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!
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!
Photo taken by me outside the Devon Tower in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
It has been a whirlwind holiday and similar to the years before where the month of December passed too quickly. Not to sound like a holiday Hallmark movie or an elf that works for Santa at the North Pole but it really is "the most wonderful time of the year." I can't speak for everyone but for me the glow of my Christmas tree, the holiday lights, the crisp cold air all seem to wake up my soul and reminds me to take pause to appreciate all that I have been given. It is the only time of year that you can stand in the cold fallen snow and feel the warmth surrounding you. This time of year reminds me to be inspired and to be inspiring. Being inspired comes easier to me than being inspiring. I say this because I have had a lifetime of being inspired by my family and the traditions they have created. Each year we have gathered around dining room tables, family Christmas trees and a holiday story that reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas.
Sugar Cookies - 2012
Created by:
myself, my mother and my sister-in-law.
As far back as I can remember the Christmas holiday season started promptly after Thanksgiving with my grandmother and the tradition of making homemade sugar cookies decorated in powdered sugar icing and sprinkles. Through my child like eyes I was always amazed at the wonderland she created during this time of year. Before she would invite us over for our traditional cookie decorating she would have her house decorated as if she were Mrs. Claus. We would enter the wonderland to a six foot tree in the window of the formal living room. Their stocking were hung by the chimney and the mantle was filled with sparkling garland where the snowmen, elves, and reindeer's called home for the season. The kitchen table or otherwise known as the "cookie workshop" had a Christmas table cloth (plastic for easy clean-up) that was covered with rolling pins, cookie cutters, sprinkles and bowls of icing ready for the little grand-elves to make holiday magic.
Mom's Holiday Tree (after Santa)
The cookie decorating tradition was only the first of the holiday season. The weeks to follow were filled with shopping, holiday light looking and another favorite family tradition of decorating our family tree with my mom. My mother very similar to my grandmother could take a simple thing like decorating a Christmas tree and make it magical. As we strung the lights and hung our favorite ornaments on the tree we would sing at the top of our lungs "I believe in Santa Claus" by Dolly and Kenny. At the end, just before we would put the star on and place the tree in it's corner we would "Rock around the Christmas Tree" for one final performance. Then for the finale we would turn out all the lights and sit in the glow of our beautiful tree while sipping on egg nog.
Now that the cookies were made, the tree was trimmed and all the shopping at been done. The night that all children wait for with anticipation had arrived. It is Christmas Eve and the magic of the holiday season was far from over. In fact, Christmas Eve was always the most magical of our traditions. We would arrive at my grandparents just after dark. I can't remember the time as a child but as an adult I now know it's around 6:00 pm. We would bust through the doors with excitement as we once again entered the wonderland my grandmother created for the holidays. In the midst of the family greetings you could hear the popping of my grandfather's record player spinning out the sounds of Bing, Brenda Lee and all the Christmas classics. The evening was filled with family sharing stories of a year that had past, favorite foods, gift exchanges, family pictures, and my grandfather walking through the middle of a living room and grabbing the first girl in his path for a little spin on the imaginary dance floor. When the night was winding down because all the good little girls and boys must get to bed for Santa there was just one more thing to do before saying goodbyes. All the children young and old would gather around my grandfathers feet to hear him once again tell the story of "T'was the Night before Christmas.' In his deep voice he would tell us a story we had heard a thousand times and could probably repeat back by heart. But in these moments not a word was spoken or a movement was made. All eyes were on him as he brought us all together for our final moments of the evening and in those moments we were a family.
These images play through my head so clearly as if I were still that six year old girl experiencing it for the first time. Now that I am all grown up and have an understanding of how much effort it was for my family to create a holiday filled with strong traditions and magic inspires me each year to carry on the magic. Since I don't have little ones of my own some of the traditions are harder to keep than others. But each year I listen to Christmas music as I put up my tree and when I am done I sit in the glow with my egg nog. I am also an active elf on Christmas Eve making the wonderland come alive for one more year. Each year I try to inspire not just my family but those around me to remember the Christmas magic. You never know what kind of family, friends or life one has experienced. A smile, a hug, a cookie, a donation of a toy, a warm coat, or your time could be all the magic that is needed for someone to smile, to believe or to be inspired.
As I said earlier, being inspired at Christmas will always be easier for me than being that one that inspires. Each year my hope is that for all the effort I put into saving the traditions that I might be passing on some of the inspiration, the wonderment and even a little Christmas magic to at least one heart, one bright eyed child that still believes. To pass on what I was once given and will carry with me for the rest of my years.
Merry Christmas to ALL!
I hope that your holiday if full of love, laughter, family and friends because after all isn't that truly the magical gift of Christmas?!
Our Gifts theme this year -
"Brown Paper Packages tied up with String these are a few of my favorite things."
In a world full of busy schedules, people and the attitude of "time is money" it was a pleasant surprise to hear from my sister and her husband who are awaiting take off (delayed) in Chicago not because of weather or technical difficulty but because they airlines/crew (Southwest) held the plane to make sure a passenger didn't miss his ride home. The part that makes this story special is that it wasn't just any passenger but a fallen solider trying to return home to Oklahoma and his family. Although we would all like to think we are important enough hold planes, delay schedules and put the bottom line aside but the truth is that time is money in today's world. Knowing this it was heart warming to hear of a act of kindness, an act of honor choosen by these individuals even though many are in a hurry to get home from the holidays. ♥
Source: Pinterest (Not my photo)
The story ends just as sweet as it begun. When I spoke to my sister again she said that the Pilot gave a little speech as the crew loaded the solider and his "escort" (another solider) took a seat on the plane. He offered the escort solider the condolences on behalf of everyone on the flight and then asked everyone to stay seated when the plan landed in order to allow the solider time to deplane and return to the fallen solider. She said that it was an amazing site and feeling to know that any other time people would be bolting out of their seats, grabbing backs to stand in the aisle but not one person moved. Amazing! <3
