Twenty

This morning, my Life Coach & I made a list of TWENTY (20) activities I really enjoy doing. I have promised to do at least two of these activities each week - as a gift to myself. I also promised that I'd walk 2 days a week too. She didn't say how far I had to walk, or for how long, just that I should put on my Nike's and GO.

I can not say w/ the same level of confidence that I'll consider this damn walking business a gift to myself, though of course it absolutely is, but I'm going to do it anyway. Fake it til you make it right?

Anyway, I digress. The point is... I have made many changes in the past year or so. Some were prompted by my parents deaths, having my daughter, selling my home, buying another home, etc. and some by less "meaningful" things, like just needing to do something different (as what I've been doing the past 20+ years just really ain't working for me anymore).

My motto:

"If you want a different life, tell different story!"

This has particularly come to mean the following -- Learning how to assert myself better, to ask for what I want, that "No" is a complete sentence (and then actually putting that concept into practice), to stop & check my true motives before I speak (or act, or comment) on someone else's behavior, and most of all to find some joy/laughter in my life again (and yes, my daughter DOES bring me a lot of joy people!).

Dex's daddy made an observation this past holiday weekend that I was complaining a lot.... The worst part is that he was right! So, I give him big fat kudos for calling me on it. Frankly, I want authentic & loving people in my life. The kind who will call me on my BS. People whose energy & purpose is in alignment with mine. Not liars, users &/or greedy energy sucking vampires. This means putting the laws of attraction into practice. If I want quality people around me, I need to be a quality person. Duh!

Since I don't want to be Complaining Girl (b/c really, what do I have to complain about?), I'm gonna chalk that comment of his up to being an informative, teachable moment. I'm also going to let go of the shame & self-loathing I felt in reaction to it and just move the f*ck on.

So. Without further adieu. Here's my list. Enjoy! And if you feel like sharing in the comments, what are some of the things that would be on YOUR list?


My Happy Activities:

1) Reading
2) Movies
3) Music
4) Art
5) Birding (aka bird watching)
6) Hiking/Nature
7) Dancing
8) Animals
9) Gardening
10) Teh Interwebs (aka the internet)
11) Cooking
12) Yoga
13) Food/Wine - e.g. sharing a leisurely, wonderful meal w/ the people I love most
14) Photography
15) Lectures, Book & Poetry Readings
16) Inspired conversations (w/ rabbis, writers, professors, artists, musicians, etc.)
17) Architecture
18) Writing
19) Sleep/Meditation
20) Travel