Gratitude Day 14

I bring great news and the source of much gratitude on Day 14 of 30 Days of Tessism, new life.

Gratitude:  Today, I am beyond grateful for yesterday’s safe delivery of my newest godson.  And like that, a new open, clear mind has entered the world and is ready to absorb everything that comes his way.  It’s quite interesting that on the 14th day of last November’s 30-day challenge, I took on adopting a beginner’s mind.

With the birth of every child, we have the opportunity to observe the beginner’s mind in action and how it interacts with everyone and everything around it.  We have a lot to learn from the newly born.  I am grateful that he is born.  I am grateful for the honor being his godmother.  I am grateful for all that he will show and teach me.

It’s been a long time…

…I shouldn’t have left you…
It’s been more than a while since I last blogged about Results, Not Resolutions.  In the past few months I’ve been working on those aforementioned results.  Often I’ve tried to avoid results and just get by but 2011 will not stand by and tolerate stagnation.  So, whether I like it or not, change is happening and ushering me closer to my dreams than expected.   I’ll tell you all about that later.

I’m back.  I’m blogging.  And for those in the know, Tessism’s birthday season is ramping up.  As an Aries, I’ve chosen to celebrate my birth during the entirety of my sun sign which is from March 20 to April 20.

Welcome to Tessism’s Birthday Season of Aries!  This season is all about leisure and indulgence and the theme is **drum roll** (gather closely now)…A Month of Sunday…Brunches!  I’ll tell you a little bit more about it this week.  In the meantime, my birthday season is a celebration of and for everyone!  Hang tight and enjoy.  We’ve only just begun!

Challenge Day 30: Score!

I swear I have the 30-day challenge blues.  After pushing day after day, I’m pretty sad that there is no more challenge left and that sucks the wind out of my sails.  Funny since I expected Day 30 to be the day to end all days where I would stand atop the mountain of my achievement and look out with puffed chest congratulating myself for daring the impossible.

I’m sure that I have the blues.  Now that there is no challenge each day, what will I do with myself?  Haha!  Anything and everything. The interesting thing about challenges is that they beget challenges–a sort of challenge-addiction.  Tomorrow or later this week, I’ll ruminate about lessons learned.  In the meantime, let’s get on with our last challenge!

Today’s challenge: Take stock of the last 30 days.  How did you do?  What did you do well?  What did you not do well?  What would you like to continue to work on?  How did it go?  What did you learn?
I’ll be sorting through the lessons learned on this journey for days to come but in the meantime, here are the stats of what I attempted this month:

• I blogged for 30 days straight
• I gave up complaining for 29 days
• I asked for what I really wanted instead of complaining for 28 days
• I practiced being peaceful for 27 days
• I brought gratitude to every situation for 26 days
• I gave up being right for 25 days
• I made sure I did not give up for 24 days
• I began clearing out my home for 23 days
• I committed to finishing things for 22 days
• I found something to celebrate every day for 21 days
• I attempted to write a novel for 20 days
• I meditated at least 3o minutes a day for 19 days
• I infused my actions with passion for 18 days
• I cleared my mind for 17 days
• I took time to reflect for 16 days
• I declared daily affirmations for 15 days
• I practiced exquisite self-care for 14 days
• I burst out laughing every day for 13 days
• I asked for help for 12 days
• I was impeccable with my word for 11 days
• I didn’t take it personal for 10 days
• I assumed nothing for 9 days
• I did my best for 8 days
• I let it go for 7 days
• I forgave for 6 days
• I had compassion for 5 days
• I stopped being late and procrastinating for 4 days
• I went with the flow for 3 days
• I wantonly wanted for 2 days
• And today I took stock of what I did

My closest friends can attest to the wonderful peace I gained in these 30 days as well as the struggle it was to complete these last few days.  I know I couldn’t have done it without them or you.  I also know that I’m not quite done yet.

While I was able to challenge myself to different things each day, I haven’t gained mastery over anything new.  I have an experience of what it is like to live a revolutionary life but I still have work to do.  Each day of these 30 days of challenges revealed so much about myself to me.

The greatest revelation is that this month was a buffet of challenges for me to choose from and work on extensively in the near future.  All the challenges have been interrelated.  They are all pulling for the same transformed, galvanized life.  The next step for me is mastery.

Gratitude: I am grateful for that I could complete this month of challenges when I’ve done nothing like this ever before

On the horizon: More results, lessons and mastery…the journey – to be continued.

This is the way the world endsThis is the way the world endsThis is the way the world endsNot with a bang but a whimper.1

Challenge Day 10: Celebrate Great

As of yesterday’s post, I’ve broken my record of the most posts in 1 month (9 in April when I first started blogging).  In spite of technical difficulties uploading posts at times, I have written every day since I started my challenge.

10 days into my 30 days of challenges and I feel a bit lost.  Although I’ve had major breakthroughs, I’m fixated on the instances where I fall short.  Eight victories have no power over one glaring failure or two.  While I know, conceptually, that these shortcomings can and will be converted to successes, it sure doesn’t feel like that right now and I’m ready to spend the rest of the month under my blankie.  Who came up with the idea of challenging yourself every day this month?  Let me speak to her supervisor…

After my latest fit of discomfort, all I can do is read this month’s entries. I read about each challenge and I’m assured of the intention of this journey: create an unrecognizable life. I have not been perfect but I’ve been in action. I notice that each day, I’ve done something that made a difference. The challenge today is clear.

Today’s challenge: Celebrate something great every day no matter how seemingly mundane.

Save the self-criticism and perfection for when you’re working on your triple axel for the next Winter Olympics.  For everyday life, find something great in you and celebrate.  It’s pretty easy to go over the day and think of the things that you wish you could fix.  You can’t go back and change a thing.

Go ahead and note what you need to improve but don’t stop there.  Don’t end a day without acknowledging the awesome things about you that you take for granted.  Stop being numb to the incredible things you do in a blink that can be difficult for most people.  Take a moment and simply celebrate.

I will celebrate and use it as fuel for my tomorrows.  I will store celebration to sip on when I get stuck.

Today’s victory:  Posting here consistently past where I usually stop.

Gratitude: I am grateful for the clean slate of every day and the strength to give it my all.

On the horizon: Tying loose ends

Birthdays

I really don’t know where it started but I am utterly and totally infatuated with birthdays and not just mine.  Once you tell me your birthday, I will never forget it.  I’ll plug it in somewhere and your birthday will forever be appreciated.

I love birthdays because it’s the one time of every year of totally sanctioned self-centeredness.  It’s the one time where I say “Come play with me.  You have to.  It’s my birthday!”  Very few people have the wherewithal to turn down the birthday girl.  My birthdays tend to be a whirlwind of themed mayhem & elation:

• 32nd – My Super Double Sweet Sixteen – A party every day or night for 6 days
• 34th – Miracle on 34th Year – Create & experience something extraordinary every day for 13 days

I rack my brain every year to  come up with an appropriate theme and it’s corresponding events/actions that result in enjoyment for anyone who joins the birthday train.   In turn, because I believe that everyone should gallivant with me for my birthday, I will do the same for  you.  I know it’s your most special of days every year and you deserve all that comes with it.

On your birthday, you have earned nothing.  You are celebrated just for being being born.  The way it should be.  When you were born, you didn’t earn a thing.  You were fed and you survived simply because you were born and you had a will to live.  It may not be a perfect beginning but you’re here now so something worked.

Every birthday is a reminder that you are worthy of celebration for no reason other than making it to another year.  Each successive year compounds that victory and warrants an escalation of merriment.  You deserve it because you were born.