Over the course of my youth, I spent a lot of time my bedroom watching Style with Elsa Klensch. During the runway portions of the show, my eyes were glued to my tiny 10-inch TV. But when Ms. Klensch interviewed designers, I'd busy myself with sketching my own couture creations on paper fastened to a clip board that I propped up on my lap with a pillow. However, I keenly recall one interview with a designer that caused me to look up from whatever masterpiece I was creating. Ms. Klensch was interviewing Donna Karan, and Ms. Karan was talking about how her positive attitude helped make her successful. I remember her discussing her penchant for always looking at the bright side of things, and she uttered something like, "If the ceiling caved in, I'd probably think, 'Well, I have always wanted a skylight.'" I've never forgotten that sentiment, and I believe her philosophy has influenced my own life.
As 2011 wraps up and I reflect back upon my year, I'm realizing that despite the grandiose goals I set last January, which I subsequently failed to achieve, I'm coming out of this year stronger and happier than ever. There were some highs, a few lows, but even the lows from this year turned out to be good things once I viewed them at a different angle.
One highlight from 2011 was discovering a passion for yoga. While I've been a faithful and consistent gym member for nearly six years, I'd always neglected yoga. But I went to a class last January and have been smitten ever since. I now try to incorporate yoga into my regimen at least once a week. Through yoga, I've learned how to stay calm and implore deep breathing in challenging situations. I've also learned to celebrate my successes and forgive my failures, which are lessons I now rely on heavily outside of the yoga studio.
On a related note, I joined a new gym a few months ago that has already proven to be one of the best decisions I've ever made. Although I loved my last gym, I was quickly sold on the fact that the new gym is less expensive and has a rooftop pool!!! But more than that, I happened to meet a wonderful personal trainer who has already challenged me beyond what I believed I could do. I've always been pretty good at pushing myself, but having someone else push me is a new experience for me that is just what I need at this point in my life. Working out is one of my favorite things to do, and the gym is one of my favorite places to be, so discovering that it is possible to enjoy it even more has definitely been a highlight of 2011.
Additionally, my passion for volunteering has grown tremendously this year! Although mentoring takes up a good chunk of my time, I still often feel that "I'm not doing enough," and am constantly compelled to do more. So, I began volunteering at House of the Good Shepherd in September, which is a domestic violence shelter for mothers and their children, and I've been helping out there several times a month because I'm so drawn to their cause. In fact, I had a holiday party last Saturday and requested that each guest bring an item to donate to HGS in lieu of bringing food for the party. My friends' generosity went above and beyond any expectations I had, and now I need to find a way to haul the loot to the facility. This is a very good problem to have. But while I really enjoy volunteering at HGS, nothing really compares to the bond I've created and nurtured with my mentee, which you can read more about in this post. By the time 2011 is officially over, I will have officially put in 167.67 volunteer hours since January. The world doesn't treat me better because I do good things, but I don't expect it to do so. I choose to volunteer because I truly believe that I have a responsibility on this planet to contribute to those in need.
A "low" that I now see as a "high" was finding out I needed to cancel my plans to go to Italy and drop $5k on a dental treatment, which I'm certain you are all sick of hearing about by now. This was devastating news when I found out, but I'm not devastated. In fact, because I was already saving for Italy, I had enough money to pay for the procedure and didn't need to use too much of my savings. Oh, and by the way, although my last post said I'd be getting my new tooth last Monday, I found out instead that I needed to wait two more weeks. But, what's two weeks after three months? I've really mastered the fine art of patience in 2011, and if patience were an Olympic event, I'd bring home gold. I did get a "permanent temporary," though, so at least no more retainer. 5 more days...deep breath...5...more...days...
Another "low" that I now see as a "high" was my computer crashing in June, right about the same time I found out about my tooth. I lost four years worth of journals and countless photos. The upside to this is that I know a guy who knows a guy who knows how to fix computers. Thankfully, I live in Chicago, where everyone "knows a guy." I paid a mere 50 bucks for Mr. Guy (I seriously don't even know his name) to totally rebuild my computer, and now it's like brand new. But while my 'puter was out of service, I basically began substituting journaling with blogging (at work, shhh). Through journaling in my blog, I've exposed my very honest thoughts and very real flaws. But I believe that being open and vulnerable in a public space has translated to my life outside of the blogosphere, as I've realized that the more open and authentic I am, the more people wonderful people I'm able to allow into my life.
Although I didn't find myself traveling down a new career path, and even though I couldn't go to Italy or haven't yet fallen in love with Mr. Right-For-Me, I still managed to have a pretty decent year. I created wonderful memories with friends and family, and isn't that the most important stuff in life anyway? Don't get me wrong - I'm still hell bent on achieving these goals. And after the tremendous amount of learning and growing I accomplished in 2011, I feel armed with the tools to take on 2012 and make it the best year yet.
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