I started this blog just before the new year of 2012 in hopes to give myself a platform to explore writing, reading, new interests to help me grow as well as a place to talk to myself "out loud."
Some of the post will be random thoughts or stories that happen throughout the year and some will be thoughts that were drived from a pensive state. Feel free to come along on my journey of self discovery and growth!
....then I am in love with the way Tegan and Sara make them sound every time they release a new song/album.
I am not sure I have mentioned this before in my blog but I have a "small" obsession with music. Yes, I am one of those people who listen to songs and can hear my life play out within the lyrics. I spend hours listening to music on Youtube, Soundcloud, Pandora and of course the collection on my Iphone. Similar to a "book worm" I guess you could say I was a "music worm."
Unfortunately for me I was not given a musical talent to accompany my musical passion. So I am left to do what everyone else and live through the words of some of the greatest song writers. I will say that since I wasn't blessed with the talents of being a singer/songwriter I naturally gravitate towards the artists who have been blessed. Please don't misunderstand, I have an appreciate for all song writers who create beautiful songs for talented singers but my soul finds itself exposed more times than not when by the artists that are brave enough to sing us their personal diaries. The emotions that are captured in the notes, in the voices and in the expressions of the words can be so raw and intimate that pain is turned into something beautiful.
Tegan and Sara is just one example of a singer/songwriter artist that I couldn't imagine my music collection without. I have been a fan for several years and have several favorite songs on each album. Today makes the release of their "Heartthrob" album and I am in love with every song and couldn't possibly choose just one to love.
"I was a Fool" and "Now I'm All Messed Up" are just two examples of the lyrical and musical brilliance on this album. I highly recommend purchasing the entire album!!
I have spend twenty years of my life in Oklahoma and twenty years wanting to live somewhere else. Why am I still here? Good question and the answer is probably simpler than I am about to make it sound.
I had wings once before and I used those wings to pack up my hopes, dreams, cat, love and found a place to call home on the East Coast. I spent five years loving every day filled with green trees, winding roads, shorelines, snow flakes and even the rain drops. I was in love and like most loves when it is good you never imagine the day you have to say goodbye.
Saying goodbye to the place my heart called home was bittersweet. The reasons I had to leave where based on a shattered heart and broken wings. The person I was in those five years, the person that build that life no longer existed and I could no longer remember the person I was before. I could see no other choice but to come back to the place that housed my family so I could repair my wings and remember the girl that had big dreams!
I have been back in the city now for three years. Since my return I have been exposed to a city that has been transforming not only the city blocks that surround the four walls I call home but the person living within them.
When I leave this city again (and I will), I will leave once again full of hopes, dreams, ideas and full of life. But this time I won't leave thinking of all the things Oklahoma didn't have to offer me but instead I will remember how this changing city taught me to change with it!
Since I am working on living my "possibilities" in 2013 I decided to throw in an extra savings plan in order to jump start my 2014. As all good "budgeting" goes I already have a savings plan and travel savings plan for this year but this money challenge will allow me to grow a separate fund to start of 2014! My hope is to build this habit in 2013 and going forward it can be my "book of possibilities" money!
Here's the challenge!
Source: Unknown - I don't own any rights to this idea or picture
The first few weeks are difficult to me because I don't normally manage my money in cash. So I have jumped started this savings plan and deposited 15.00 dollars in my savings account for the month of January. I will more than likely end up depositing money twice on month on payday but I love having an outline goal to challenge myself weekly, monthly and for the year!
Here is to joining the millions who have resolved themselves to "spend less and save more" in 2013!
Every New Year millions of people, myself included, have talked about and/or in recent years flooded social media sites about what their "New Year's Resolutions" will be for the upcoming year. I like many have fallen into the same pattern of vowing to lose weight, exercise more, spend less money and the list goes on. This year I wanted to do something different. Instead of writing down all my resolutions of what I will stop doing or should I say repeating all my resolutions that I didn't not accomplish in years past I decided to start my "book of possibilities." I would love to be able to claim this idea of my own but for copy right purposes and privileges I want to mention that the idea was taken from the movie "The Last Holiday." Only I am adding my own twist. In the movie the main character was collecting her dreams, inspirations and "will do one day" ideas into a book so when she saved enough money or got enough time she could live out her dreams. The character had no plans on chasing her dreams at that moment in time until an incident occurred where she thought she only had a couple of weeks to live. Long movie short, she discovered the what it was like to live out the possibilities and stop waiting for one day! If you haven't seen the movie I would recommended renting just in case my writing abilities don't inspire you to jump on the possibilities wagon. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408985/
My 2013 personal twist to this adorable movie (otherwise known as a chick-flick) is that I am going to build my book of possibilities while living it! 2013 for me is about not waiting for "one day" to live out my hopes, dreams or discover new ones. So this year my only resolution is to start living life to the fullest and stop waiting for "one day" to arrive. I know I won't be able to do everything I want to do the moment I want to do it give that I am not independently wealthy. So my resolution is two part. 1.) Is to add items to my book that can be done short term as well as long term. 2.) Set a plan for all the things I can do in 2013 in order to set them into action and set up the rest for 2014, 2015, etc.
My 2013 entries to the book of possibilities will begin with these wanted possibilities:
Travel out of the U.S. - I have always wanted to travel outside the U.S. and every year I wish on a star, my birthday candles, eyelashes anything that might help me find a way to save the money, get a passport and book a trip. What I have discovered each year is that I do not have a travel fairy godmother that is going to appear and use her magic wand to make a passport appear in my purse along with extra dollars and plane ticket. So I guess it is up to me to make this dream a reality.
The Plan:
Get Passport in March when I get my bonus from 2012
Begin planning a trip for August 2013 to visit London for the first time. (not sure of all the details yet but I know I would like to go in August so that it connects with another trip I will be making on the East Coast.)
Purchase Plane Tickets in April and/or put the down payment on the tickets at a travel agency.
Starting April 1st paycheck I have started a travel fund line item in the budget to put back money that will specifically be used for this trip.
August - board a plane and make it a reality.
Become a better writer
- This blog is going to the vehicle I use to practice writing. I am giving this advance warning for any readers who happen to stumble upon this post or have visited my site before. In the upcoming year there will be several random post about music, books or life events. Pretty much anything that inspires me to take a few moments to write.
The Plan:
Read 5 Books in 2013 - it is said that in order to become a better writer you have to be a better reader. So outside my normal blog and/or web reading I am committing to reading 5 books this year. Specifically:
Les Mes (loved the movie so now it is time to do the work and read it)
Pride and Prejudice (I have owned this book for 3 years and have yet to pick it up to read.)
2 books I am leaving open to decide later in the year
Lastly, A book I purchased 3 years ago as well and only made it through chapter 1. "Escaping into the Open" by Elizabeth Berg is a book about learning how to write. It has 13 chapters and at the end of each is a writing assignment. (Refer back to the random posting warning above.) I will label these random posting so I can refer back to them as I take on this writing journey.
PMP Certification - I am not sure I mentioned it before because it hasn't been of any importance until this moment but I am a Project by day/inspiring blogger, writer, photographer by night. In 2010 I started my journey of accomplishing my goal to become a project manager within my company. I had known since 2007 that was the position I wanted but given corporate obstacles I hadn't found a way to achieve that goal. After spending another three years trying to navigate my career withing the walls of the company I decided to take on the challenge personally. In August of 2010, I enrolled with an online University in order to spend the next 8 months completely the technical certification training for Project Managers. It was on my own time with my own money so this was a big deal for me personally. The result of taking this personal approach to education and wanting to springboard into this position is that I was rewarded by my company. I believe that three things contributed to me becoming a Project Manager on two months after my training when before I had waited three years. 1.) Showing personal initiative to make things happen
2.) The timing was right
3.) Networking
Although I was able to accomplish my 2010 goal of completing the training and then my 2011 goal of actually becoming a Project Manager I am still one step shy of closing the loop on this dream. Once you are technically trained you have to collect 4500 working hours before you can apply to take the official exam. Why is this important? Once you pass the exam you can officially place PMP behind your name and those three letters can open up a world of possibilities in my field. I now have my 4500 hours so it is time to get the certification!
The Plan:
Spend the first 3 month of the year studying my training material in order to pass the exam.
Submit my application for the exam by the end of April
Test in the month of May/June
Reach goal of having my certification by summer
I have been blessed in the life with two things that have helped me thus far in reaching my goals. I am a dreamer and I like to dream big. Lucky for me I am also a planner and have the ability to execute on plans. Makes my job as a Project Manager the perfect fit. I have done very well in the past using these two things to make things happen in my professional life. This year I am allowing the dreamer to dream really big and asking the project manager in me to make the dreamers dream a reality.
I am so excited for 2013! If I accomplish only these things it will be a successful year!
I am going to miss the warm cozy feeling of cold nights snuggled in by the glow of the Christmas lights. Maybe I should find a way to add them to the everyday decor. That way I can have the warmth and glow all year round. Hmmm something to think about. ;-)
Photo by Cs - Mulan by the warm glow of lights
Photos by Cs -
Mulan relaxing by the glow of the bright lights
Once again we begin a new year full of new possibilities, hopes, dreams, wishes and goals. We have a renewed sense of energy and feel as if we could take on the world.
Now is the time!
My unsolicited advice for 2013! I am writing this advice not only to hold myself accountable but perhaps inspire someone to do the same. Create your "book of possibilities" for 2013! Take advantage of the energy you are feeling that only comes when you ring in the New Year. The feeling of anything is possible and life could be bigger and/or brighter. Write down what you want to accomplish for yourself in 2013. No matter how big or small it might be. If you want it for yourself because it will allow you to be a better you, experience more of life, become a more intelligent person than write it down. Dreams come in all sizes.
I know that what I am saying seems full of New Year hype but I will share with you how I think you can make this year different than all the other years. Write it down! Once you have written it down then re-read it everyday or every week. Whatever it takes to serve as a reminder of all the things you wish for this year. Writing it down makes it real. It takes what was once a dream and makes it a reality. It also becomes a way to remind yourself of how you felt in this moment and re-awaken those feeling each time life starts to get you down or take you off your path. I believe making a list that you can feel and touch will help on the journey of checking all the boxes off before 2014.
That is my advice and I am taking it! In the upcoming post I will creating my "book of possibilities" for 2013! This is going to be an incredible year!
