Be Easy, Be Happy

A beautiful Sunday morning posted up on the dock with a cup of joe and typing away. This is a wonderful way to start my Sunday, or any day for that matter. I can hear a few motor sounds in the distance, but I don't see a soul out here. Granted, I am tucked away in a cove but there is decent view of a good part of the open lake. This is peace.

I'm taking this time to be intentional. Not so much with myself with any thoughts in mind, but intentional in paying attention to my surroundings. I am being. In this moment I can hear every fish plop its head above water, every various bird cawing or singing away, every tree limb swaying in the breeze and every wave that hits the docks. This is life. Not "the" life (even though this is a pretty awesome way to live), but life. The life all around us that all too often goes unnoticed.

In this moment of being I feel happy. A friend of mine always says "Be Happy". To everyone. It's his motto. And every time I see it or hear it from him I recognize what he is saying, but I don't think I ever take the time to stop and really just tell myself, 'be happy'. It's really so simple. Just be. There's no trying. Just be. Try it!

Another saying I try to remind myself of is "be easy". I've never heard anyone say this until a few months ago but Jack [boyfriend] says it all the time. And with as much time as he spends out on this dock and lake, I understand it after simply being in this moment.  We all make life way too complicated way too often. Most things in life are a result of decision and the majority of the time we are choosing to react or respond in a certain way. No report or paper is innately stressful, no appointment or meeting is so crucial we will die if something goes wrong. We put the weight of these feelings into them. Life can exist without the ridiculousness of deadlines and making impressions. Just sayin. :) If only we could convince bosses and coworkers of this. ha.

I urge everyone out there to try out these wonderful philosophies. ;) I promise you life will be much more enjoyable.

Be happy, be easy, be you.

Bye Loves.

Rock My World

I had a conversation yesterday that rocked my world. Literally. Let me tell you why.

I've heard and been a part of many conversations over the past few years regarding the generational clash of Milledgeville. There are many wonderful people who are from here and their families have been a vital part of this town for numerous years. They love this town and want to preserve its rich history and heritage. Then there is the group of young adults, some from the area but many who come here as college students, fall in love with the quaintness of the town and decide to find work and stay. They too want to preserve the town. The issue here comes from a differing interpretation of what it means to preserve the town. Many of the older, rooted group sees the preservation as keeping things exactly the same. The younger generation sees it as maintaining the architecture and sense of community but building it up by allowing new businesses and the such. 

This is certianly a simplified viewpoint of the situation, but it gives a very general feeling of what's going on. 

With two groups so passionate and willing to give back to the community where is the balance? How do we allow this town, so clearly loved, to continue to grow while maintaining a sense of history? It all starts with support and collaboration. Both parties need to see the other's strengths and be able to support growth. 

This is the conversation I had yesterday with one of our city aldermans. I called her on behalf of a friend who offered to aid her in her campaign for city council elections coming up. I was trying to set up a meeting to begin work on her social media enterprise and she ended up telling me how supportive she was of the younger generation because we are the future of this town. She has stood up for a group of local, young professionals trying keep Milledgeville alive through business collaborations numerous times lately and I believe this is the type of relationship we need to see being fostered. 

The moment I heard the excitement in her voice about working together in support of each other's challenges and goals, my heart was beaming with happiness! This is the beginning of what Milledgeville needs. This is the beginning of seeing this town flourish due to the hard work and love of BOTH generations. 

Technology Smechnology

This be cray! I'm writing a blog post on my phone! Call me behind the times, but I just now downloaded the blogger app on my phone. I don't think I could write every post like this but having the ability to take a picture and directly post it to my blog is beyond delightful. 

So, here's to figuring technology out more and more every day and trying to act like I know what I'm doing sometimes. :) 

Tiny Dreamer

Okay, so maybe I'm still young according to the world's standards and the average lifespan of Americans, but I feel like I've reached a crucial milestone: the dilemma of where to take my career. I'm 24 years old and have a full time job in the field in which I studied in a beautiful and quaint little town. Sounds golden, right? Well, no matter how many times I hear people tell me how awesome my life seems on paper, I can't help but think in the back of my head, something's missing. I wish I could tell you what's next, but I don't always even know myself.

What I do know is that I need something in my life that is for me. Solely for me. I need something to be selfish about. Come on, we all need that something to be rightfully selfish about at times. It's called a hobby, not to be confused with obsession. Well, for me, I want to figure out a way to turn a hobby into work. I'm not the type of person who can do work just to do work and make money. I have to enjoy what I'm doing 100%. Am I a product of generation y? Yes. Does this mean I don't know how to work hard?  Hell no....it just means I'm a free styling, whimsical, free spirited dreamer that wants to enjoy life in every moment.  And I intend to figure out how to balance what I enjoy with a way to make a living.

What's next now? Setting up conversations with executive coaches, executives and just some good ole friends. I like to try and get as many varying thoughts as possible, not for anyone to tell me what I should do but maybe various ways to achieve something different. Brainstorming if you will.  I have ideas of what I'd like to end up doing at some point and potentially in the near future, but shhh...they're a secret. ;)

Life is a boggled mess of wonderfulness, just take the bull by the horns and see what happens. Set goals but not expectations. Let life surprise you and go with it. And when you get to a stump like me, just take some time to figure out what might work for you and start some conversations with people. You never know what someone might know that will be of benefit to you. Keep dreaming loves.

That first post you just have to call 'Untitled'.

Oh, I just sigh as I sit here to begin writing. My thoughts have been all over the place for so long. I'm not even sure I know what my thoughts are on any given situation, idea, circumstance, etc, anymore. My brain and life are so boggled. I simply believe I am incapable of forming full thoughts or sentences in my head anymore. I don't believe my heart even knows how to think these days.

Life has taken so many many turns these past three months that I have come to realize how many paths to life there are and it is completely within our own power to choose which path we tread (or run) down. Even though the circumstances that I have been in here lately, either because of my own choices or those of others, have momentarily caused me to be on certain paths, ultimately I can only own up to my own choice of path. But unfortunately I'm not sure which one that is. I know, for the most part, which events have occurred due to my choice and which have happened based on the actions of others. But everything is so sticky and they seem to just muddle together at the end of the day, and at the beginning and in the middle. How long does it take for something to pass to be able to see things with open eyes and as unbiased as possible? I suppose that's not something that can be statistically measured in any kind of accurate way.

Random

Journal. Best friend. Confidant. Someone or something you share everything with. That something that gives you the emotional and mental release of all your feelings, thoughts, actions and words. It's what gives you some small satisfaction that you aren't, in some small way, keeping it all to yourself. Even if you are writing to yourself, or something greater out there, you aren't keeping it in. Writing is a release. At least, for me it is. It doesn't even matter if anyone sees it or responds. Someday someone will and when that happens my words will touch whomever that may be. I believe all things happen for a reason and that reason is greater than anything in this world can predict.

Life is complicated. Yet so simple. Is it a matter of choice or circumstance? Which way it is for us. Maybe both. I think it's both. But maybe that's too simple of an answer. Nah....it's all a matter of what we make it. Right? Or that's probably just opinion, too. Either way, there are things that are both within and outside of our control. Life happens regardless, and I think that's part of the miracle of life. It happens with or without us.

I still dress up.

Today is Easter Sunday 2012. I spent it sleeping in and then helping my love finish up lunch for his family. We always have a large meal every holiday and birthday around here. When I was getting myself ready and trying to decide what to wear I was going through my closet asking myself, "what spring colors do I have?". Even though I didn't spend the morning going to church or even getting out of the house I still wanted to wear something Springy and look nice for the day. Today I chose a full-length Kelly green and purple printed strapless dress. I think it's quite fitting for the day!

One of my favorite memories of Easter wasn't waking up to see what the Easter Bunny had left in our baskets we so carefully placed at our 'designated' spots at the kitchen table or going to church to see people I probably hadn't seen in a while or the good food after. It was getting to pick out a new Easter dress every year. That sounds so shallow and earthly but as a little girl that was probably my favorite part. I can remember the majority of my Easter dresses to this day from the fluffy floral dresses with white gloves and hats as a toddler to the peachy below-the-knee gown with a short white sweater over top from a place called Peaches 'N Cream to the black and pink skirt ensemble I put together my freshman year of high school. Don't ask why I wore black on Easter. For some reason it became a trend for a couple of years to wear black with an accented Spring color. I don't think it was a hit looking back.

It's the little traditions that I love looking back and reminiscing about. I'm always enjoying hearing about traditions. They're part of what make you, well, you. But as I get older I realize what I enjoy most about holidays is the socializing with family and friends. I love any reason to get together with a large group of people, eat and be merry. I can't wait until I have a family of my own that I can plan social events with and invite people over to host holiday meals and parties. Ah...the future is so beautiful.

Well my darlings, I'm going to enjoy the rest of this beautiful day in the sun reading "An Altar in the World" by Barbara Brown Taylor. This day is a perfect example of how she tells us to find spiritual meaning and God in the beauty of what is around us.

Goddbye my darlings!