Making a connection.

What is it like to reach out and call someone you haven't spoken to in 5 years?  That's a long time for me to not speak to someone and still have their number on my cell phone.  Whenever I've gone through my phone to delete old numbers, this always feels so obnoxious but completely necessary, I would skip over this particular friend, saying to myself, "I'll call him... I'll call him."  Years passed me by and I still couldn't seem to find the right time.  Nothing negative passed between us, we didn't end our last conversation badly or positively, we just stopped conversing.  I moved elsewhere, began a busy, busy job and failed to continue the friendship.
Originally, I had assumed that whomever I decided to call would be hard for me, that perhaps I would let this challenge slip down to the bottom of my list, but when I realized who I would be calling, (he's all I've got left on my phone from that long ago), I made the call immediately.  I thought I'd have trouble hitting the send button, but it was a breeze.  It was the right thing to do.  He answered after the fourth ring with a huge smile on his face and a "Wow!...  Suuuuuu-nie."  It was wonderful to hear his voice, his smile, his happiness shining through the phone.  He was thrilled to hear from me- said he was blushing, which made me blush.  The conversation was sweet, respectful and charming.  We ended with plans to talk again soon and perhaps he'd make a visit to my new home.  (I live in a heavenly place.  Did I tell you?  Cape Cod.)
Talk about breaking up the monotony of the everyday life.  This is a great challenge.  And may not be as challenging as you'd think.  Somehow I picked the right person to reconnect with, and the right time to connect.  Although I went back to my regular lifestyle, I now have the pleasure of feeling fortunate to have such a good friend, to know that I made his day and my own as well.  I can walk around with my head a little higher, knowing that I recreated a wonderful connection, even if for just a half an hour.  Knowing that you can have such a deep effect on someone else's life can be motivating and quite endearing.  It made my month.  Try it.

Creating a dinner for two

For those of you that don't know me, I am single and live completely on my own.  So... this task was a treat for me.  I love to cook.  I have been known to spend hours in the kitchen.  Those that are close to me always look forward to the Holiday meals.  Although, when I'm on my own, I tend to find myself stuck in a routine.  I'm always buying the same foods and cooking the same things with an occasional variety thrown in... boring.  So, I took on the challenge of inviting a guest to dinner.  The two of us had just recently gone out to dinner, which is a very different experience, and I was craving a burger.  Unfortunately, I'm not one to eat meat at a restaurant that can't tell me where their meat comes from, "That's a question you have to ask our meat distributor, not me [the owner]," so I rarely order animal products at restaurants.  With that said, I had been craving a burger for a week, but knew I wouldn't enjoy it without another person sitting beside me.  So, I'd chosen the meal I would make, chosen the friend I would make it for, and called her up the night before to invite her to dinner.
The next morning I went rushing off to the store to purchase sweet potatoes for the "fries" and organic lettuce for the burger.  As I said, I'd been craving a burger for a week, so I'd already purchased the local grass-fed beef at the store a day or two earlier.  On my way home, I thought about my timing, given that I had to be at a rehearsal for 4 hours right before my dinner guest would arrive.  Mixing the yeast, flour, honey and warm water to create the sponge of my hamburger buns was exciting, but then I had to let it rest for half and hour,  Gosh, making yeasted bread always reminds me of the patience one needs to let things create and gives me much appreciation for the seasoning of time.  Of course, I jumped to the next thing, chopping and seasoning the sweet potato fries while the yeast was doing it's job.  Next to my favorite part, 10 minutes of kneading- this for me is the practice of Ahimsa, sanskrit for non-violence.  The kneading of the dough can be a rather violent if you so desired, but then the dough would be too harsh, too dense and unforgiving to the teeth.  Rather, kneading the dough gently, calmly and serenely can be a very meditative and soothing rhythm for 10 consecutive minutes.  And to know that someone dear to me would be eating this is always a treasure.
After the work was done, my friend arrived and the cooking commensed, the aroma was heavenly; burgers, fresh whole-wheat rolls, caramelized onions and garlicky sweet potato fries were spilling into our nostrils causing our mouths to water.  We were starving.  And boy, was the food delicious!
This was certainly a wonderful way to change my monotonous life of always the same food, same time, same place and same company.  We had good food, good conversation and lots of laughter over a simple meal that was worth every second of my time.  In fact, I enjoyed this change so much, I called another friend who's headed over for lunch on Friday.  Yippee!

Joining the Community

As my first challenge, I decided the best route to take was a simple soft opening to new monotony-buster quest (i.e. knowing I couldn't fail).
I got my library card and actually used it!
What a great first step for me; I've just recently moved to a new town (well, 5 months ago) and still don't know much about my hometown.  I've been putting off getting a library card since the beginning.  And now I've gone and done it, and because I got to come home and report it to you, I really felt like it was a true accomplishment.  Whoo Hoo!
Why was it so successful, you wonder?  Not only did I make a few new aquaintences, but I also took my first step in truly joining my community.
Libraries have so much to offer and are one of the most community oriented places in a town.  As soon as I walked into the lobby, I glanced at a thorough map of my hometown and scanned a corkboard filled with local happenings, personal business cards and announcements about my town, state, country and world.  I was certain to stick my business card up there too.  Entering the main hall, I breathed in the scent of old and new books and a thick air of creativity and thoughts.  While surfing the book shelves, I felt at peace from the "library voices" at a quiet whir, the turning of the page, and the light beep-beep at the check out.  There were tutoring sessions progressing, newspaper readers digesting and book enthusiasts borrowing.  I felt as though I were in a Barnes and Noble book store without the distractions of coffee, music and constant chatter.  It was an opportunity for me to be silent, admire my community and find something that strikes my fancy amongst hundreds of books, books on tape, movies, etc.
When I left, I walked out proudly with book under my arm, but more importantly, with a sense of warmth and vitality.  To be amongst education, sharing and giving was well worth my time.  And now I have a library card and a book to read as opposed to surfing the net or watching movies.
What a great challenge and true change for my daily life to come.

To make the world a better place one step at a time.

Everyday living is what we have, but how much can we actually allow ourselves to experience in today's busy 24/7 lifestyle?  Do we forget to look at the flowers, to breath in fresh air, to donate our time to a local cause, to fully connect with others, to reach beyond our limits?  Do we allow ourselves to fall into a daily routine that isn't necessarily benefiting the world's needs and perhaps our own needs?  Do we turn a blind eye to a magazine falling off a shelf, to someone dropping trash in the street, to a stranger struggling to stand up on their own?  Is this healthy living?  Can we live better?  Do we have the power to change our lives?
I believe we do and we can.  Dare you believe, too?
I invite you to join me in a challenge.  Spend the next 2 weeks welcoming 6 positive changes we can strive to achieve and experience for ourselves to bring to the world.  One of the largest challenges I face is to remember to work on the little things within myself in order to then help the larger things in life that affect the life beyond my door step.  Perhaps you think spending some time on yourself is meaningless, selfish or foolish, but one happy person in this world will create a positive energy that will spread within the world throughout your day.
Not the right time?  Don't have a second to breath?  Find a way to clear out some time in your schedule to center yourself, come back to who you are and feel the power of your presence.  And go from there.
A friend and I have compiled a list that will hopefully inspire you to begin this change with me.  Feel free to use this list, add to it, or create your own.  I only wish to inspire and create love and happiness within the daily monotonous lifestyles we frequently find ourselves living.
Get out, change your views, seek laughter and love, give your heart, bring happiness to loved ones and strangers alike.  Connect with yourself, others and this beautiful world from the dirt to the sky.