A Good Day Reflection

I sat down with the idea to blog and I got distracted by the idea of creating a Christmas card. Squirrel! Wow, how easy it is to get distracted this time of year. It's a couple of weeks until Christmas and there is so much to do. Time for a little reflection.

I don't know what to write, I just want to write. Here's why. I have too much to say. My mind is whirling. I had a great day at work. I talked to a lot of really lovely people today. I've also been reading a great book. I also came to my senses. So far Friday the 13th has been pretty good.

I'll start with work. I had a potluck with the EAP (English for Academic Purposes) students today. I meet with a couple of the EAP students every week so I got an invitation to the potluck. Every year the students host a potluck and cook food that is delicious and a cultural smorgasbord. Delightful. Even better is the conversation. The students are from all over the world and they get along so well. There's a lot of laughter and support among the students. It always reminds me of how much we are all so similar while being so different. Diversity is a wonderful thing. It is a positive experience to be involved with this group and I applaud the faculty who work so well with the students; all such determined adults with amazing stories to share. They've seen and been through so much. It's eye-opening to hear their stories and it makes me proud to be a part of an organization that supports such an inclusive environment.

I had a good work day too. My colleagues are wonderful, all very dedicated and thoughtful. It's not easy to be the extrovert in a room full of introverts but they put up with me. I love what I do and where I work. Lucky? Oh yes. I'm not saying it's all sunshine and roses everyday but pretty damn close.

So I'm pretty happy with work. My children are lovely too. they both came home with great report cards and I am very proud of them.

I'm sitting at home now. It's a cute house albeit in need of a lot of work. My house is the only un-renovated house in the area but at least it's mine, warts and all. My cat welcomed me when I came in the door, squawking on and on about his day. We had a rough start, the kitten and I, but the cat and I get along great now.

I'm reading a fabulous book called 'The Ascent of Humanity' which I can only handle reading a section at a time. It's a book jammed with all sorts of ideas and insight into our world that are realistic but somewhat optimistic in nature. A rarity for a non-fiction novel. It's nice to read a bit before going to sleep...makes me think about our society and where we are heading.

I'm listening to folky Christmas tunes on CBC radio 2. A mishmash of alternative and varied tunes that you won't find on the top 40 stations. I'm drinking some nice red wine and sneaking a cigarette indoors because it is freezing outside today.

What a nice day. And I REALLY appreciate it. All the bad things happening in my life are parked at the door today. It's heaven really.

I said that I came to my senses recently and that is partially why I can appreciate where I am right now in my life. It finally dawned on me that I can be happy. It is simply a choice to be happy or not. And I choose to be happy. As happy as I can be; and grateful for what I do have. Life IS what you make of it. Taking chances is good. Taking risks is good. Being patient is good. Letting go is good. Accepting imperfection is good.

My point! It's simple I think. it begins with 'shut up' and ends with 'get over it'. Stop complaining, it's a useless thing to do and changes nothing. On FaceBook a friend posted a graphic the other day with words that basically said that if you are doing something you don't feel right about, walk away. What could be more truthful than that? Stop doing what you don't like and start doing what you do like. Why should that be difficult to do? Yes, some of what we have to do is not our favourite thing to do but it usually takes up only a small percentage of our day. Why dwell on that?

I'm not saying to be naive or ignorant. Definitely be well-informed, well-read and current, but put it into perspective. If you want change, do what YOU can from where you are. It will make you happy. Be creative, share your ideas, try something new, failure is OK and usually a great learning experience. Stay safe, be wise, be open to new ideas. If you disagree, think about why you disagree and fill in the gap with your knowledge and experience. Don't doubt things, ponder things instead.

We are living in a spectacularly rich environment with so much information at our finger tips that we should never be bored. NEVER! No one should ever say they are bored.

Please have a lovely day today. Merry Christmas!