yesterday I turned 25. Twenty-five. 5 years past 20. 5 years until 30. It sounds daunting and to be honest I was a little scared as this birthday approached. Birthdays are a reminder that you are one year older and sometimes they can make you feel a bit guilty, such as when you think: "I thought by the time I was ____ I would be doing this or would have accomplished that...". They can also be a good time to reflect on how you're living your life and who you are sharing it with. For me, yesterday was a confirmation that I am definitely sharing it with the right people. I was overwhelmed by the love that I felt, from the sweet email and text messages that I received from loved ones far away to my wonderful London friends who helped me celebrate another year. And, as an ongoing resolution of mine, I chose to embrace only the good--yes, I was one year older but the day reminded me that my #1 priority is the relationships that I have with my family and friends (that are often like family) and that that is a fulfilling and worthy life as any. Also, two wonderful things happened that made the day extra special: my older sister chose her wedding dress and a dear friend got engaged. Those two lovely pieces of news were icing on the cake and made me feel that love was all over the place.:)
A London friend gave me a wonderful scrapbook today that has some of my new favorite quotes in the them, and as always, in my pursuit for clarity, peace and joy I am reading, re-reading and trying to embrace them. My absolute favorite line is "exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life". How wonderful is that line?! Here they are, in full:
"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best, and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you!"-Christian D. Larson
"find life experiences and swallow them whole. travel. meet many people. go down some dead ends and explore dark alleys. try everything. exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life."--lawrence k. fish
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The year of talking
I've realized recently that I think I spend more time this year talking than ever before. Not talking measured by the number of words that come out of my mouth, but having real honest-to-goodness conversations. I talk in coffee shops, on park benches, in pubs, in classrooms, on walks, over meals, on skype, on gchat. I've always loved talking with people and learning about their lives, and as my grandmother says, she sometimes feels like I am interviewing her when we have conversations because I ask question after question. It's not because I'm nosy (well, maybe not ALL because I'm nosy)...but I really am interested in people. I love hearing about families, and what people have done, and what they want to do in the future.
And this year, maybe because I don't have a television, or maybe because I'm in a new country, I feel like I've been having more conversations than ever. It's made me think about how much I love learning about other people and what that means. I have always, always loved learning about people and asking them questions from "so tell me about your wedding day 25 years ago" to "what did you have for dinner last night?". A few weeks ago a friend was talking about someone in her family and I said "oh is that the person who did so and so...".. to which she responded "wow you have a great memory!"... but it's not that I have a great memory about everything. I tend to have a bad memory actually for MOST things--I can never remember things I learn in museums or movies or historical facts or titles of books. But if you tell me something about a family member or friend I will most likely remember it...because that's what interests me. So in this year of talking I've thought about how I can consider this when looking for a job...how can I use my interest to help others, to make an impact, to learn about people and to continue talking .
And this year, maybe because I don't have a television, or maybe because I'm in a new country, I feel like I've been having more conversations than ever. It's made me think about how much I love learning about other people and what that means. I have always, always loved learning about people and asking them questions from "so tell me about your wedding day 25 years ago" to "what did you have for dinner last night?". A few weeks ago a friend was talking about someone in her family and I said "oh is that the person who did so and so...".. to which she responded "wow you have a great memory!"... but it's not that I have a great memory about everything. I tend to have a bad memory actually for MOST things--I can never remember things I learn in museums or movies or historical facts or titles of books. But if you tell me something about a family member or friend I will most likely remember it...because that's what interests me. So in this year of talking I've thought about how I can consider this when looking for a job...how can I use my interest to help others, to make an impact, to learn about people and to continue talking .
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