2014 Resolution Results

I'm going to give myself a rating of school grades for each resolution.

1. Get my house clean and organized.  B-
2. Don't get caught up in stupid drama.  B
3. Be open to new experiences even if it seems scary.  B
4. Give my dogs more exercise.  C
5. Finish painting the house.  F
6. Be okay with throwing stuff away. No need to hoard things that I think "I can use someday."  A-
7. Focus on work because no one deserves a lazy teacher.  B+
8. Get massages at least twice a month.  C-
9. Connect and communicate with people on a real and honest level.  B-
10. Be grateful and content with the good things in my life.  B
11. Make peace with anyone or anything that deserves it.  B+
12. Always apologize for my mistakes.  A-
13. Show support for people, events, acts, and things that correspond with my personal beliefs and are important to me regardless of what other people say.  A
14. Save more money.  B
15. Travel to at least one place I have never been to before.  D
16. Don't put off appointments with doctors and dentists.  A+
17. Take more pictures of people/with people that I love.  C
18. Get my garden in proper order.  B
19. Be less of a homebody. Go out and do more social activities.  C
20. Find ways to reconnect with friends and family because I sucked at that last year.  C
21. Shut my big, fat, opinionated mouth even if what I have to say is valid, obvious, and even the truth because there may be people around who are sensitive to what I have to say. It doesn't make me less intelligent. It doesn't mean I'm afraid to speak out.  B
22. Don't get into any physical altercations. Try not to get into any verbal ones either.  A
23. Don't judge anyone without knowing their life's journey. Looks can be deceiving.  B
24. Pay acts of kindness forward, no matter how small of an act it is.  B
25. Do not forget this list!!!  A

Overall, I did well!  I'm going to keep working on the low-scoring ones in 2015.  I might add new ones on the list.

Haha or Boohoo?

This is one of those times when I don't know whether I should laugh or cry.  Sometimes you just can't fix what's happening and you gotta try to go with the flow.  It's been a challenge to be a go-with-the-flow kind of person, although I have improved a tiny bit.  I've had lots of thoughts going through my head lately:  cancer, family, death, settling down with someone new, people from my past, work relationships.... The list goes on and on.  Some thoughts are positive, but still have sort of an ominous vibe to them, while other thoughts are sad and scary to even think about.  For example, how many people in my family will succumb to cancer?  Am I going to be one of them?  It's not a good thing to think about at all. At the same time, I also want to yell to the whole world that my family can kick cancer's ass!  Although this is not entirely true.  So that's positive thinking, yet clouded in sadness.  Anyway, just as I thought the road was getting smoother, it remains just as bumpy as before, albeit in a different way.  I'm just going to try to keep finding the silver lining and try to think positively through this section of life.  Also, I'm going to dedicate this particular post to my cousin Mark.  I know he'll be strong enough to persevere through his treatment plan.

August Update

It has been over eight months since I began this particular journey.  I've been trying new things, pushing myself to make meaningful friendships, and focusing on becoming a person I could like and be proud of.  Although I'm far from perfect, I know I have thus far done a decent job in my efforts of reachin my goals.  I can feel a change in myself, and in a good way.  I know I have a long road still ahead of me, but even with setbacks that I've had to persevere through, I know I am on the right track.

Also, note to self:  Stinky tofu is really stinky and disgusting!

Life?

David Austin Roses, Lifetime Movies, nap on the couch, a couple of phone conversations.  And it is Saturday.  Very different from Saturdays of ten years ago.  It's a different life, not to say that it's worse, but just different.

Friendship

When the going gets tough, you'll learn who your true friends are.  That's what I've heard people say, and have come to find out to be true.  I wish I had a radar that told me which people were worth my time.  Now I think I may have regrets about my choices in friends. I don't want to be sad, bitter, or angry toward the whole situation and any of these people, so I need to focus on finding a way to be at peace with whatever will happen with all if this.

Inspiration

I needed some inspiration today.

Rejuvenation Spa

I got a massage this week.  Thank goodness for $15 foot massage places!  So that makes it two massages this month!  I've met my monthly goal!

Dog Park

I was able to take the dogs for one walk this week, and I took them to the dog park today.  They are tired now!  I feel like such a good dog owner.

Lending Club

I joined Lending Club today as an investor. I'm going to try it out with $500 and see if it really will make me some money before I invest more.  Here's to prosperity in 2014.

Dogs

I took Ross and Chandler out for one walk this week, which is one more than they got last week.  It's not enough, but it is an improvement.

Credit Cards

I'm going to stop using my Bank of America card and stick to just using my Chase and Discover cards.  I'm not one to carry balances from one month to the next, but I've been out of control lately!  I must get back on track!

Loyal3

One of my resolutions (#14) for the year was to save more money.  After buying a house and car, my finances were in dire need of a boost.  I started investing in stocks last October through Loyal3, a broker that charges no fees and allows account holders to buy for as little as $10.  I started investing just $10 in five different companies just to try it out.  I really liked how easy investing was through their website.  I decided today to increase my investment in a couple of companies, and I also added three more companies to my portfolio.  I'm not going to be rich overnight, but it's a good place to start investing.  I've never been good at keeping up with the stock market, but I feel confident that Loyal3 will allow me to accrue some cash through these long-term investments.  Wanna try it?  Go to www.loyal3.com