A list of Favorites

Hello All-

I am currently spending the week in Toronto with my friend Dave, if you didn’t know already. For Dave’s birthday, he has been saying that all he wants from me is for the two of us to go roller blading. Reluctantly, I agreed to do so, after much persuading. While trying to convince me to roller blade, Dave reminded me that a year and a half ago, I wouldn’t have even thought about roller blading, as it wouldn’t have even been possible. With this in mind, I sat down with a cup of coffee this morning, and decided to jot down a list of things that I would not have been able to do a year and a half ago, that I might take for granted now. In about 3 minutes, I comprised this list:

1. Ride a bike 2. Wear a skirt without being self conscious 3. Cut my hair short 4. Think the thought “I look nice today.” 5. walk anywhere alone without being self conscious 6. shop at a thrift store for myself 7. cross my legs comfortably 8. roller blade (though we have yet to find out if I’m able to do that yet ) 9. live in Ithaca, and walk up a hill everyday 10. open up to someone I don’t know 11. Open up to people I already know 12. Sit by myself in a restaurant 13. move somewhere where I don’t know many people 14. wear a bathing suit without shorts and a tank top over it 15. riding a roller coaster 16. climbing into a car through the window 17. walking to the top of a water slide, and riding down it 18. jump rope

While most of these are things that I could have feasibly done, but would not have had enough confidence to do so, I still think they belong on the list. Sometimes its nice to write down a list of things that you are thankful or grateful for, that you might not realize how lucky you are to have.

Me Rollerblading!

Create Your World

It seems as though the majority of the feelings we have on a daily basis are dependent on other people; someone cuts you off when driving and your day is ruined, a stranger holds the door open for you and smiles, and it suddenly gets better, a small fight with a friend, or a text message from an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend can send us into an emotional tailspin. The question always arises in my head when things like this happen– Why do we (and most specifically me) give up so much emotional power to other people? There is no way to control how other people treat us, or how they interact with other people, but you can control the feelings and reactions that you have based on these interactions. No one can make you be angry or upset by something that they do, but it is possible that you let yourself become angry because of what happens. I know that there is no reason to become angry by something that someone else does, because there is no positive emotion that comes from it, but I guess that is easier said then done.

In short: There is no way to control the actions of others, so I resolve to make a conscious effort to not be upset by things that I can’t control, are unfixable, or that just aren’t worth the time. Everyday, you create your world to be whatever you want, and today… I will create a beautiful world.

(My friend Dave writes a grateful list at the end of every blog in order to realize how beautiful his world is…and today I will do my own) Today I am grateful for the sun, for Dave, for good music, good bike rides, and honey nut chex cereal.