Tuesday, October 30, 2012

MOVEmber



I am officially declaring November as MOVEmber!*

I have three objectives for the month:  (1) to get moving again and be healthy, (2) to move forward in life in terms of what I want to be doing, and (3) to move others.

The first focus is to get moving again and be healthy.

Since moving to my new place last month, I hadn’t exercised at all. It’s easy to use the wetter weather as an excuse but the truth is I’ve just been lazy. And being inactive makes me feel even more so. It’s time for a change.

The sad lesson I’ve come to continuously learn is that I have to take care of myself to be able to fully enjoy all the wonderful things I’m sure is in store for me- for all of us, actually. My happiness is so intertwined with the happiness of my family and friends that I hope taking care of ourselves is a priority for everyone.

I’m giving up eating at any Fast Food and Food Court restaurants for the month. Goodbye, McDonald’s sausage McMuffin with egg and hash brown. Goodbye, Taco Bell crispy potato soft tacos. Goodbye, Wendy’s  breakfast seasoned homestyle potatoes. I don’t know which of you I’ll most of all. (Obviously, I love potatoes.)

I’ll make healthier food choices.

I’ll eat fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.

I’ll take vitamins. Hopefully, I can get my iron level back up again so I can donate blood again.

I’ll exercise again- at least 30 minutes per day, 3X a week- even if it means paying for a gym membership.

The second focus is to move forward in life in terms of what I want to be doing.

I’ll write at least 30 minutes every day, excluding blogging and journaling. NaNoWriMo has motivated me again but I hope this surge can last longer than a few days! I’ve taken the concept of attempting to write a novel in 30 days and making it into something that’s workable for me. I’d want to have at least rough drafts of my stories.

Working at GBB has made me feel creative. With the holidays fast approaching, I want to send handmade Christmas cards. Send me your address if you’re interested in receiving one. Hopefully, this will be a tradition.

The final focus is to move others.

I don’t necessarily mean to get an emotional reaction out of people but to continue my volunteering to make a difference in other people’s lives. Especially during this time of the year when everything seems so commercialized, we need to make an effort to be kind to others.

If you look back at my previous challenges, you may see a lot of the same things repeated. That’s life, I guess- making choices over and over to be better, healthier and more fulfilled.

What are your plans for MOVEmber?

*Not to be confused with the mustache- growing charity event that also happens in November and is called Movember.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

My Most Favorite Favorites





·         The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
·         Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
·         Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
·         The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
·         Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
·         The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
·         The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
·         Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
·         A Raisin to the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
·         The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
·         The Cider House Rules by John Irving
·         The World According to Garp by John Irving
·         The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
·         Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
·         From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
·         The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
·         The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
·         To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
·         Wicked by Gregory Maguire
·         The Crucible by Arthur Miller
·         The House at Poor Corner by A.A. Milne
·         Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
·         Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
·         Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
·         The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
·         The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
·         Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
·         The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
·         The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
·         I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! by Dr. Seuss
·         Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
·         Dracula by Bram Stoker
·         Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet
·         Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
·         Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood
·         The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak