Re-Resolving for 2008

So what, I say! So what -if I ate Don Pablos, Chiptole, McDonalds, easy cheese (yes from a can), and drank pop all week. I have 12 months right? Oh, did I make a resolution against all that? Crap. I'm doomed.

Ok ok ok ...so you fore go your New Year's resolutions...you realize it's only the 13th of January and think basically you're doomed to another year of being unable to commit to changing all the things you don't like about yourself. I say -who cares if eating all organic, doing 1900 situps a day, not eating after 8pm, jobsearching for the next best thing, and not being late anymore haven't been so successful in 2008 . Don't beat yourself up! It's all about 1 day at a time..... and better yet, stop making resolutions of things to CUT and start making resolutions of things to ADD to your life for 2008....1 day at a time.

Yes, now is the day to Re-Resolve who you're going to be this year. Forget your fairweather plans of going to the gym 9 days a week, cutting out pop completely, never tasting the goodness of sour cream again, or giving up cheesecake.......not only is it unrealistic, it's impossible!

Instead
ADD lunges in when you walk to your mailbox.
ADD one extra glass of water a day.
ADD a compliment to someone in your life.
ADD a vision board of your goals to your office or home.
ADD one volunteer hour a month.
ADD a better breakfast to your day.
ADD a timer to your phone at 3pm everyday to remind you to be thankful for your blessings, pray, or meditate.

ADD what is realistic for you 1 day at a time.

Sounds pretty revolutionary huh? I'm sure the Therapist I'll have to ADD in this year will think so. ha!

Cheers and good night,

Tiffany

I pledge allegiance...and I always sample the soup first!

Some days I get really sick of people trying to "own" me..making me choose just them. Do you ever feel like everyone wants a piece of you, but not because they genuinely care? Many people care, don't get me wrong, but it seems to be all about our societal need to HAVE something -OWN it for ourselves. And everyone wants to HAVE people too...they all want our indivisible allegiance..to choose them over all other choices. This is true in business, life, and relationships...and all I want is to sample the soup first.

Let' me explain...

For starters..I'm not subliminally talking about romance here people -I'm blantantly referring to a multitude of topics with this post-possibly romance, but more importantly the instance that inspired me to blog about this topic today within business. Of course I believe you need reliability in your life and should be loyal to your choices - but why the need to make only ONE thing the object of your loyalty?

Here's a thought - I don't think human nature lends itself to doing one thing over an over forever. I mean, who came up with this idea? Whoever said Variety is the spice of life, is my hero. This topic is as simple as my cat...funny you say, "of course she has a cat"...yes, I have a cat...and I think about if I had to eat the same damn food everyday like he does -BORING !! I'd kick up my kitty dish and drag litter all over the house on my paws in Protest!

So...Let's consider the human brain for a minute...if you do the same things over and over the human brain stops responding the same...therefore to re-stimulate yourself you either have to take up a disorder like OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) to get excited about repeated activities OR do something different to re-experience the mundane in a new way.

Think about putting on your clothes. I'm sure you put the same arm into your jacket every time..or the same leg into your jeans first as dressing -listen to the phone on the same ear -or brush your teeth with the same hand. TRY THIS: dress first with a different arm or leg - try writing with your other hand - kiss someone new -even parting your hair on the other side. You automatically pay attention and feel what you're doing again- don't you? That's because you're brain has been conditioned feel the same thing over and over and actual stop responding and now that you're changing it your synapses go CRAZY with excitement and you finally THINK about what you're doing again...

I know you're thinking, "Tiffany, you have commitment issues"!

Huh? Commitment issues? Yes, I've been told that before. To be honest, I don't buy it. I think I'm one of the most committed people you'll ever meet. (Except maybe to working out) But I am committed to Goals, friends, companies, and to those I love.

I am extremely loyal and committed, but I am however, overly analytical which thus leads to me seeming indecisive and uncommittal. NO I'M NOT, yes I am..no I'm not, yes, no,yes.....uh........YES - With this traits of being overly analytical and sometimes indecisive comes my belief of "I can have it all! I don't have to choose one thing, I'd like a little bit of everything, why not experience as much as I can." Right?

I know, I know, so where does the soup come in? I'm one of those people who are awful to order with in a restaurant, really, I just don't think things need to be black and white - this or that - choose as is. I want to taste the soup first, make sure it's the way I like it and I might even see if I can substitute buffalo chicken for plain in the wrap...OH WAIT..waiter...can I switch that to onion rings? I'm convinced that Sample Day at Grocery stores, appetizers, buffets and Tapas restaurants were created for people like me!

Therefore, my question is this... how can we truly be expected to pledge allegiance to any ONE thing over and over, day after day and not get bored? We need to sample -We're creatures of variety, our very brain is wired that way!

With that, I've decided I like my life of daily choices ... I like going to different places everyday, not sitting at the same desk (Or any desk for that matter), challenged with new projects and tasks, different cultures (corporate and human) and motivated by new experiences and people..

IN closing, this all isn't to say I don't like consistency, loyalty, or people I can rely on in life and in love. We need that in our lives too -especially in Love. But for me, I've realized I simply like to be someplace new, meeting new people, talking about different topics, trying new food, kissing people when I meet them (like Italians, not naughty), and simply believing it's ok to be a little indecisive if it lets you experience more options.

SO - I Pledge Allegiance to be loyal to EACH ONE of my choices, or guess what.... clearly I wouldn't have been able to decide on choosing it in the first place!

And finally - to all of you out there who think it's all about choosing ONE thing to fit the norm...
MORAL OF THIS STORY IS:...I suggest you sample the soup first, then I don't have to listen to you complain when you don't like it's "consistency".

Now, what do I want for dinner? ...I guess I'll try the soup,

Tiffany

A "Story" with the lesson of Mediocrity

I was able to shadow and work with a very talented photojournalist the other day doing a story on a very talented ventriloquist and guitarist. As I was taking notes and following the process of getting a story of someone to come to life...I thought of the questions he asked his interviewee and the lessons he was teaching me quietly while doing his job.

Some of those statements have stayed with me as not only questions to get a great interview for a story - but also questions and thoughts we should ask ourselves and to put into perspective how blessed we are or if we're on the right path.

If you have forgotten your purpose or goals in life, many of these questions and "deep thought" statements will remind you.....try answering them for yourself and thinking about if you live your life this way everyday....

- Tell me a time when you received a standing ovation?
- I'm here today to help you look your best.
- When you were a little kid - what did you tell your teachers you wanted to be?
- Is what you do original?
- Is there a message you hope to leave people with?
- What has been one of your most rewarding conversations...has someone told you ever "because of you I didn't commit suicide" or "you've changed my life because..."
- Have you ever let a dummy make you look bad?
- What are your goals?
- What don't I know about you that I should?

AND THE STATEMENT OF THE DAY
"If you settle for mediocrity in little things, you'll settle for mediocrity in the big things" - John Gross, Photojournalist

Tifftionary Meaning: Mediocrity - knowing you haven't exhausted your talents. The belief you're capable of doing more and you haven't done it. Not serving yourself or others to your fullest potential.

So I have to say thank you to John for not only teaching me more about how to create a story that is news worthy - but one that is also truthful, interesting, beautiful and inspirational.

Tiffany

Balcony Girl

I heart Balconies.

I think they are my cityscape equivalent to the country or college house porch. Sit out there, have a beer, maybe paint, read a book, spy on the people below. Oh, how fun that sounds. But in this world of luxury apartments is it too much to ask for an affordable apartment with a balcony? Apparently so.

That's really all I have to say about that today.

Hour Glass Fingers

I am generally a very positive and motivated person. I truly believe in purpose, I believe in God, and I believe in the goodness of people paying it forward.

But there are days....days when everything I thought I knew I've watched slip through my hands right in front of my own eyes. I'm going to call it a moment of having Hour Glass Fingers. Once we tip over the glass and it's set in motion all we can do is watch it slip through time and feel the hopelessness of seeing it disappear before you can hardly get a look at each grain of sand.

Recently this happened to me. I was feeling so confident and so "on Purpose". I stared what I thought was going to be the greatest moment of my life directly in the face...one I felt could change my life forever. I took a deep breath ....and with my head high and shoulders back, I gave it all I had believing wholeheartedly in it. I smiled as I looked it square in the face.....then....Smack...think again....it back-handed me across the cheek.

The sand started spilling everywhere and as I desperately tried to grab what had fallen and sift it into the mix still on top I found myself grasping at the silent air of an ended opportunity. A passing moment in the the diary of my life with a lifeless pile of sand on the floor. I just sat and stared at it. I stared at it for 8 days. Really...Eight L--o---n---g days. I didn't know what else to do. It was this beautiful mess of my dreams spilled on the floor and all I could was stare at it and cry, completely hopeless for 8 ridiculous days.

So now what? Do I sweep it up? Did I just waste 8 whole days sulking? No...they weren't wasted. I needed to just feel the loss this time. So often I, like so many of us, like to just sweep the sand under the kitchen rug and pretend it didn't spill in the first place and move on...marching forward with a fractured smile. When in reality the damn sand is still under the rug isn't it? Imagine how that builds up over time, sweeping and moving on, sweeping and moving on...then it probably festers with ants. I've had ants before and it's absolutely no fun!

So, staring at it this time, seeing each grain of my dream lifeless on the floor gave me the time to feel what it meant to me. I realized that taking risks and committing to a goal means: realizing it's ok to be vulnerable. Vulnerability is inherent in admitting you want something and the belief that it was worth working toward, even if it means risking the pain of losing it before you know it's success.

So...after 192 hours, yes 8 tumultuous days of complete and utter self-pity, I scooped it up and saved it. I knew it wouldn't serve me to keep it under the rug and why throw it away when I wanted it so badly? Ultimately, I kept it because I was grateful it brought me to this place of realization of what I really wanted. I was grateful it made achieving that dream so much sweeter when it finally happens and it's made me that much more determined and full of perseverance to get there.

In conclusion, I had to sweep up the sand and get it off of the floor because I know I'm going to need a clean floor to DANCE on when my victory song is finally played. Oh how sweet that dance will be!

Would you like a tissue? You have a blogger.

I've often said I feel like life is one big cartoon (Garfield perhaps)? Where I look at people, yes and animals, and see the bubble over them that says what they are really thinking. It's quite funny - I tend to see comedy in most everything.

For example - this blog. Isn't it funny that we all seem to become a columnist when we get a blog...like people are really reading it. I don't kid myself that people are too interested in reading random blogs. So why do we do it? For ourselves? Hmmm...maybe it's an online journal? No...not personal enough. Just enough of our thoughts that we're willing to let the rest of the world read...

Yes, for me....I've decided that a blog allows me to say the things I want to tell the random person sitting next to me because they would just maybe listen. But truth be told, you usually don't tell that random person, because they may just tell you to get lost if you're not paying them to listen. I guess that's what psychologists are for. I knew I should have used that psychology degree...

I'll stick with a blog for now.....

Very Impressive Person

He Greets everyone with a smile
And a hardy handshake;
And makes you feel he means it
When he says he's glad to meet you
And he makes you glad you met him.

He walks with a sprightly step
And Speaks with a laugh in his voice
He listens with interest
And speaks with conviction,
And makes you feel you've known him all of your life.

He doesn't seem to try to impress,
Yet he's most impressive.
He never tries pressing to persuade,
Yet you always come away convinced.
He's the kind of guy we enjoy being around
Because he is what we all secretly would like to be-
Someone who enjoys being himself.


-Coach Meyer / Northern U Basketball

BLOGGER... Excuse you

Wow---I've joined the 21st century - I have a blog! This is a place to speak my mind on issues, events, and happenings in my life that are changing who I am every day I exist.

A little about me:

I above all things believe in God. I know my life has a purpose and I live with those intentions every day. I am always open to changes and forks in my plans as I know I am not always in charge. I do however think we can determine much of our future by our energy and our thoughts. I know everyone and their mother has read the book, "The Secret" by now, but I believe we are creators of our own universe in so many ways and that with God's free will we are creating things we believe into existence everyday. I've seen this first hand in my own life and continue to believe in these gifts we've been given on earth.

I love orange juice--and cheese. Havarti is probably my favorite cheese in the universe. mmm.

I do comedy - I act - I volunteer - I have a cat and I love my family.

Tune in for thoughts and updates as life unfolds.

Cheers!

Tiff