It’s April 1st and I am
surprisingly excited. I don’t have any special plans. My birthday is on the 22nd,
and I am turning 33. So why the excitement you may ask? Every April, I strive
to not only be happy but to celebrate me. This goal only started a few years
ago when I became disappointed by a birthday that didn’t turn out the way I
wanted. In fact, I ended up drinking a beer, and watch the sunset at home
feeling miserable. That was the first and last time I had a day like that. I
decided never to have one like it again. Every April since then I made a
personal goal to have no expectations, don’t look for anything from anyone, and
definitely not feel lonely. Drinking a beer and watching the sunset isn’t bad,
but it can be when you’re not happy. My students always made my birthdays
special. It was always unexpected, and one of the many times I felt
appreciated. I miss that. My family made things special as well. Although, I am
older and we don’t do the cake and ice cream anymore, they still remind me how
much they love me. Then there are those friends who made me laugh or were just
there to celebrate my special day. Overall, I am a lucky lady.
What makes this year different? For
starters, I am still not 100% healed from hip surgery. I still have to take it
easy, and take baby steps. I guess no dancing in my near future just yet! The
other thing is I am home most of the time, and when I do go out it’s via car
service. I still cannot take the subway. This is one of the reasons I haven’t
thought about making any plans to do anything. The bright side is I no longer
celebrate my birth on the actual day only. I celebrate for the whole month. The
goal is to do all things that make me smile. The challenge is to not get upset
by my circumstances. I always like to say, “I may not have much, but I make it
work with what I do have.”
I feel happy this year. I have
accomplished a lot, and it’s only getting better. I call this my treasure box.
The treasure box consists of the things I tend to do well in. The dream is very
much alive, and I believe each step I take will pay off sooner than later. That
excites me most. When it happens, I will reveal it here. My book is going well.
I’m at 32,000+ words. I’m close to reaching the 50,000 word goal. That excites
me too. I’m proud that I have been keeping on with my main goal, “To do all the
things you were told you couldn’t or were too afraid to try.”
Here are a few examples:
Applied for a NYC craft entrepreneurship
program where candidates learn how to sell their crafts online (creating an
online store). As of last night, I was informed that I am a semi-finalist. Yay!
Completed a training I’ve been wanting
to do for over a year now. It’s a hurricane shelter training with the NYC
Office of Emergency Management. It prepares one to volunteer in opening and
operating a temporary shelter in emergencies such as a hurricane.
Took a digital journalism online course
where I learned how to create audio slideshows using Audacity and Soundslides
software.
Today I am a volunteer grant writer for
iN Education, Inc. My profile can be seen here: http://
Lastly, I’ve been networking with other writers to understand the
writing/publishing business. I feel I am making some headway in something I’m
striving to accomplish. Being a published author would not only be an
accomplishment, but a testament to who I am.
Here’s to a month of smiles and (hopefully) more accomplishments. I may
not be able to walk well, but that won’t stop me from walking.
PS: I am still crafting and getting ideas from Google, YouTube, and
stores such as Goodwill. This Mason jar I brought for $1.99 from the Goodwill
is going to be my wish jar. I will write all my wishes on small pieces of paper,
and put it in this jar. By the end of the year, I will see how many wishes that
came true. Hey you never know!
No comments:
Post a Comment