U is for Unrequited

A gentleman gave me his phone number today.
The desire to use it is unrequited.

T is for Tuesday

Tuesday pretty much gets the shaft if you think about it, but it could be worse. Tuesday could be Monday, and we all know nobody likes Monday. Think about it, everyone loathes Monday for the return to the work week that comes with it, but most people over look Tuesday all together. We rush to recognize that Wednesday finds us half way through the work week and is often celebrated as "hump day". Thursday is Friday eve, and well Friday is pretty much the most celebrated day of the week."TGIF!" people exclaim, but nobody ever says, "TGIT". Poor Tuesday. I won't even mention how happy we all are to enjoy Saturday and Sunday.

Is Tuesday really that unrecognizable? Maybe I'll start a movement to make Tuesday a bit more celebrated. Thoughtful Tuesday? Tasty Tuesday? Terrific Tuesday? Good things come on Tuesdays, don't they? What will you do next Tuesday to make it a great one? What can you share with others to make the second day of the work week a bit more memorable for your co-workers or friends?

Make Tuesday count! It's 24 hours of your life that you won't get back, so don't overlook it. Make it more than just tolerable, make it terrific!

S is for Sorry

There's a saying, "Better to be safe than sorry", but when it comes to the bigger things in life, is that really true? Is it better to stay safe in the comfort of something you may be luke-warm happy about, versus maybe having to be sorry for a decision to change later?

Sure you might offend some people with your new habit, you may leave others behind in search of a new job or new place to live in, but wouldn't you rather say "sorry" to those you might offend and leave behind, then live in complacency and be "safe"?

Sure I'll look both ways before crossing a street, I mean, in some cases it's absolutely imperative to be safe, but being safe shouldn't dictate every aspect of your life. You only live once, and are allowed a few mistakes (if that's what they end up being). Take a risk, stay up too late while enjoying a night out, eat too much but thoroughly enjoy what it is your consuming, and love too much and never look back.

It's time to fill out that job application, explore a new city, try a new hobby or whatever the case may be for you! Let's throw caution to the wind and be sorry now, and safe later! Dare to leave the comforts of what you have, for the dreams you long for. Go out there and get reckless, have something worth being sorry for. Take the leap, apologize if you must, and keep moving forward. Amen!




 

R is for Responsible

Responsible: 1) Having an obligation to do something as part of a job or role.
2) Being the primary cause of something and so able to be blamed or credited for it.

Sometimes I hate being responsible. I dislike paying my bills, and hate doing laundry. And I really don't like being the "oldest" person in the group; meaning, being forced to be the responsible one in any given group of people. Sometimes I just want to be the "goof off" who doesn't have to think, plan, or be responsible for anything. If only I could train my cat to do laundry and use the internet to pay bills (damn useless cute animal).

Response-Ability:1) The ability to respond and take power over any circumstance.

But what happens when you take that not so fun word "responsible", and change it up just a bit? I like, "response-ability", or "the ability to respond" much better. I don't want to be the cause or "blame" of something or to be obligated. Rather, I prefer to take power over my ability to respond to the things in my life, like the bills that come in the mail.

Maybe this is just more optimistic rambling and mere technicalities of grammar, but think about it. Think about all the people who don't have the ability to respond. Their voices may have been quieted with age or their bodies may be worn away by time; but I still have the ability to respond both physically and mentally to any given situation, good or bad, and that my friends shouldn't be taken for granted. So let's get out there today and see what we are able to respond to! Go ahead, take a positive stab at life and all the responsibilities it holds for you! Respond positively and exercise your abilities!

Q is for Quiet

In the hustle and bustle of your busy day, where do you seek out quiet? Do you sneak away for a lunch break? Do you wait until you're home to relax and unwind? Do you wait for the weekend to come in order to sneak away for some down time? I'm not always good at making "down time" a priority, but I'm learning to make the most of the times when I am down.

I've begun to (or at least am trying to) appreciate the rush hour traffic when I'm stuck in my car. I turn off the radio, relax and resign myself to the fact that I cannot change my situation or make the traffic move faster. It sucks, yep. And when I really have somewhere I consider important to go, I get majorly pissed and can be seen flailing about in my car yelling at the traffic gremlins who have obviously caused the delays on the road (yes, I am THAT person). But over all, I realize that getting upset and yelling doesn't get me anywhere. I'm still in my car, and I'm still inching along. With this, I also try not to be that person who doesn't let people into my lane or "give" when I consider what other drivers are doing to be idiotic. In general, I am working on being a more "zen" like driver. I can't control how long I'm stuck in my car, but I can control my attitude about it. I'm a work in progress of course, but quieting the radio, quieting my brain, and quieting my heart seems to be working  and helping make rush hour traffic, well, not so bad.

Where do you seek your quiet time? Is it the obvious peaceful places? Or could you get better at making quiet time in those stressful meetings, rush hour traffic and horrible doctor's appointments?  Take the time to find quiet in everything that you can, whether it's a good or bad environment. Make the most of your time, you are the master of your quiet and quiet doesn't have to be in the most peaceful of places. Quiet is in your brain after all. Use it, and get quiet.

P is for Pouring

It's pouring in Chicago, and even flooding. I figure, you can either bitch and complain about the crappy weather for yet another day, or, you can say we're one day closer to Summer. Based on my last post, I'm sure you already know what I'm thinking. Sing on my friends, sing on!

O is for Optimist

I'm a realist, I don't have my head in the clouds or believe in rainbows and unicorns. Ok, well maybe I do look for rainbows on occasion and do tend to watch the clouds roll by on a sunny day. But, my point is, that I am a realistic optimist. Just because I look for the best in life and bad situations, doesn't mean I avoid reality (well, except when I'm indulging in an episode of some Kardashian show). So, don't knock us optimists. We're not idiots who don't know what's going on in the world, we see the bad things. We just choose to focus on the good things. Give it a try!