This year my word is grit. Not in the sense of dirt, but in the sense of having endurance while allowing the universe to do her thing without willful interference from me. And that is not easy to do. I read somewhere to trust the process even when the process does not seem to be processing. And that is where I am right now. My dream job turned out not to be and I am wrestling with that. I need to stop. It is what it is or what it was. There is nothing I can do about that. More importantly, there is nothing I should do about that. Things happen for reasons that may not be revealed until much later. I need to be okay with that. I need to intentionally look for the good stuff in the midst of whatever this is. Not knowing the next step can be exciting if I just keep moving forward.
“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”~ Martin Luther King, Jr
This additional quote speaks to me:
Grit, in a word, is stamina. But it’s not just stamina in your effort. It’s also stamina in your direction, stamina in your interests. If you are working on different things but all of them very hard, you’re not really going to get anywhere. You’ll never become an expert. Angela Duckworth
My 2023 MANIFESTO
Spend more money on experiences than things
Remember who I am
Embrace my gray hair (or at least give it a good try)
*Remain unapologetic for taking up space
Ask for help before the crisis hits
*Ride the damn bike (this has been a challenge for the past few years)
*Expect miracles
*Pay attention to the good stuff
Create magic
Be faithful to me
Dance more
Get up, get dressed even if I am not going anywhere
Remember that rest is a verb and do it often
** these are carryovers from previous years
Wish List
Be in an Olay ad campaign
Visit the 8 remaining states on my list (North & South Dakota, New Mexico, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire)
Travel to at least 3 more continents (Asia, Africa, Australia-Antarctica is a maybe)
Swim with dolphins
Produce a television show
See Tina Turner in concert and go backstage
Go to Egypt
Have a regular column in a newspaper or magazine
Own a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes and Louis Vuitton bag
A Few of My Favorite Things
Food: fried chicken, cupcakes, and champagne
Color: orange
Ice cream: mint chocolate chip
I’ll bet you didn’t know…
I am allergic to cats and dogs (and maybe horses, pigs, and squirrels)
I hate:
English peas
The color green
Bell peppers
Cinnamon
Cooked tomatoes
Cherries
