In my effort to "not" do some things, I realized that I have to keep in mind what I do want in life and make sure I'm staying focused. I realized I was losing focus when I found myself becoming jealous of someone that received something that I had purposefully turned down months earlier. It's not what I wanted, and yet, I still got jealous? I have a long ways to go in life.
Especially when it comes to my job, I have to remember that I made a choice back in graduate school to not be my job. I had some really great professors, but I also saw how many of them seemed to have no life beyond the profession. Some of them had wise life lessons to share, but some of them seemed so focused on the job that it made it hard for us as students, as if we were expected to be just like them. I want to be the best I can be at my job, I still intellectually really like my field, and I love the kids and families I get to work with. However, that will never be what defines me. I'm glad that people that don't know me from work assume I do something completely different for a living. The services I provide to others at work are a blessing, but that is not the extent of the service I want to provide to the world. I have much to learn from others in other realms of life, and I want to experience more than my "job" ambition can allow. I say "no" to focus on my ultimate goals, but I have to remind myself of that.
Just to revisit my "goals" for this year of intentionality (in case you didn't read my comeback blog post), here they are, in addition to some others that I had, but didn't originally post.
1. Read at least 3 books that I already own/have but have never read. What kind of person owns books they've never read? Me.
2. Co-write some songs. Everything I've written in the last few years has been solo. I'm grateful that I've built up a body of work, but I want to learn how to write with different voices. Who wants to join me?!
3. Try or do something new every day.
4. Listen to and if possible, begin audio recording people's stories. All kinds.
5. Have lunch/tea with someone fun at least once a month.
6. Give something to someone(s) at least once a week. Tangible items, time, service, money, whatever.
7. Pray for others more than myself.
8. Be a consultant for 4 Norwex parties this year. I sell Norwex? Technically yes. I do love and use the products and would be happy to tell you about them. I don't know how to sell anything or to promote a business, really.
9. Plan out my continuing education for work and learn about things beyond my current/past experiences.
I'm not doing too bad with most of these things. I'm on my way at least! The lenten season is helping my prayer life intentionality and I got to hear a short snippet of a new person's story the other night, though I didn't get to record it. We happened to go to the Brick and heard a band the other night that happened to be really inspiring. A girl by the name of Kalyn leads a band called Wheelchair Sports Camp. It was just her, her drummer (who was stellar), and a trumpet player (with various pedals). They rocked. She rapped. I bought one of her albums. I talked with her briefly afterwards and asked her how she got started. She said she had been rapping since she was a kid with a friend of hers, and then after a while she broke out on her own with what is now her current band. They collaborate with a bunch of other people and had a more "major" tour in 2012. She remembered just a few hours out of Kansas City that she left her computer with her programmed beats back in Denver, so she had to just roll with it live. They were really good. Just to warn you, her music is not kid friendly and may not be your cup of tea, but her raps are both whimsical and self-aware, innocent and explicit. I want to find out more about her story.
On a completely unrelated note, I scored some solid black LuLaRoe leggings this month. Seriously, I did! I'm also now more regularly flossing my teeth. That may gross some of you out, but my childhood dentist didn't emphasize flossing and I never got in the habit of it as a kid. Dental/gum health, y'all. I've also been really blessed and surprised by the encouragement and generosity of some not-so-well known people at my church recently who've spoken encouraging words to me and donated to Compassion's Water of Life program after hearing me share some information with kids at church. Pretty awesome. Don't take water and being able to drink out of the faucet for granted, y'all. World Water Day is March 22nd. #awareness
#saynotosayyes #goals
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