emotions. I'm not saying emotions are bad. I love the emotional life. Emotions are not, however, accurate reflectors of reality. As stated above, things are rarely as bad as they seem, or as good as they seem. No matter how great someone is, I can live without them. No matter how comfortable I am with someone, there is a chance they aren't trustworthy. I'm neither as great nor as horrible as I usually feel I am. Take your gut into account, but only as a witness, not as the judge. Why can't I remember this when I'm SUPPOSED to!

(three) If it doesn't seem quite right, it probably isn't. Yes, this pretty much contradicts my last paragraph. But this lesson has been fleshed out inside of me through several poor decisions. If my gut is telling me to shut up, I should probably shut up. If my gut says I'm going in the wrong direction, I should probably turn around, or at least stop for a second. If something seems just a little amiss, it usually is.

(four) Try new things. Some of my favorite music now is stuff that I'd have never given a chance just a couple years ago. This is something so little, yet, big too.

(five) Let your guard down, but not too quickly. This is actually a habit I picked up in childhood, but I didn't embrace it until recently. I'm not saying everyone should be like me. This may not work for a lot of others. But I'm most comfortable with at least a little bit of a shell around me. I like to stay a little distant from those who I don't consider close to me. To get a real piece of me, you have to earn my trust. It works against me at times, but I've found that I'm happy this way overall. I dunno, call it playing it safe if you will, it's just what I know right now.

(six) Laugh. A lot. No matter what is going on in life, there is usually something that you'll find funny. Laughter embraces the good times, it puts its stamp of approval on joy. Laughter lifts in difficult times, and makes it okay to see the silver lining when everything in you says you must get lost in the cloud.

(seven) Learn how to enjoy memories. This is a skill that I've begun to develop in myself. I've always done it to a degree, but the longing for better days usually overwhelmed the happiness. When I came to grips with the fact that I can never go back, it became easier just to relive the moment. My friends have helped make it seem not so hard and I love them for it.

(eight) A place for everything, everything in its place. I work to pay my bills, not to make buddies. If doing my job well makes me unpopular, then so be it. I won't find myself in the unemployment line over someone's affection. Conversely, my family and friends are not a job I have to do. I love my family because they are my family, and I love my friends because I trust myself to them. I work to get ahead, but I love because I'm already ahead. Not sure if what I just wrote here makes sense, lol. A result from recent happenings at work I guess. Oh well, I'll figure this one out later.

(nine) Don't waste time. I'm not saying to be in a hurry. I'm saying to make wise choices with the time you have. If what you are doing doesn't further you in what you want for yourself, then skip it. If someone's giving you lip service, let them talk to themselves. Haha, lip service ... what the hell? Whatever, I'm leaving it.

(ten) All of the above are subject to change. It wouldn't shock me if a year from now I was looking at this post and decided that I had "unlearned" a couple of these lessons. Because, that's just what I do.