I found this poem and thought it was brilliant. I have never had a problem with being along - I'm too much like my father, but many people don't like the sound of silence or their own company. It's ok to be alone and there is a lot that can be experienced and learned by just you - alone. Don't fear it and see it as a chance to work on you. The freedom to explore and try new things is priceless.
"Society is afraid of alone though...."
"take yourself out dancing to a club where no one knows you. stand on the outside of the floor until the lights convince you more and more and the music shows you. Dance like nobody's watching cause they're probably not. The way bodies move genuinely to beats is after all gorgeous and affecting. Dance until you're sweating and beads of perspiration remind you of life's best things...down your back like a brook of blessings."
"Go to an unfamiliar city, roam the streets, there are always statues to talk to and benches made for sitting give strangers a shared existence if only for a minute. These moments can be so uplifting and the conversations you get in... might have never happened had you not been there by yourself."
"'Cause if you are happy in your head then solitude is blessed and alone is ok."
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
1-1-11 - The beginning of the year...
Well it's pretty exciting - the start of a new year and new possibilities of what is to come! I wasn't overly impressed with 2010 and what it had to offer but it DID teach me that things can change drastically in less than a year. There were 5 weddings of friends in 2010 that married people that they had dated less than a year. This would have seemed crazy to me a few years ago but now it kind of makes since - you know what you want - go for it right? So Tip of the Hat to: Robin/David - Matt/Mel - Matt/Emily - Paul/Stephanie - Meredith/Carey - many happy returns..... Bet those guys didn't see it coming - at the beginning of 2010 :) Oh what a difference a year a can make.
Along with crazy relationships in 2010 there are things like family and work and hobbies and health. Highs and Lows... Births and Deaths - New Beginnings and Endings. I think that's why so many people love celebrating the start of a new year - the possibilities of a fresh start and a clear starting date.
Yes I have resolutions - though all of them I can't share. But some I will and you can occasionally ask me about them - to make sure they don't go by the wayside like many often do.... "Oh the best laid plans of mice and men..."
In the book "God is in the Small Stuff" they say....
"Someone once said that you'll be the same person five years from now as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read. The idea is that you won't grow as a person unless you bring new (and hopefully positive) influence into your life. The alternative is to do what most people do - NOTHING. They rarely or never make new friends, seek out mentors, or build into the lives of others. They rarely or never read meaningful and enriching books and articles."
So I started thinking about the types of books I read and the knowledge I'm gaining from the world around me. If you know me you know I'm a ferocious reader - but to what end? Another quote I read recently was, "A failing of the young. They don't bother to learn what they can when it would actually be convenient to learn, because they have a very narrow concept of necessity." So TRUE! When you are in school - you often want to be out living life - not reading about the way the world works... Though I guess there are many "schools" for learning.
After reading both of these I want to challenge myself to do a few things:
1. Focus on incorporating more readings of substance into my repertoire - things like the classics, topical works, biography's, etc.
2. At the beginning of each year, choose a topic of interest and spend the next 12 months learning all I can about it. (I'm going to spend this week thinking about a topic for 2001 - any suggestions? :)
3. Read the Bible all the way through using my chronological Bible.
let's see if i can stick to it... I also want to:
1. Start writing more (short stories - novellas)
2. Work on being more healthy - what I eat/exercise - all that jazz. I see a 5K in my future this year!
3. Improve my finances and savings for a rainy day
4. Get rid of my cable and spend way less time with Reality TV (which will be hard... I love Top Chef and Project Runway - Amazing Race and American Idol - the Biggest Loser... sniff - insert big gulp)
5. Do more for my community - give back and volunteer my time.
6. De-clutter and downsize - get rid of "stuff"
7. Become passionate again about my faith and relationship with God
8. Get a tattoo
9. Take a class on an interesting topic, something like Spanish or stained glass or archery...
10. Be a better friend, write letters, and keep in touch with those I care about. We live in a really busy world, but you have to make time for the people and things that are important - or you look up and they are gone, or far away.
This seems like a lot - BUT I have an entire year and the first of each month I will try to evaluate and see how it's going. There will probably be a list involved... I'm not me without a list!! :)
So 2011 - let's see what will be. Hopefully this blog will continue and I use it as a tool to keep focused on several goals and things I want to accomplish.
Love and blessings to you all,
Karla
Along with crazy relationships in 2010 there are things like family and work and hobbies and health. Highs and Lows... Births and Deaths - New Beginnings and Endings. I think that's why so many people love celebrating the start of a new year - the possibilities of a fresh start and a clear starting date.
Yes I have resolutions - though all of them I can't share. But some I will and you can occasionally ask me about them - to make sure they don't go by the wayside like many often do.... "Oh the best laid plans of mice and men..."
In the book "God is in the Small Stuff" they say....
"Someone once said that you'll be the same person five years from now as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read. The idea is that you won't grow as a person unless you bring new (and hopefully positive) influence into your life. The alternative is to do what most people do - NOTHING. They rarely or never make new friends, seek out mentors, or build into the lives of others. They rarely or never read meaningful and enriching books and articles."
So I started thinking about the types of books I read and the knowledge I'm gaining from the world around me. If you know me you know I'm a ferocious reader - but to what end? Another quote I read recently was, "A failing of the young. They don't bother to learn what they can when it would actually be convenient to learn, because they have a very narrow concept of necessity." So TRUE! When you are in school - you often want to be out living life - not reading about the way the world works... Though I guess there are many "schools" for learning.
After reading both of these I want to challenge myself to do a few things:
1. Focus on incorporating more readings of substance into my repertoire - things like the classics, topical works, biography's, etc.
2. At the beginning of each year, choose a topic of interest and spend the next 12 months learning all I can about it. (I'm going to spend this week thinking about a topic for 2001 - any suggestions? :)
3. Read the Bible all the way through using my chronological Bible.
1. Start writing more (short stories - novellas)
2. Work on being more healthy - what I eat/exercise - all that jazz. I see a 5K in my future this year!
3. Improve my finances and savings for a rainy day
4. Get rid of my cable and spend way less time with Reality TV (which will be hard... I love Top Chef and Project Runway - Amazing Race and American Idol - the Biggest Loser... sniff - insert big gulp)
5. Do more for my community - give back and volunteer my time.
6. De-clutter and downsize - get rid of "stuff"
7. Become passionate again about my faith and relationship with God
8. Get a tattoo
9. Take a class on an interesting topic, something like Spanish or stained glass or archery...
10. Be a better friend, write letters, and keep in touch with those I care about. We live in a really busy world, but you have to make time for the people and things that are important - or you look up and they are gone, or far away.
This seems like a lot - BUT I have an entire year and the first of each month I will try to evaluate and see how it's going. There will probably be a list involved... I'm not me without a list!! :)
Love and blessings to you all,
Karla
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