Save the Date!!! Project Cupid Is Coming!

It's not what you think. I promise I'm not scheming some love story to make Valentine's Day 2010 my best yet.  I'm like the majority of my friends in thinking it's an overrated, commercialized holiday that only serves to increase capitalism and re-enforce the feeling of "not being in love." Cynical? Maybe - but mostly just realistic.


Project Cupid is an event that I became involved in as of today - but I'm just so excited about it that I wanted to post immediately. 


Taking place on Friday, February 5th at Red Sky in Boston, this is a charity event for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund - a hospital and charity that are incredibly close to my heart.  As a former employee of the Jimmy Fund, I'm very appreciative of the fact that I can continue to be involved, and encourage you all to do what you can as well.  Whether it's attending an event, or making a gift - the mission, the people, the research and the work that is done at DFCI are all truly wonderful things.


SO! On to the details... What is Project Cupid? It's an auction - but not just any auction.  An auction that involves men and women, "bachelors and bachelorettes" if you will.  And I will.  Because yours truly is going to be up on the auction block that night.  So get out the dollar dollar bills yo and start saving! 


100% of the money raised that night will go to the Jimmy Fund and the evening honors the memory of Isaias, a nine year old who lost his battle with cancer shortly before his 10th birthday.  I encourage you all to go to the website in order to learn more about the event and reason behind it.  Read More Here...


You can also do your part to help spread the word by becoming a fan of the Facebook Page...


Please save the date, Friday February 5th, and share this news with your friends.... What better way to end the work week then by helping out such a wonderful cause, having a few good laughs, and hearing someone say "Going Once, Going Twice, Sold...."  about me (and a group of other fine guys and gals). 

A Little of This... A Little of That...

I'm working on a random project for AT&T right now.  I was given an iphone (I have one already, but they gave me a new one to try - annnd it's a newer model.... score) and I get to try out AT&T service.  I take a picture each day, post it to an AT&T website that people across the country are also posting to, and then pass the phone onto 5 more of my friends to try out.  

Here's the link in case you're curious: AT&T Real Voices.

I don't blog on it the way I do this - but still, it's kind of fun to see what other people are saying....

Clarity through Broken Expectations...

Situation 1.
Have you ever been in one of those situations where you have so many options about something that you get totally overwhelmed? It's like that Mae West quote that I love so much "Too much of a good thing, is wonderful...." That's true.  Yet at the same time, too many good options can be burdensome in a way.  So many good things to choose from - which do you pick?


Situation 2.
What about discomfort? What about expectations? By nature we put a lot of expectations on ourselves, on other people - and often times we find ourselves in a state of discontent, anger, frustration, when what we were expecting doesn't work out as planned.


I just had moment where I married the two feelings mentioned above.  Stick with me - I might get theoretical.  I have a number amazing opportunities in my life right, it's like a multiple choice question about my life - and I want to select "all of the above."  At the same time, I have high expectations set for certain situations, high hopes, that weren't fully realized. 


Two very different life situations occurred simultaneously.  Situation 1: Lots of positive opportunities presenting... Situation 2: Disappointment from unfulfilled expectations.   When my expectations took a hit, I was able to find clarity in what I want - I was able to make a decision about all those positive opportunities.  What is going to work best for me.  It was like a yin and yang moment.  A moment where I stopped putting expectations on other people, and looked at myself - and realized that I'm in control.  I make the choices.  Selfish? Maybe.  Liberating? Definitely.  

The Twitch with a Twist

We all get that annoying eye twitch every now and again - some people say it's from stress, others because you're over tired - but we've all had it, and we all know how annoying it can be.

Or ever had a twitch in your lip? It's like someone is pulling an invisible string every now and then just making your lip move in the slightest way, that you feel like everyone can see, but in reality no one does?

I've got a new one. A new twitch that's happening RIGHT at this moment. Ready for it??

Inside of my left forearm! I'm sorry, what? I'm right handed for starters, I'm not stressed to my knowledge, I definitely am not over tired, and I haven't done anything overly strenuous. But it's driving me crazy... I can feel this little irregular pulsating every few minutes that is doing nothing more then messing up my sanity. Weird.

Anybody else have twitches in strange locations? Please say I'm not alone in this misery... Bueller? Bueller?

Better Luck Next Time...

Well, you can't be the best at everything right?! Sadly, I did not have the best essay in the Real Simple essay contest I talked about in my last post. After constant refreshing of the website, a new page finally appeared last night, shortly after mid-night, naming a woman from Arizona the winner. So congratulations to Andrea Avery Decker - her essay will be in the March issue of Real Simple - I'm looking forward to reading it, comparing writing styles, and learning about when someone else realizes that they've grown-up.

If anyone who reads this comes across any interesting writing contests, please let me know! I'll give you a piece of the prize when I finally win! :)

Anxiously Waiting...

So I entered an essay contest with Real Simple magazine last fall - the essay was due the first of September, and required a response to the following question: "When did you realize you had become a grown-up?" Think about that for a few minutes. Some people may base it on a tangible experience, like when they moved out of their parents house, or found the first gray hair. Or maybe it was an experience of losing someone - maybe you still haven't grown-up!

I entered this contest, that has a grand prize of $3,000 - a fully expenses paid trip to NYC, and most important - meetings with the editors of Real Simple magazine. I remember when I entered thinking that it seemed like forever until the would announce the winner - but now the time has come. The winner is supposed to find out after January 3, 2010 - and the results will be posted on the Real Simple website after January 8th - TOMORROW!!

There's a piece of me that's holding out hope that I could be the grand prize winner - another piece of me is saying that if I had one, I would know already. Nonetheless, I've been checking the Real Simple website 10 times a day for the last 7 days, just to see if there is anything new. So far, no dice.

Regardless of whether or not I emerge the big winner, I gained a lot from writing my entry. I'm not necessarily going to go into all the details, but long story short, I wrote about a very challenging and personal time that I went through with my family. There were a lot of emotions involved that I hadn't previously experienced, I saw my parents from a different viewpoint, and as a family, I think we all grew a little closer - despite some scary times. Writing about the situation forced me to relive a difficult time, but also to recognize the ways in which I grew from it, and the ways in which we all evolved into bigger, better, people.

I shared the essay with my parents before submitting it, which was also a learning experience. I think the degree of emotion, as well as subject matter may have caught them a little off guard, but all in all, it was beneficial to have everything out in the open, and revisit a difficult time for us all.

My conclusion was that I've grown-up by way of these type of experiences. The ones in which you have to take charge, take a role, and take some type of responsibility when others might not necessarily be able too. At the same time, I realized I'm going to continue to grow - and that I might never be fully "grown-up" - because really, what's the fun in that?

Keep your fingers crossed for me, I'll let you know what happens...

New Year, Same Girl.

I've always been a list maker. I've always been the one to write down my goals at the start of a new year. It doesn't matter how big, or how small the goal, I've written it down. From flossing my teeth daily, to running a marathon, to the obligatory "lose 5-10 lbs" that most women put on their list for the new year.

The start of 2008 I made a huge list of goals. Some larger then I ever imagined. That year I managed to achieve everything on that list. So what next? It's a little depressing when you realize you've achieved everything you wanted to, and still haven't figured out what's next. It kind of left me feeling lethargic, like I did all I needed too and didn't have much else to accomplish. Sad right?

The start of 2009 I took a different approach. After going through a rough spot in my mid-twenties, I decided I would take the pressure off myself. I didn't write a list - I didn't write my yearly goals. That's the first time I can remember that I didn't start my new year off with a list of goals. But you know what? It worked out ok. Without feeling the pressure to complete something, without having to figure out what comes next, I just let my year happen - and I still managed to accomplish big things, pursue big things, and learn to like myself more then I ever have.

So here we are. January 1, 2010. A start of a new year, and a new decade. This year I'm going to take a new route. Rather then list all the things I want to achieve, I'm going to write a mission statement. One filled with words I want to live by, words I want to shape my life around. I'm going to create a personal mantra that I hope will inspire me, inspire others, and support a happy, healthy, and prosperous lifestyle. Forget the pressure, forget the "I have to" and focus on the "I get to."

If I get brave enough, I might post it. But for now, it's for my eyes only.

Happy New Year everyone. I hope that it's filled with strength, happiness, and peace.