In 2010 I....

I'm waiting for my husband to get back from his walk and then we'll launch into our (now annual) New Year's Eve tradition - a movie marathon with Thai take out and of course champagne.

While I wait I am reflecting on the year.  I've been thinking about all I've experienced in 2010 and the lessons and memories which have made their mark.  

In no particular order...
 

In 2010  I.....

• Tasted my first beignet in New Orleans 
• Enjoyed several wonderful Broadyway shows in NYC
• Sang a Lady Gaga song at Karoke
• Heard Judi Shepard Missett give an incredibly nspirational speech
• Rode in the car with my step daughter driving for the first time
• Developed several new friendships with very special people
• Volunteered regularly at the Soup Kitchen
• Shared a 'low country boil' with my family while visiting them in Virginia
• Said good bye to some fantastic instructors who moved away and mentored a new one
• Played an awesome round of golf in Aruba
  
• Began giving regular Reiki sessions each month and broadening my reiki practice
• Made ravioli from scratch
• Attended a wonderfully moving fundraiser for the Bridgeport Rescue Mission
• Suffered a painful and challenging injury that kept me out of work for several weeks
• Traveled to San Diego and met my oldest friend for a margarita(oh and went to the zoo)
• Hosted the Sixth Annual Girl's Night In and ended up with some cool accessories
• Biked 42 miles in the Five Boro Bike Tour
• Created a vision board
• Tried a lot of new wines
• Celebrated 20 year of teaching Jazzercise and danced with Tim Roberts
• Got a henna tattoo
• Received successful  results after 3 stressful weeks of a possible bone cancer diagnosis
• Retreated to Kirpalu for some bliss
• Treated my staff to a evening at a spa
• Helped a friend going through a tragic & heartbreaking experience which tested my faith.
• Read 50 books
• Went zip lining and tree climbing
• Flambéed a dish for the first time
• Cultivated a more regular yoga practice and added yoga to our studio schedule
• Created a logo for my new business
• Hosted a summer cookout for my long time friends

It was a year of milestones, challenges, celebrations and pure gratitude.

Looking forward to the wild abundance of 2011. 

Happy New Year.

Mini adventures....are still adventures

November and December passed quickly without much time for Pina & I to plan our monthly adventure, so I made some mini adventures.  I say mini because they weren't totally new experiences, but at least it kept the spirit of adventure going.

In November, while in Aruba I went on a snorkeling adventure, and while I've been snorkeling before, this particular excursion was fun firstly because we explored a shipwreck, which was new.. But also because we brought slices of watermelon underwater and let the fish eat from our hands (which was sort of cool).

In December I went on a solo mini adventure to NYC.  Now I've been to NYC hundreds of times and have gone alone often, but never without a purpose.  I wasn't there to see a show or attend an event, and I didn't even go to shop. . In fact I had no agenda at all.   I spent the day wandering, people watching, and absorbing the Christmas spirit.

Ice skaters at Bryant Park

And so that we didn't totally lose our momentum, Pina and I planned a mini adventure (now becoming an annual outing) to see the Christmas lights at Paul Tudor Jones' home in Greenwich.   This year we were joined by Pina's daughter Danielle and Danielle's friend Ashley.  Pina was in charge of the hot chocolate and we had a great time with the girls. 

So even though we weren't zip lining through the sky, the spirit of adventure is still alive. 

What will January bring our way? If you've got suggestions, we'd like to hear them!

Love the message in my inbox this morning

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes."

- Charles R. Swindoll 
    

“Trust that perfection is all around you right now.”

I can just hear Lorin Beller Blake's voice in my head as I type that line.  I've worked with Lorin as my business coach and when she wrote about this concept in her blog last week, the message was just what I needed to hear and one Lorin and I have been exploring in our work together.

This year has definitely been full of interesting changes and opportunities.  At times I might have described it as full of challenges, but in working with Lorin, I realize that all of the changes have actually been perfect.

Even though I was initially resistant or disappointed by some of the changes, they have opened up ideas and possibilities and a very exciting path for 2011.   As I continue to expand my vision and think bigger (hope you heard that Lorin!) more and more wonderful things have come my way.

I have begun to eliminate negative people and drama from  my life, and new partnerships and friendships have emerged.  It's exhilarating when you surround yourself with such strong positive energy.

The photo above expresses one of my favorite sayings and serendipitously I came across it painted on a sidewalk in San Diego this summer where I snapped the photo. 

As we approach that time of year when we reflect back "trust that perfection is all around your right now."  

And when in doubt Let Go, Let God!

It only takes a few minutes to unplug

I'm working on getting better at finding a few minutes to unplug every day.  I typically work 10-12 hours per day and find it hard to unplug - especially thanks to Steve Jobs and the iPhone.  I can have instant communication at my fingertips 24/7.

I am finding that keeping it simple is my best bet.

Recently in the midst of a busy  which included driving from Norwalk to Stamford to Bridgeport to Stamford back to Norwalk (not unusual in a typical day), I stopped at the new Whole Foods in Darien.  

I got a mini chipwich (isn't it cute?) and my first green tea latte.  I opened my book (I always have a book in my bag) and took a 20 minute snack break to read.  Just like the good ol' kindergarten days.  It was a little slice of heaven.  Although I confess next time I'm opting for regular green tea, which I love, 'cause the latte tasted and smelled like grass.  

But nevertheless to be "unplugged" is priceless!