I'd Like to Make a Toast to the End of Shin Splints!

Image credit: Brooks Running

TA-DA!!!! I'd like to introduce you to my brand-spanking-new-I'm-so-excited-and-can't-wait-to-run-in-these Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11 running sneakers! Aren't they pretty? I think so. More importantly, they are comfortable and give me running super powers. (Ok, maybe not, but I feel pretty invincible in them.)

The story of how I found these beauties is a pretty good one -- especially if you're a runner because we're geeks like that -- and you can read all about it in my Yelp review of Rhode Runner. If you are in the area and looking for some expert help in selecting running shoes/paraphernalia, definitely hit up Rhode Runner. I want to thank Christin of A Classy, Southern Wife -- and a fellow runner -- for recommending a visit to a running speciality store; I wasn't able to visit her spot in Memphis, but I think Rhode Runner is its Southern New England twin.

That's all I got for you today, folks. I have been terrible about my #Trust30 posts, I know. The prompts are sitting in my inbox scolding me daily for not addressing them.

It's Punishment Just to Read

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I read less than 25% of this book, and I didn't care for it at all. I'm of the opinion that if a book cannot catch my interest in 100 pages, it probably won't in 500 pages. I really wanted to read every book on my 30-before-30 list, but I just can't make it through this one (so not like me to not finish a book).

What was the problem, you may be asking? Well, I'll sum it up for you. The main character (so it seems) commits a murder by page 100. I wasn't really sure why, however, usually when you read about a murder in a book, it's thrilling, suspenseful, intriguing. You're at the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen to this criminal. Well, with a title like "Crime and Punishment," I'm pretty sure I know what happens to him.

Happy to return this ancient novel to the library stacks where it belongs and move on to my next literary delight. One that truly delights me.


View all my reviews

#Trust30: Sweet dreams are made of these...

Dreams by Michael Rad

Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write down your top three dreams. Now write down what’s holding you back from them.

1. To get married and live happily ever after.
2. To travel the world.
3. To be a professional dancer.

I tried to go with long-time, lingering dreams here. Now, on to part two -- the hard stuff.

1. Well, this is the fairy tale, isn't it? And I think that's the problem with it; it's so scripted, and so not completely dependent on oneself. Unfortunately, I am not completely in control over whether or not I get married. Sure, there are actions I can take to tip the scales in my favor, but it's just not up to me. Putting that aside, it is up to me. Frankly, I'm just not there yet. I'm not completely me. I am not the best me I can be for that perfect someone else. I'll get there.

2. Right now, money is holding me back. I'll admit I can be a bit of a spoiled brat, and backpacking isn't really my thing. I don't just want to travel the world, I want to travel the world in style. (Maybe I should have noted that little caveat above, huh?) I'm working on a saving plan, but #1 also kinda gets in the way of this grand scheme of traveling everywhere. Again, a bit dependent on someone else if #1 is going to be accomplished. There's so many logistics to work out. It will take time, but I hope someday I can say I've been there.

3. Ha, this one is almost laughable to me now, but it still tugs on a piece of my heart. Dance was my life for so long, and I aspired to that level with so much passion, but it just wasn't good enough. Ok, I don't think I believed it enough to completely go for it. Now, yeah, maybe I regret it just a little bit. At my age, in my condition, there's not much chance I'll reach that professional level. However, I'm a mean club dancer. I'm there!

Sweet dreams, y'all...

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey. 

Sign up to receive the prompts by email.

Tuesday Deserves Two Posts!

It has been a long time since I've published two posts in one day, but I found these questions at Girl With The Red Hair, and I wanted to play along.

Photo credit: weheartit

1. How do you pronounce the word aunt? Does your pronunciation rhyme with ‘haunt’ or ‘can’t'?
I can't stand when people say "ant." I don't like to compare my relatives to bugs. :(  So, my pronunciation rhymes with "haunt." 

2. Do most of the people in your life know you blog? Or are you partially or totally anonymous?
I don't publicize my blog to family and friends, but my posts go on my Facebook wall and into my Twitter feed, so they are there for all to read. My close friends definitely know I blog. 

3. When you grocery shop, do you prefer to bag your own groceries or do you like it when the store bags them for you? Paper, plastic, or reusable bags?
My parents both worked in a grocery store, and they were always picky about how the store's baggers packed their groceries (they always did it "wrong"). As a result, I have an inbred distrust of grocery store baggers, so I usually bag my own groceries in reusable bags.

4. Do you have a green thumb?
Not at all. I don't like to get dirty. :) I do miss fresh-picked produce though.

5. If you watch the Food Network, which chef/show host is your favorite?
I don't really watch the Food Network much. But Gordon Ramsey is my favorite TV chef, and I love all of his shows.

6. Do you like to take baths? Do you take them very often?
I don't think I have taken a bath since I was seven years old. It's a shame really, but they never make me feel clean. Hot tubs are a whole different story, however.

7. What color are the walls in your kitchen?
Not my choice, but the back splash is a chicken/hen wallpaper border that is deep red, green and neutral colors. The main wall is dark red on the top half, with the stupid border, and then a red, green, gold, white plaid on the lower half. I don't mind the red, but everything else has to go.

8. Do you prefer to dine outdoors or indoors?
Outdoors when the weather is nice and the bugs are in control.

9. Describe your ideal weather.
I lean towards warmer weather, so I think my ideal would be 80 degrees, sunny and dry.

10. If you could learn any foreign language, which would you choose to learn?
Italian, so when I finally visit Italy, I can converse with the locals.

#Trust30

One Thing by Colin Wright

Do your work, and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reinforce yourself. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take a moment, step back from your concerns, and focus on one thing: You have one life to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted. Sounds simple, but when you really focus on it, let it seep into your consciousness, you realize you only have about 100 years to get every single thing you’ve ever wanted to do. No second chances. This is your only shot. Suddenly, this means you should have started yesterday. No more waiting for permission or resources to start. Today is the day you make the rest of your life happen. Write down one thing you’ve always wanted to do and how you will achieve that goal. Don’t be afraid to be very specific in how you’ll achieve it: once you start achieving, your goals will get bigger and your capability to meet them will grow.

Oh my gosh, reading this prompt scared me! My stomach literally dropped. It's morbid, isn't it? I don't think that is the feeling Colin meant to elicit, but it was certainly my reaction. Let's use it as motivation, shall we? To really live every day with the knowledge that we have limited time to fulfill ourselves, to take a step every day that makes us truly happy.

One thing I have always wanted to do -- that I can recall -- is travel. The destination, activities and companions change through the years, but the desire to GO remains. as a kid, my parents took me to the "kid places" like Disney World and amusement parks, but they also took me to actual cultural and natural attractions such as Acadia National Park, Washington DC and museums. They cultivated a curiosity and interest in me to learn about different people, time periods, events, cultures and places.

So, I'm going to be broad here and just say that I want to travel -- not to any specific place -- to learn about this world in which I live. Unfortunately I have limited resources and companions to just up and go, but I realize there are still steps I can take every day, like saving a little bit in a vacation fund.

I would like to take at least one trip a year to somewhere new. I think that is a reasonable goal. If I have to go budget, I'll try camping in a new national park or try staying in a hostel or using Airbnb. Regardless of what I have to do to get there, one new place a year.

Who's with me?

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey. 

Sign up to receive the prompts by email.

#Trust30: Making Up the Path as You Go

Alternative Paths by Jonathan Fields

When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name; the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The world buzzes about goals and visions. Focus. Create a vivid picture of exactly where you want to go. Dream big, then don’t let anything or anyone stop you. The problem, as Daniel Gilbert wrote in Stumbling Upon Happiness, is that we’re horrible at forecasting how we’ll really feel 10 or 20 years from now – once we’ve gotten what we dreamed of. Often, we get there only to say, “That’s not what I thought it would be,” and ask, “What now?” Ambition is good. Blind ambition is not. It blocks out not only distraction, but the many opportunities that might take you off course but that may also lead you in a new direction. Consistent daily action is only a virtue when bundled with a willingness to remain open to the unknown. In this exercise, look at your current quest and ask, “What alternative opportunities, interpretations and paths am I not seeing?” They’re always there, but you’ve got to choose to see them.

I LOVE this prompt. Thankfully I learned this lesson awhile ago, but it's not an easy one to hang onto because "the world buzzes about goals and visions." It is really tough to respond to the questions about your goals, visions, dreams, one-five-10-year plans with, "I know I want to do this, but I'm staying open to possibilities and opportunities that come along." People just don't comprehend that; they want a solid plan.

In college, I was very one-track-minded. I was a journalism major, and anything that did not contribute to that goal was not worth my time. I carefully selected courses that would make me a better writer and thinker. I read all the time. I knew what I wanted to be: a newspaper reporter. Why should I entertain anything else? In college that is a HUGE mistake, and I partly blame my father for insisting that I declare a major as an incoming freshman. I wish I had the guts to explore other majors or careers. I wish I had taken a couple of random courses that had nothing to do with journalism or media. I missed those opportunities that may have been.

Guess what? I have not worked a day of my life as a full-time staff newspaper reporter. Never. Instead my career looks like a Venn diagram with newspaper reporter in the middle; I just dance around in the bubbles on the outskirts. It has been a learning experience for sure, and the most important lesson I have taken away? Remain open to what may come. Don't block anything out. Even if you don't love it, you will learn something. It's all about the journey, right?

Now I don't mind telling friends and family that I'm not really sure where I'm going; I'm along for the ride. I think most of them get that about me. It's still really hard, though, to fend off the questions at work -- in the professional setting. I'm not an easy employee to manage when you are trying to set my goals for the upcoming year, and I really don't have a five-year plan for myself. So, I take what comes; I try new things. This year is the perfect example: I have taken on an objective that is pretty far out there from anything I saw myself doing, but I think I am going to learn a lot. That's what it's all about, right?

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey. 

Sign up to receive the prompts by email.

#Trust30: Imitation is the Finest Form of Flattery

Divine Idea by Fabian Kruse

Imitation is Suicide. Insist on yourself; never imitate. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write down in which areas of your life you have to overcome these suicidal tendencies of imitation, and how you can transform them into a newborn you – one that doesn’t hide its uniqueness, but thrives on it. There is a “divine idea which each of us represents” – which is yours?

Flattery for the original, suicide for the imitator... Ick. I have struggled with this my entire life. How do I be myself? Who is that even? How can I be myself when I see someone else doing it better than I ever could? Wow, that's deep huh? Really cuts to the core.

I think there are two areas in my life right now where I am imitating rather than letting my uniqueness shine, and ironically, they are also the two most challenging areas of my life right now. I think when I find myself "not living up," I imitate those who I see as doing it better, as doing it how I want to do it.

First up, my relationship. Man, I am surrounded by some great examples of love -- close friends, family, reality TV... ok, maybe not so much on that last one. When I don't know how to love, I find myself imitating someone's relationship other than mine, or trying to. It never works, let me tell you, because there are two people in every relationship, and that other person usually is not willing to mimic the actions/thoughts/words/feelings of the partner in the relationship you are trying to copy. It is disastrous. Hm, or as Emerson so eloquently stated: SUICIDAL. Even worse, you are dragging someone down with you. Just don't do it.

A relationship is something that is so beautiful, so unique, so kinetic; no two are alike because no two people are the same, and no two people's interaction can be the same. I think the answer here is easy: Let it flow. Be who you are. Feel what you feel. Say what you think (with kindness). Let go of the comparison because it just can't compare!

The second area I find myself imitating is in my career. Man, sometimes work is just... work. It's hard. It's tiring. Sometimes I just don't know what to do, and instead of figuring it out, I play this game of "What Would 'Fill-in-the-Blank' Do?" I know, we all need mentors, teachers, coaches, guides. We need someone to show us what to do sometimes. However, I have found myself in situations where I look back, and I know that my actions didn't reflect who I really am.

I think many of us tend to lose ourselves in the corporate world. We're different people at work and at home. It doesn't have to be that way, especially today. Companies are actually realizing the value in the individual, so let's let it shine! Here is where I need to stop being a drone and start letting my unique perspective shine. Here is where I need to do the work.

Where do you find yourself imitating and why?

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey. 

Sign up to receive the prompts by email.