Gift

#30 Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What's the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

The best gift I got this year was my new bed.  I bought a brand-new mattress and pillows in September of 2009 but I kept all my old bedding.  The same duvet cover and sheets and bed-skirt that I’ve had since my ex and I were together. (We broke up four years ago.) To be fair, it’s more about being picky about sheets and comforters.  I had no emotional attachment to this bedding; I just couldn’t find anything I liked better.  I’m pretty particular about thread count and color when it comes to sheets.

But, even though I had no emotional attachment, there was still energy there.  So for Christmas I found sheets I love and a new duvet cover and put them on my wish list.  Mom supplied the duvet cover and Dad came through with new sheets (in an decadent Platinum gray) and then I discovered the Euro Shams at Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Even though I didn’t make a big part of the purchases I feel like this is a gift I gave myself.  I cleared the space of my bed and remade it to fit the person I am now, someone very different from the girl I was when B and I dated.

New Bedding- with chocolate brown sheets

I described it to a friend recently as “delicious”… which he thought was absurd. 

It’s not.  My bed is delicious. 

And it’s clear of any unwanted energy, which is good since I’m meeting the Man of my Dreams this year!

Defining Moment

#29 Defining moment. Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.

As previously mentioned there were two *big* moments for me this year. The first was when I left my old school and the second was when I accepted the job at my new school. So since both these moments have been reflected on, discussed and dissected previously I’ll leave it at this:

Stepping out in faith is something I’ve rarely done.  I’m starting to understand that it actually does work.  Not to mention that I’m finding consistently that if I lead with my heart rather than my head I end up *being* much happier!

Achieve

#28 Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

So- I’m changing this prompt to better fit my beliefs about what is important. I’ve spent a lot of time in the past decade “achieving” and I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on the “doing”.  And the “having”.  So this year I’m focusing on the “being”.

I think this might be the point, right?! If I can just *be* happy or complete or free… then I don’t have to wait for people or things or events to make me feel that way. And I can feel it today!  Plus… YAY! I get to make another list!!!

Ten Ways I can *be* Joyful… right NOW!

1.     Be present

2.     Stay Calm

3.     Take deep breaths

4.     Smile more

5.     Smile bigger

6.     Let go

7.     Dance (everywhere)

8.     Be in awe

9.     Say “Thank you!”

10. Trust