Lessons learned in 2005

I got hit in the head with the good karma genie's wand and will be going to Hawaii for Christmas with the ticket, can anyone guess who, bought for me. This will likely be my last post for 2005 as I don't anticipate myself having the time or desire while in Hawaii, to work on the computer. As I was driving around today, for hours, doing my last minute Christmas shopping, I became very reflective and started thinking about the lessons I've learned in the last year. The past 3 or so years have been quite full of change for me, but 2005 in particular was especially full of change. I love to learn and love to think. I believe we never fully 'grow up' and are constantly given lessons to learn. I'm not sure of the frequency of these lessons, but I believe the challenge in life is to find the lessons presented to us. I suspect lessons are thrown at us much more frequently than we realize and we end up not learning from something we should or could have. I think we have to be open in order to see what we're supposed to learn. Is anyone following this? A very wise co-worker once told me we're given the same lesson over and over again until we learn it. I sometimes think I need a tutor, but I did learn some things this year.

1. Change is inevitable. Learn to embrace or at least accept it.
2. Not everything is about me, or you, or anyone else for that matter. Sometimes you just need to realize, it is what it is, and not read more into it.
3. My mind is too full of other thoughts and my heart too full of other feelings to keep anger in there very long. There just isn't room.
4. People are infinitely capable of redemption.
5. Forgiveness is about ME feeling better. It just feels better to forgive than to not forgive.
6. "If I were you, I would....." doesn't work. It's human nature for us to expect others to think, feel, and behave as we do, or at least think we would, but we're all different and don't always act as we or others predict. Not everyone fits in the same box. That would be quite boring.
7. Everybody loves differently, in their own way.
8. My actions and reactions are my own and absolutely don't have to be dependent upon anyone else's. Put more simply, just because someone isn't kind or truthful to me, doesn't mean I can't be kind or truthful to them.
9. Before you even think about judging, put yourself in the other person's shoes. Even if it's just for a fleeting moment.
10. Always TRY to understand that which you do not. You may never, but at least you tried.
11. Give because you want to, not because you want something back. People give back in all different ways and forms, and they don't always match yours.
12. If you have something to say, say it.....especially if it's nice.

If you have something to say, say it......especially if it's nice

A co-worker came up behind me last week at work and gave me a hug. When I turned to see who it was, he immediately started to tell me he was having one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong. He said he felt more calm and relaxed after seeing me because I always seemed calm and relaxed. He told me something that for a large part, I did not know about myself. Sometimes at work I feel rushed and frazzled, and thought I was exhibiting that, but he perceived me as being calm and relaxed in the face of chaos. It was utterly amazing....Mike told me something about myself that I wasn't seeing, and immediately after, I DID feel totally calm and relaxed. I've been in this mellow, calm, relaxed mood ever since. I found myself aspiring to, and becoming what Mike's positive words implied about me. I learned that as much as we need to get most of our identity, and sense of self, from within ourselves, we find a lot of who we are in the eyes of others. We tend to become and aspire, to some extent at least, to other's perception of us, both positive, and unfortunately, sometimes negative. So in the spirit of the holiday season, I would like to be so bold as to suggest a gift for everyone to give. That is the gift of kind, honest words. Please tell someone, anyone, something positive and kind, they may or may not know about themselves. I know I will remember Mike's words and the effect they had on me long after I've eaten the last of my Christmas chocolates. And to think I asked for a rake for Christmas.

Two reminders to self......

Since the theme of my previous two posts has been lists, I will continue that theme with a new list. This is a short list. Kind of a reminder list for myself.

1. Do NOT go on the internet at work.
2. When typing web addresses, for those times I forget reminder #1, refrain from fat-finger typing where by I touch two keys at once, and the letter I don't want, finds its way into my web address.

Now I realize these two items require further explanation. I will explain. While at work today I decided to check out my blog to see if anyone still read it and had commented on my most recent posts, or if everyone has given up on me because of my long absence. In the unfortunate process of typing in the web address for my blog, I accidentally typed "glogspot" instead of "blogspot". I won't type out the complete URL because I don't want to accidentally create a link to it in my blog, but you guys are smart, you can figure it out. It's the web address for my blog, boycottvelcro, but I accidentally put a "g" instead of a "b" in blogspot. Let me just say, I was taken to a website that was not my own, and it once again, was not one I wished to have prominently displayed on my computer at my very open, and prominently displayed desk. First I encounter naked bouncing bosoms while trying to download a ringtone for my phone, and now I find if I'm just one letter off on my blog web address I get..............I'm not going to tell you. You'll have to do it yourself. Maybe not at work though.

Children's Books That Didn't Make It

Ok. As I've already been told, I'm probably going to hell for posting this, but it's just too funny not to and we all need a little holiday cheer and chuckle. Please know that I did not come up with these. I'm just plagiarising someone elses not-so-politically correct writing. If I knew who the real author was, I would be happy to give credit to them, but I don't.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS THAT DIDN’T MAKE IT

1. You Are Different and That’s Bad.
2. The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables.
3. Dad’s New Wife, Robert.
4. Fun Four-letter Words to Know and Share.
5. Hammers, Screwdrivers and Scissors: An I-Can-Do-It Book.
6. The Kid’s Guide to Hitchhiking.
7. Kathy Was So Bad Her Mom Stopped Loving Her.
8. Curious George and the High-Voltage Fence.
9. All Cats Go to Hell.
10. The Little Sissy Who Snitched.
11. Some Kittens Can Fly.
12. That’s It, I’m Putting You Up For Adoption.
13. Grandpa Gets a Casket.
14. The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator.
15. Garfield Gets Leukemia.
16. The Pop-Up Book of Human Anatomy.
17. Strangers Have the Best Candy.
18. Whining, Kicking, and Crying to Get your Way.
19. You Were an Accident.
20. Things Rich Kids Have But You Never Will.
21. Pop Goes the Hamster and Other Great Microwave Games.
22. The Man in the Moon is Actually Satan.
23. Your Nightmares Are Real.
24. Where Would You Like to be Buried?
25. Eggs, Toilet Paper, and Your School.
26. Why Can’t Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Be Friends?
27. Places Mommy and Daddy Hide Neat Things.
28. Daddy Drinks Because You Cry.
29. Dealing With A.D.D., Hey Look A New Bike

Seven Seven's, or something like that....

After quite a long hiatus and period of writer's block, my fellow bloggers, Cori and Laura have inspired me to finally post something. I can't take credit for the topic, which was started by either Cori or Laura, (I think) only my answers.

Seven Things To Do Before I Die
1. Switch to decaf coffee
2. Snowboard
3. Have a turtle habitat in my backyard
4. Travel to Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands
5. Transfer all my old Osmond record albums to cd
6. Find my soulmate
7. Figure out what I want to be when I grow up

Seven Things I Cannot Do
1. Give up caffeine
2. Cook and entertain at the same time
3. Jazzercise
4. Say "no" well
5. Initiate a hug. Not that I don't love hugs. I just don't know how to start one.
6. Lie...as in to not tell the truth.
7. Sleep

Seven Things That I Admire In Others
1. True and genuine kindness
2. Sense of humor
3. Honesty
4. Loyalty
5. Compassion/empathy
6. Ability to make a commitment to something/anything
7. Ability to find balance between not taking life too seriously and being serious enough when necessary

Seven Things I Say Most Often
1. Yes
2. Ok
3. Sure
4. Fine
5. Can I give your cat/dog a middle name?
6. Probably, as in I'm 'probably' sorry I missed your call.
7. I'm going to update my blog tonight.

Seven Books (or Series) I Love
1. Cider House Rules
2. The Fourth Hand
3. Seven Moves
4. Summer People
5. Lucky in the Corner
6. The DaVinci Code
7. Angels and Demons

Four Movies I Have Watched Over and Over Again
1. Best in Show
2. Waiting for Guffman
3. Flirting With Disaster
4. But I'm a Cheerleader-because it always seems to be on late at night when I can't sleep.
For the most part, I don't tend to watch a movie more than once. There are so many movies out there and so little time so if I do find myself in the movie watching position, I usually prefer to watch one I haven't seen yet.