That's easy: the Etsy Party that Sew Crafty co-hosted with Etsy Houston - it was awesome! We had over 200 Houstonians show up and craft with us while enjoying food, wine and the company of other crafty people!
I read the Happiness Project early last year and it was one of the wisest books I have read in a long time. The thing that stuck with me the most is the idea of doing one resolution at a time.
Working on only one resolution at a time is genius. Pure genius! Most people I know, myself included, jump into a laundry list of actions to take on in the new year and quickly burn out by February 2nd.
It's overwhelming to try and tackle everything you want to improve at once - it's like trying to remodel every room of your house on the same weekend. If you tear down all the walls, rip out the plumbing and start messing with the foundation, you're not leaving yourself any space to live.
Doing one resolution at a time gives you the space you need to live in the change and make it part of your life.
*Buy the book - it's awesome!
December 11: 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?
I'm a bit torn about this prompt. On one hand I think it's awesome to look back at things you need to change for the upcoming year, but on the other, I love what Happy Katie had to say about moving forward positively by listing 11 things she wants to do in 2011.
My natural state is compromise, so I'm going to do 6 things I'm going to do more of in 2011 and 5 that I'm going to eliminate!
More of this in 2011
1. Walking - it's the best way to get in shape and clear your head. As my friend Ruthie said, it's cool to think you can still be doing it at Angela Landsbury's age! Fitness she wrote...
3. Loving my husband - loving someone is a choice you make every day. Each year I'm married to Ryan, I love him even more and we get along even better.
4. Volunteering - it feels good to help other people. I used to think that was a bit selfish - helping others so that you feel better, but then I heard something Gil Fronsdal said on Zencast about extending lovingkindness to yourself and remembering that doing good isn't about a stoic morality but instead a connection to others. Connection to other people should feel good or you're not doing it right. (That's what she said. BAM.)
5. Sitting quietly - I took a meditation class in January and haven't meditated since January last year. It's for no other reason than I'm lazy and "Don't have time!" It's a BS excuse and I am going to sit more next year.
6. Bring back the positive - I have swung wildly in both directions all my life: nice, but subservient doormat person to "Oh no you didn't!" yelling at line cutter at Target person. I want to be more balanced in 2011.
Less of this in 2011
1. Negativity - I want to be less negative. This is usually on people's list, so I am totally with you on it being a cliche. One of my favorite quotes was from a college professor who said "Original ideas are overrated. Things become cliche because they are true - I'm not interested in original, I'm looking for truth."
2. Alcohol - I enjoy drinking, but lately I've noticed how bad it feels on my body. Even after one glass on wine, I notice that it's harder to sleep and I feel groggy the next day. Occasionally, I'll have some wine or a cocktail, but during the week or every week, no thanks.
4. Being on the internet so much - I check my email like 20 times a day and constantly monitor Facebook/Twitter for my business, which is good for times of responsiveness, but bad for getting things done and bad for having a peaceful day. I need to set more boundries and limit my internet time.
5. TV time - my default is staring at a screen and it's robbing me of valuable time I can spend doing what I love to do like sewing, hanging with my family or walking!
December 12: Body integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn't mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?
Riding my bike always makes me feel alive. I used to be really scared of it - scared of falling off, getting hit by a car, by popping the chain and having to drag the bike back home. I'm a major chicken and biking was just sooooo dangerous to me!
When I started riding again, something changed after the second time and I started to feel like a kid again. I noticed butterflies fluttering in my neighbors gardens, the sound of kids kicking a ball in a vacant lot and the "whooosh!" of the wind against my helmet. When I'm on that bike, I feel like one connected being.
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