Opinions for Nothing

Future Me

Reverb 10: Day 21

Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)

For the next year, I hope that my future self will tell me that everything is going to work out as I am hoping it will, as long as I do what needs to be done, and I don't slack off. Stay the course.

I don't want to tell my 26-year-old self anything; I can't change the past.

Beyond Avoidance

Reverb 10: Day 20

What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?)

I mentioned this one already, too. I have been avoiding getting our finances in order. We will take care of this shortly.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

Reverb 10: Day 19

What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?

Time and love.

Ride the Rapids

Reverb 10: Day 18

What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it?

I want to go whitewater rafting next year. It is something I have avoided in the past due to my weight, even though I had a couple opportunities to do it.

I'm Pretty Awesome

Reverb 10: Day 17

What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

I'd let myself fall into a rut at work. I wasn't doing anything challenging or interesting. Fighting for my new role at work helped reinvigorate me, but I still had three months to transition to that role, so that energy boost faded. Then I attended the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco in November. Every single person I talked to there, without exception, was interesting, talented, and smart. Speaking with all those people about our work not only excited me about what I was doing in my new role, but reminded me that I am good at my job and that my skills are in demand. It got me out of my rut and boosted my professional confidence.

Friends. Real friends, not the TV show.

Reverb 10: Day 16

How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?

My friends, as a group, have changed my perspective on my own life this year. It became clear this year that I have not been getting enough face-to-face contact with my friends, not only to maintain my friendships, but to sustain myself. I need it.

2010 in Five Minutes

Reverb 10: Day 15

Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

1. My baby's first words
2. My pre-schooler's unsolicited "I love you"s
3. Everyone who helped me physically or offered emotional support after my mom died
4. All the thoughts I had in the days after my mom died (I used my journal for the first time in years)
5. My ATM PIN
6. The lesson I learned about asking for what you want
7. The surge of professional confidence I gained after attending the Web 2.0 Summit in November
8. How supportive my husband has been this year
9. The warmth of snuggly babies

Five minutes goes by quickly.

Family Matters

Reverb 10: Day 14

What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

Family. When my mom died, I was so thankful to have such a large family. I have tried to be more expressive of my thankfulness and love for them but I can definitely do better.

I have a career

Reverb 10: Day 13

When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?

I have very specific career goals and clear steps to achieve those goals. My progress toward them started much earlier this year when I told my VP exactly what I wanted to do and asked that he keep me in mind should something open up in that area. A couple things did, but they weren't exactly what I wanted, so I asked for what I wanted. I fought for it and I got it. Meeting those first objectives was the most difficult part of the process, but I am keeping the momentum going. I am being intentionally vague. You'll find out why eventually.

Le Corps

Reverb 10: Day 12

This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

I feel most integrated with my body now. I know what my brain chemistry requires to stay even in the wake of post-partum depression and the shitbag that was 2010. I know what my skin requires to stay clear. I altered my anatomy in order to help me achieve a normal weight. There hasn't been any transcendant moment, though. I never feel that my mind and body are disconnected. I am simply more knowledgable about the needs of my body now.