Red Velvet #4: Haiku #WEverb11
Sum up your year, via haiku.
A woman with dreams
Europe, books and finding love
Some wishes came true
Funfetti #4: Haiku #WEverb11
Sum up your year, via haiku. (http://www.poetrydances.com/haiku.php)
Happy newlywed
Surrounded by books and words
Adventure awaits
Red Velvet #3: Learn
What lesson did you learn in 2011 from “The School of Life” rather than a classroom?
I think I learn this lesson in some way, shape or form every year but.. I’ve learned that things don’t always happen the way you imagine or hope they will and that isn’t always a bad thing. I’m 28 years old and the fact that I’m getting closer and closer to 30 will occasionally throw me into a panic. I thought that by this time I would’ve had a different job, met the person I’d marry one day and moved out of my house. But I haven’t done any of those things yet. And sometimes when I hear about other former classmates, I find myself comparing (but then I tell myself to stop) and wonder why I’m not at that point in my life yet.
But you know what? I kept (and keep) reminding myself of the things I have accomplished and all the blessings my life. And I do have a lot to be proud of and happy about. Plus, to be honest, there aren’t many choices in my life that I would undo. So maybe I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Everyone has their own path to follow and hopefully I’m on the right one for me.
But you know what? I kept (and keep) reminding myself of the things I have accomplished and all the blessings my life. And I do have a lot to be proud of and happy about. Plus, to be honest, there aren’t many choices in my life that I would undo. So maybe I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. Everyone has their own path to follow and hopefully I’m on the right one for me.
I’m probably going to keep learning this lesson because who doesn’t want things to go exactly their way all the time. But I’m trying my best to appreciate what I have and accept what I can’t change.
Funfetti #3: Learn #WEverb11
What lesson did you learn in 2011 from “The School of Life” rather than a classroom?
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it), I think my lesson of the year is one that will keep on giving in 2012. Accepting that you can’t change people or what they think about you, no matter how hard you try. At some point, you have to choose to just live your own life the best way you know how and sort of ignore the murmurings of those around you, even if their outrageous (or passive) actions are confusing and frustrating.
I’m one of those people who hates to leave things unresolved. I like problems to get fixed for people to be open and honest with how they feel, especially when it affects more than one person. I’m a pretty positive person and sometimes I think that’s what makes this “lesson” so difficult to me. I just don’t understand why problems can’t be talked out and a solution can’t be found.
It’s worked me up, it’s stressed me out, and it has been stress on my new marriage and my baby family. It has made me lose faith in people, and reevaluate who I trust and who I let in. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing either. Having toxic people in your life is not good for anyone. And in the end it’s best to let them go then to continue dealing with a problem you cannot fix (even after you’ve tried countless times).
This sounds like a depressing lesson to learn. And I think what is most depressing is that I have to go back and re-learn it, remember it over and over. (And maybe how some are oblivious to how their words, actions, and non-action, affect others.) But it’s made me appreciate even more the people in my life who are supportive of what I do, how I think, and how I choose to live my life even if it’s not the same way they would choose to live their own. It seems like a small thing but it’s really, really huge. I’ll never forget how I (or we’ve) felt during this year when it comes to these situations, and I think it’s made me hyper-aware of my own reactions presently and in the future when our little family starts to grow.
Funfetti #2: Listen
What song did you listen to in 2011 to completely change your mood? Think about ways you can you add more music to your life in 2012.
My iPod and I are pretty much inseparable when it comes to commuting during the work week. This year though, I’ve discovered the joy of podcasts and don’t listen to quite as much. But it’s still there in the background while I work, when I clean, and even when I shower. While it’s so hard to pick one stand-out song of the year, I can’t help to choose Celebrate You by Corbin Bleu from High School Musical. (He was on Broadway too.) It was the song that our wedding party walked out to at our reception and one that one of my best friends used in her wedding video, and I believe it was also in some of those VISIT WALT DISNEY WORLD commercials that always make me so happy to see.
Plus, it’s a staple in my gym playlists. So while it reminds me of happy times, it also motivates me.
I’m not sure how to integrate more into my life in 2012 but perhaps I’ll be better at reminding myself sometimes it’s refreshing to ditch the podcasts and listen to music on my walk to and from work.
