Oh 2020....you have been one heck of a year. To say that this year is for the history books is a big understatement. Throught the power of a End of the Year journaling workshop with the one and only Gala Darling, let me reflect on this year as best as I can.
1. What are you most proud of this year?
I am most proud of the way that I dealt with taking care of my father. It was a heavy ordeal with the constant changes of his health. However it showed me and taught me just how strong and resilient I can be when faced with challenges. I love a good challenge and will meet it head on and accept and conquer as best as I can.
2.How have you grown in 2020?
How have I grown in 2020 -- by learning how to slow the fuck down, how to be more open and vulnerable with the ones that I love, creating boundaries, not going down or following a negative spiral (this does take some more work and lessons to learn however I am getting better at it), being more confident in my skin, learning that there is life outide of social media and not everything I see on social media is the be all end all truth, learning how to feel my feelings, and just returning to myself.
3.What happened this year that you responded completely differently to?
What happened this year that I responded completely differently to is the way I navigate my relationships that has broken my codependent nature. While I still think of others, I respond now with "how will this help me? how will this spark my joy?" instead of people pleasing.
4.What pattern did you break?
The pattern of codependency. Oh my goddess was I one codependent mess -- always relying on others for my happiness. Nope. No more. It feels goood.
5.What are your top 3 accomplishments?
My top 3 accomplishments are getting tenure as an educator, being the caregiver for my father, and getting 6 figures in my savings account.
6.Which relationships have deepened this year?
The relationships that have deepened this year are the relationship to myself, my best friends Veronica/Dan Law/Michael Peelman and the relationship with my boyfriend Mike Semko.
7.What practices have I embraced this year?
The practices I have embraced this year are cooking/baking, gratitude practice, EFT Technique, hydration, and personalized vitamins that are customized for my body in mind.
8.What peoplee, activities, media, and events have helped you get through 2020?
In no particular order -- Gilnore Girls, Sex and the City, Veronica Vargas, Mike Semko, Dan Law, Michael Peelman, Craig Liggeons, J.C. Simonetti, FB Messenger, Spotify, Tasty.co, getting to ride in a Ford Mustang bare-assed, culinary adventures in my kitchen, the return of Nerd Herders Rebooted, Discord, Tabletop Simulator on Steam.
9.What mistakes have I learned from?
Hmmm. I would have to say that the mistakes I have learned from would be the way I react to statements that sound like a personal dig, but in reality it is outward projection from the person saying it. Other mistakes I have learned from would be in concerns with my health -- learning what my body will tolerate and not tolerate, what vitamins I am deficient in, and figuring out what makes me feel the best.
10.What was my most challenging moment?
Most challenging moment -- watching my father succumb to lung cancer. Watching my father who was so social, so full of life, so driven, so talkative basically become a shell of himself. It was hard to watch. It was also a challenge learning how to become a caregiver with the constant changes in his health regimen. I would also be remiss in saying that another challenging moment of this year was the pandemic. From being an extrovert with an Aries fiery spirit to basically be extinguished and be placed into isolation -- whoo boy did it take its toll. However I am one for challenges and I accept it and here I am now.
11.What was my most triumphant moment?
Getting tenure as an educator during remote learning. I learned so many new tech skills and continue to learn. Another triumphant moment -- learning how to slow the fuck down and patience. While I have always been a patient person, to hone that skill even more so -- YES QUEEN.
12.What are you grateful for?
I am grateful for the challenges that 2020 brought to me. It helped me to be stronger, to be more resilient. I am also grateful for learning how to enjoy my own company more. Grateful for the lessons of vulnerablity and openness and transparency. Grateful for the deepenning of relationships. Grateful for my home, my health, my laughter, my intelligence, my generous heart. Grateful to learning how to recover from codependency and self sabotage. Grateful for the many kicks in the ass from my dear friends when I was seemingly down and wouldn't speak. Grateful for learning how to build and create boundaries -- especially at work and in my relationships.
13. Scores yourself out of 10 in these categories:
Relationships: 7
Self Care: 5
Career: 10
Spirituality: 7
14.How can I bump up these numbers in 2021?
How can I bump up these numbers -- DRINK MORE WATER for one. Get myself back into my weekly skincare facial routine. Plan in a sacred hour every day. Continue to practice gratitude and EFT. Continue to be more open and communciative and vulnerable.
15.What are you most looking forward to in 2021?
Definitely looking forward to the ability to travel again. I miss my dear friends Eric and Ian up in Canada and I always have fun when I am around them. i am also looking forward to the return of events -- concerts, festivals, Broadway shows. Nothing says recharge like pounding beats in your ears. I am also looking forward to learning more/expanding my horizons. Lots of opportunities out there.
16.What aspects of yourself are you going to embrace in 2021?
The aspects of myself that I am going to embrace in 2021 are my voice/my opinion, supportive people, curiousity/questioning skills, open communication, listening, vulnerability.
17.What are three words that you wish to embody in 2020?
Abundance, love, recharge
18.What is one goal that excites me in 2021?
Creating patio seating in my backyard with A Small Green Space
19.What do you need to do to finish 2020 on a high?
Refresh my bedsheets and my hair. Self care. Eat some yummy food. Talk with/hang with loved ones. Laugh. Dance. Smile as much as possible.
Showing posts with label new year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new year. Show all posts
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Sunday, January 1, 2017
2017 Goals and the Mantra of Spread the Love
Like I do every year, as well with my other blog post which I will thank Gala Darling for the inspiration, here are the questions I asked myself as a reflection of this year and writing of my 2017 goals.
1. What am I bored of?
2. What do I want more of?
3. What can I let go of?
4. What would give me peace of mind?
5. What am I devoted to?
Here are my personal answers.
1: I am bored of being taken for granted and not loved. I am bored of being neglected. Yes there were plenty of times throughout 2016 that my paranoia got the best of me as well as my insecurities which made me co-dependent but I was only reacting to the way I was being treated. I am also bored of not standing my ground and standing up for what I believe in as well as my owning my feelings. Also I am still bored of checking my Facebook to see if what I have posted or shared have been seen or commented on. I need to employ the fuck it attitude back into my life and enjoy myself more. I am also bored that I haven't taken care of me as much as I should, my insides and outsides, and committing to self-care as a practice that's necessary to me and people I care about. Oh, and I am bored with feeling guilty about it.
2: I want more love. Simple as that. More love, more positivity, more spontaneity, more appreciation, more deep joy, more nourishment. If it is toxic -- it has to go. If it brings me down, it has to go. I also will give myself permission to feel good. I don't need to earn the right to feel joy and there isn't a "joy authority" out there, with a checklist of what I must do before I can feel happier. I am enough, right now, just as I am.
3: I can let go of toxicity and negativity which I have and will continue to do so. Also I need to let go on trying so hard with people and that sometimes I need to learn to say no and that if I am having my own issues; that I can not be there 24/7 and it is perfectly okay for me to be selfish about my own self care. It also works both ways -- if I am having my own issues, which I do, I need to know that I can depend upon my friends and believe me I do know who is there for me.
4: Like 2015 and 2016 -- I think learning that just because my friends or family do not message or text or call me all the time does not mean that they do not love me. That will give me peace of mind. For some strange unbeknown reasons, I got it into my head that unless my phone is "blowing up", that I am not loved. Things/shit happen to people all the time. As long as I hear from them, I should be fine. The only thing I will say is that I am tired of the constant initiation I need to do or the lack of attention I receive. If I took the time out to send you a message say hello, get back to me somehow. Do not leave me hanging. That is a pet peeve of mine. Also, It's OK to walk away sometimes. Not everything is supposed to work out.
5: I am devoted to taking care of myself and to loving myself more. I need to treat myself how I treat my lovers. Kindness is a practice. I will get better the more I do it. Don't beat myself up if sometimes it doesn't come easily. Just keep practicing. I will sprinkle joy as often as I possibly can. Invest in and cherish the experiences that bring you joy.
With that being said, here are my 2017 goals. I do not say "resolutions" as I feel that word already will lead me into failure world.
Dani’s 2017(Two Thousand and Lovin’!) Goals
Starting: January 1, 2017
Ending: December 31, 2017
1. Read 60 books (0/60)
2. Watch 100 movies (0/100)
3. Invest in myself more.
4. Stop caring about what other people think.
5. Make more time for the right people.
6. Make less time for the wrong people.
7. Give myself more of a break.
8. Live more in the present. Don’t fuss over what might never happen.
9. Don’t try so hard with people.
10. Make the time and effort for those who truly matter.
11. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
12 Keep a year of memories/positive jar. Write down every time something happens to me that makes me feel good — a friendly comment, a gift I get, unexpected luck, etc. At the end of the year I will have a journal of positivity and happy memories.
13. Complete a A-Z Author Challenge.
14. Attend 5 concerts (0/5)
15. Attend 15 professional wrestling shows -- either independent or WWE.
1. What am I bored of?
2. What do I want more of?
3. What can I let go of?
4. What would give me peace of mind?
5. What am I devoted to?
Here are my personal answers.
1: I am bored of being taken for granted and not loved. I am bored of being neglected. Yes there were plenty of times throughout 2016 that my paranoia got the best of me as well as my insecurities which made me co-dependent but I was only reacting to the way I was being treated. I am also bored of not standing my ground and standing up for what I believe in as well as my owning my feelings. Also I am still bored of checking my Facebook to see if what I have posted or shared have been seen or commented on. I need to employ the fuck it attitude back into my life and enjoy myself more. I am also bored that I haven't taken care of me as much as I should, my insides and outsides, and committing to self-care as a practice that's necessary to me and people I care about. Oh, and I am bored with feeling guilty about it.
2: I want more love. Simple as that. More love, more positivity, more spontaneity, more appreciation, more deep joy, more nourishment. If it is toxic -- it has to go. If it brings me down, it has to go. I also will give myself permission to feel good. I don't need to earn the right to feel joy and there isn't a "joy authority" out there, with a checklist of what I must do before I can feel happier. I am enough, right now, just as I am.
3: I can let go of toxicity and negativity which I have and will continue to do so. Also I need to let go on trying so hard with people and that sometimes I need to learn to say no and that if I am having my own issues; that I can not be there 24/7 and it is perfectly okay for me to be selfish about my own self care. It also works both ways -- if I am having my own issues, which I do, I need to know that I can depend upon my friends and believe me I do know who is there for me.
4: Like 2015 and 2016 -- I think learning that just because my friends or family do not message or text or call me all the time does not mean that they do not love me. That will give me peace of mind. For some strange unbeknown reasons, I got it into my head that unless my phone is "blowing up", that I am not loved. Things/shit happen to people all the time. As long as I hear from them, I should be fine. The only thing I will say is that I am tired of the constant initiation I need to do or the lack of attention I receive. If I took the time out to send you a message say hello, get back to me somehow. Do not leave me hanging. That is a pet peeve of mine. Also, It's OK to walk away sometimes. Not everything is supposed to work out.
5: I am devoted to taking care of myself and to loving myself more. I need to treat myself how I treat my lovers. Kindness is a practice. I will get better the more I do it. Don't beat myself up if sometimes it doesn't come easily. Just keep practicing. I will sprinkle joy as often as I possibly can. Invest in and cherish the experiences that bring you joy.
With that being said, here are my 2017 goals. I do not say "resolutions" as I feel that word already will lead me into failure world.
Dani’s 2017(Two Thousand and Lovin’!) Goals
Starting: January 1, 2017
Ending: December 31, 2017
1. Read 60 books (0/60)
2. Watch 100 movies (0/100)
3. Invest in myself more.
4. Stop caring about what other people think.
5. Make more time for the right people.
6. Make less time for the wrong people.
7. Give myself more of a break.
8. Live more in the present. Don’t fuss over what might never happen.
9. Don’t try so hard with people.
10. Make the time and effort for those who truly matter.
11. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
12 Keep a year of memories/positive jar. Write down every time something happens to me that makes me feel good — a friendly comment, a gift I get, unexpected luck, etc. At the end of the year I will have a journal of positivity and happy memories.
13. Complete a A-Z Author Challenge.
14. Attend 5 concerts (0/5)
15. Attend 15 professional wrestling shows -- either independent or WWE.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
What Book Releases in 2017 Am I Excited About?
With the beginning of the new year -- so begins my reading goal! Every year I have a reading goal of reading 52 books in a year which equates to one a book a week. Lets up the ante this year, lets go for 60! That's right -- I will read 60 books by the end of 2017. Plus with the return of Nerd Herders Radio on Filling the Void network, I must get back into my book recommendation game because as we all know -- THE BOOK IS BETTER.
With that being said, here are the book releases in 2017 that I am most excited about.
This is the third book in Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Feyre returns to the Spring Court to plan the next step in seeking Tamlin’s maneuvers. But this means partaking in a deadly game of deceit that could end terribly, which means she must be careful in who she trusts. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas is set to be released on May 2, 2017 thus giving me enough time to catch up!
In this Phantom of the Opera retelling, Rune is cursed by her own voice and is sent by her mother to a Paris music conservatory that was once an opera house. But once she arrives, she discovers strange and unworldly happenings. This had me at Phantom of the Opera and Paris. Roseblood by A.G.Howard is set to be released on January 10, 2017
Another series that has grabbed me. I don’t know much about this release just yet, but it’s the third book in Kaufman and Kristoff’s Illuminae series taking place on the planet of Kerenza following Kady and Ezra after the result of an invasion and deadly plague outbreak. Illuminae Files #3 (Title Forthcoming) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is set to be released sometime in 2017.
In what I thought was a stand alone novel...I was wrong. This sequel to This Savage Song continues the Kate and August story. Kate, a monster hunter, must defeat a monster with abilities to bring out its victims’ inner demons while on the brink of war between both humans and monsters. Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab is set to be released on June 13, 2017 thus giving me enough time again to read the first book!
Just when I think a book that I enjoyed this year was just going to be a stand alone....well here comes the sequel! The second book in this time-traveling adventure tale (Passenger is the first book) continues to follow Etta, who unwillingly traveled through time to find herself prisoner on a ship. But while Nicolas and Sophie search for Etta through time, she engages in a dangerous alliance with Julian Ironwood. Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken is set to be released on January 5, 2017.
The first book in this series, Three Dark Crowns, has been on the pulse of the Instagram and BookTube circuit for the past couple of months. It is rightfully so to be on the pulse. The second book in the Three Dark Crowns in which three siblings who possess great abilities must fight each other in a life-or-death game for the royal crown. One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake, which is the sequel, is set to be released on September 20, 2017 which, I have said before, gives me plenty of time to read the first book!
With that being said, here are the book releases in 2017 that I am most excited about.
Friday, January 1, 2016
2016 Goals and the Mantra of Choose to Chill
Some questions I asked myself while I wrote my 2016 goals list were as follows.
1. What am I bored of?
2. What do I want more of?
3. What can I let go of?
4. What would give me peace of mind?
5. What am I devoted to?
Here are my personal answers.
1: I am bored of compulsively jumping to the wrong conclusion and letting my paranoia get the best of me. People get busy. People sleep. People have lives outside of their computers and smartphones. Just because it is not an immediate response does not mean that they love me any less. Also I am still bored of checking my Facebook to see if what I have posted or shared have been seen or commented on. I need to employ the fuck it attitude back into my life and enjoy myself more.
2. Like last year -- I want more spontaneity in my life. I live my Monday through Friday life as a routine -- wake up, talk to my love as he is going to work, get ready for work, go to work, come home, so on and so forth. I am a creature of habit and if that habit is broken, things go haywire, i.e. getting called to do coverages for Pre-K or the person I work with being absent because she chose not to work that day. Now just because my Monday through Friday life is a routine one does not mean my weekends should be. If something just comes up -- I will learn to say yes more, as long as it is reasonable.
3. Toward the end of the year, I can say that my "on duty" status became less and less. So I am glad that I let that go. So for 2016 I will continue to let go of the feeling that I always need to be "on duty" and that if one of my friends is mad, he or she will become glad again. Sometimes I need to learn to say no and that if I am having my own issues; that I can not be there 24/7. It also works both ways -- if I am having my own issues, which I do, I need to know that I can depend upon my friends and believe me I do know who is there for me.
4. I think learning that just because my friends or family do not message or text or call me all the time does not mean that they do not love me. That will give me peace of mind. For some strange unbeknown reasons, I got it into my head that unless my phone is "blowing up", that I am not loved. Things/shit happen to people all the time. As long as I hear from them, I should be fine. The only thing I will say is that I am tired of the constant initiation I need to do or the lack of attention I receive. If I took the time out to send you a message say hello, get back to me somehow. Do not leave me hanging. That is a pet peeve of mine.
5. I am still devoted to writing more blog posts as well as devoted to using natural remedies and food to keep me in remission from rheumatoid arthritis. Except for some aches and pains here and there, I have stopped taking Humir as of September 2015 and I am doing great.
With that being said, here are my 2016 goals. I do not say "resolutions" as I feel that word already will lead me into failure world.
Dani’s 2016(Two Thousand and Sexin!) Goals
Starting: January 1, 2016
Ending: December 31, 2016
(If in bold it means that it has started and in progress. If it had a line through it it is complete)
1: Read 52 books (0/52)
2: Watch 100 movies (0/100)
3: Using the 1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment book — post a positive quote every day on Facebook (started on 12/28/2015) 4: Keep a positivity journal. Write down every time something happens to me that makes me feel good — a friendly comment, a gift I get, unexpected luck, etc. At the end of the year I will have a journal of positivity and happy memories.
5: Start my day with a positive thought. Utilize my 2016 Happy Notes calendar and Today is a Great Day calendar for this.
6: Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
7: Only use $500 dollars a month cash for fixed expenses and fun. If I use the American Express card for anything — it comes out of that allottment.
8: Complete a A-Z Author Challenge.
9: Save up to $60,000 dollar by December 31, 2016.
10: Do not get so paranoid or think you did something wrong if George does not get back in touch with you right away.
1. What am I bored of?
2. What do I want more of?
3. What can I let go of?
4. What would give me peace of mind?
5. What am I devoted to?
Here are my personal answers.
1: I am bored of compulsively jumping to the wrong conclusion and letting my paranoia get the best of me. People get busy. People sleep. People have lives outside of their computers and smartphones. Just because it is not an immediate response does not mean that they love me any less. Also I am still bored of checking my Facebook to see if what I have posted or shared have been seen or commented on. I need to employ the fuck it attitude back into my life and enjoy myself more.
2. Like last year -- I want more spontaneity in my life. I live my Monday through Friday life as a routine -- wake up, talk to my love as he is going to work, get ready for work, go to work, come home, so on and so forth. I am a creature of habit and if that habit is broken, things go haywire, i.e. getting called to do coverages for Pre-K or the person I work with being absent because she chose not to work that day. Now just because my Monday through Friday life is a routine one does not mean my weekends should be. If something just comes up -- I will learn to say yes more, as long as it is reasonable.
3. Toward the end of the year, I can say that my "on duty" status became less and less. So I am glad that I let that go. So for 2016 I will continue to let go of the feeling that I always need to be "on duty" and that if one of my friends is mad, he or she will become glad again. Sometimes I need to learn to say no and that if I am having my own issues; that I can not be there 24/7. It also works both ways -- if I am having my own issues, which I do, I need to know that I can depend upon my friends and believe me I do know who is there for me.
4. I think learning that just because my friends or family do not message or text or call me all the time does not mean that they do not love me. That will give me peace of mind. For some strange unbeknown reasons, I got it into my head that unless my phone is "blowing up", that I am not loved. Things/shit happen to people all the time. As long as I hear from them, I should be fine. The only thing I will say is that I am tired of the constant initiation I need to do or the lack of attention I receive. If I took the time out to send you a message say hello, get back to me somehow. Do not leave me hanging. That is a pet peeve of mine.
5. I am still devoted to writing more blog posts as well as devoted to using natural remedies and food to keep me in remission from rheumatoid arthritis. Except for some aches and pains here and there, I have stopped taking Humir as of September 2015 and I am doing great.
With that being said, here are my 2016 goals. I do not say "resolutions" as I feel that word already will lead me into failure world.
Dani’s 2016(Two Thousand and Sexin!) Goals
Starting: January 1, 2016
Ending: December 31, 2016
(If in bold it means that it has started and in progress. If it had a line through it it is complete)
1: Read 52 books (0/52)
2: Watch 100 movies (0/100)
3: Using the 1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment book — post a positive quote every day on Facebook (started on 12/28/2015) 4: Keep a positivity journal. Write down every time something happens to me that makes me feel good — a friendly comment, a gift I get, unexpected luck, etc. At the end of the year I will have a journal of positivity and happy memories.
5: Start my day with a positive thought. Utilize my 2016 Happy Notes calendar and Today is a Great Day calendar for this.
6: Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.
7: Only use $500 dollars a month cash for fixed expenses and fun. If I use the American Express card for anything — it comes out of that allottment.
8: Complete a A-Z Author Challenge.
9: Save up to $60,000 dollar by December 31, 2016.
10: Do not get so paranoid or think you did something wrong if George does not get back in touch with you right away.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
How I Prepared Myself for 2012
Today is the last day of 2011 and I have taken the steps below to prepare myself for 2012. I feel it is a magical time for change and clean slates. Much thanks and inspiration to Gala Darling for this feature.
So What Did I Do to Prepare Myself for 2012?
~~Cleaned out all of my email accounts on Yahoo and AOL.
~~Emptied my garbage can.
~~Did laundry, even if there was not a lot of it.
~~Made sure to make my bed so I got that routine down.
~~Got a very sparkly manicure on Wednesday at my favorite nail lounge Blush on East 5th Street.
~~Charged my cellphone.
~~Writing my 2012 Goals List.
~~Asking friends to help set goals for myself; goals they knew I could be capable of achieving.
~~Cleaned out my wallet and handbag.
~~Cleaned out my closet.
~~Thnking of a wish to make at midnight.
~~Started to plan out events I want to go in my Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake planner.
~~Made sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.
~~Got tea light candles for my dinner table
~~Even though this will happen after today, buy myself a bunch of beautiful flowers. Maybe have some delivered to work?
~~Wrote 2011 year in reviews features.
What are you doing to prepare yourself for 2012?
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