Some Positive Thoughts for Your Hump Day

Despite the fact that I may have a cold this week, and some weird random lower back pain from probably doing something wrong in Body Pump - (Oops) – I am overcome today by the positive thoughts of some wonderful people.  And I thought I would share them on this hump day.

Two of these are stolen from my friend Brigid – who in turn stole them from someone else.  :)

“When I was 5 years old, my mom always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy." They told me I didn't understand the assignment and I told them they didn't understand life.”   - courtesy of Brigid

And here, an excellent post on what is truly important in life: http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2010/09/08/the-fisherman-and-the-businessman/ 

It’s not about how many fish you catch or how much money you make, but it’s about the quality of people who you surround yourself with and spend time with in life.

Bringing me to something my very good friend Stephanie told me several months back:  “Only surround yourself with people who make a positive impact on your life” It sounds simple enough, but it can be hard to follow.  But thanks to many fantastic friends, coworkers and family, new and old, I am so happy to say that I really making that happen these days.

And last – one of my favorite quotes that I have hanging in my cubicle at work:

“Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” Viktor Frankl

If you choose happiness, it will come to you. J

And if you open your heart to new friends, they will find you.

Happy Wednesday All!

Finding a Balance

As I felt the soreness of Saturday’s workouts setting in this weekend, I started thinking about finding balance.  

Finding a balance in my life and my schedule has always been a challenge for me.  And while as I’ve gotten older I feel like I have gotten better at it…I have definitely in no way mastered it. 

A good friend of mine has taught me in the last several months to let go and have a bit more fun than I used to do. Love you Steph! I have balanced my ridiculous amount of working 2 and 3 jobs with stress busting workouts – though I tend to overdo the quantity of them at times. J  I sleep more. I read more. I eat healthier.

But I forget that sometimes you need to just BE.


It's not a concept I'm very good at. But sometimes, you need to have absolutely no plans and walk in the park.  You need to read for hours and hours until you lose track of all time.  You need to do Yoga in the park and feel the grass and listen to the birds.  You need to listen to your body  and slow down.  Sometimes, as much as you hate to, you even need to skip said high impact workouts to spend time with friends.  Because a beer or a jello shot and a laugh can brighten up the darkest of days.

J Sometimes you need to eat greasily awesome grilled cheese sandwiches from the Drewskis food truck or drink 3 glasses of wine to dim of the stress.  It's gotta be a balance.

You also need to forgive yourself forgetting to keep that balance.  You need to believe that everyday is a new day and a new start.   No matter how bad the previous day was.  You need to break fridge doors and chairs and laugh until you can’t possibly laugh anymore.  You need to make new friends and embrace change.  Writing can heal.  Sometimes the dishes can wait.  Things are never perfect. 

“Don’t let perfect become the enemy of good”

The ultimate goal will always be to find the balance. My writing is fractured and so is my balance.

But I am getting there…

Choosing My Attitude

I have this quote hanging in my cubicle at work: 

“Almost everything can be taken from a person, but for the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”     

And I have really been trying to take this sentiment to heart in recent days, weeks, months.   It’s also great to read the inspiration from Ashlee Gadd over at Where My Heart Resides whom I don't know face to face, but who always inspires and chooses joy everyday, or my childhood friend Ashley over at Ashley Appreciates. 

That’s really what it comes down to – it’s all a choice.   Sure, everything might not be perfect in any given day or week, but there are things that are wonderful!  And we get the choice to focus on those wonderful things.  We get the choice to be happy. So often we look past the positive and choose the negative.  The bad days at work.  The financial issues.  The unhappy, ugly things that make life more stressful.  We keep telling ourselves that things will only get better when______.  You fill in the blank. 

I am guilty of that sentiment all too often, but I really feel like I have been making a better effort not to have those thoughts lately, and just focusing on what is good about right now.   Sure, things will probably be easier for us financially in October.  Sure, I am still exhausted at the end of every week.  But right now, the sun is shining and I get to see some of my best friends this weekend.   Right now, I always find the energy to zumba my heart out 2 or 3 times a week, and I get to play softball at 9pm and have it still be warm outside. Right now, I absolutely enjoy my job and even more so the people who I work with.  Which make the working 50 hours per week bearable, if not many times actually enjoyable.  Right now, I have been able to read nearly 5 books in the last six weeks.   (A near miracle for me!)  Right now, Chris and I can go to happy hours - or sometimes make our own at home - and go to weeknight movies on a whim.  Some nights, I drag myself home after 12 hours of work, teaching and zumba and all I have to do is just veg out on the couch with a glass of wine and catch up on Parenthood and True Blood.   

That’s my life right now.  And I choose my attitude to be happy.  Everyday.

July promises bring trips, concerts, going to the river, friends, family and Harry Potter!!   

It’s finally summer people,  don’t let it pass you by!

To The Future

"Don't fear the long road, cause on the long road, you got a long time to sing a simple song - sing along"  - Michael Franti

Sometimes it takes getting rid of a negative force in your life to appreciate all of the supportive and positive ones. That has been what this weekend was about for me. While the negative force was lifted from my shoulders, I was able to again be reminded to appreciate some very supportive friends, my amazing family, and my wonderful husband.

And now here, at a huge precipice for my immediate family's lives, as well as my husband and I's own lives, I have complete faith that we are all going to come through it all on the other side, as stronger and much happier people.

While my family said goodbye to our childhood house this weekend...we also said hello to a new era. While we said goodbye to the vessel that housed our hundreds of memories, we also promised to keep those memories in our minds forever. My dad said as I was leaving the house, “You came in at age 10, and you're leaving with your wedding dress.” Ain't that the truth. Going into that house, I was a kid, leaving that house I am an adult. And so is my brother. So mom and dad, while that house was an important chapter, it wasn't the only chapter of our lives. You have raised two children who have grown up to learn to make their own choices and to surround themselves with only the best of people. Now onward to bigger and better things, we all four go.

And with Chris leaving for his eight week long training in Delaware next week, we too are on a precipice, but a precipice of what will surely be a great life together. And I find that now, more than ever am I secure in the absolutely ironclad strength of our love and bond.

Here's to the future!

 "The future is always beginning now."  ~Mark Strand

My Take on the Oscars

Chris and I host and Oscars Party every year, and due to great company, this year was as fun as always.

But Hollywood's biggest night turned out to be an odd combination of the academy trying to fuse “young and hip” hosts with a large mix of older characters for balance. While I applaud the concept, as we all saw, it didn't work out so well. Half of it felt like an Oscars history lesson for those of us under the age of 50 who are expected not to know any of it paired with odd musical numbers and mashups supposedly appealing to a younger generation. Though despite the odd combinations, one of the funniest parts of the night for our group was Kirk Douglas' presentation of best supporting actress. “Colin Firth isn't laughing...He's British.” And Anne Hathaway tried to hold up her end of the “young and hip” bargain and gave a valiant effort with a few funny jokes thrown in the mix. But man, James Franco – total fail.

We all fill out ballots predicting the winners and we play Oscar's bingo where we mark off squares for things happening during the show. I particularly enjoyed the set of bingo cards that I found this year as it was tailored to this particular show and a good portion of the squares did happen – Music cutting someone off, A Facebook joke attempt, Christopher Nolan looking bitter, Someone looking bored (most notably the Cohen brothers). Though noticeably missing were Angelina Jolie looking pissed and Jack Nicholson wearing sunglasses. And it may not have been on the bingo cards – but I was thankful that we didn't have Ben Stiller doing something stupid – as he usually does.

Most of the winners were pretty predictable, and well spread out among the movies. However, I have seen a good portion of the big movies nominated, including The Fighter, True Grit, The King's Speech, Black Swan, The Kids are All Right, Inception, The Social Network, Toy Story 3 and I have to say, it was unfortunate that out of 10 nominations True Grit got snubbed on all of them. It deserved more recognition. And as much as I love Colin Firth, if Jeff Bridges hadn't won for Crazy Heart last year, then he would've won for True Grit this year. Another surprise was on Best Score – Hans Zimmer's score for Inception should have definitely taken this category.

One thing that they did right this year – having each of the nominated songs actually performed on their own– Yay Randy Newman! I hated when they took that part away in previous years.

Overall – even with the oddities, still a fun night, friends old and new! Thanks to all who joined us. :-)