It’s officially Summer time. While many may be gearing up for vacations, out of school, or just happy the sun is out longer, life just seems sweeter in the Summer.
You know, Summer used to be a time when classes were over, you could stay up late, run around the neighborhood or stay out late with the girls and nothing else mattered. Now it’s a time where you continue to get up when the alarm goes off and you head on into work just as you do during Winter and Fall. The daily grind really is a grind sometimes.
But tonight – why don’t you take a few minutes tonight, sit back and relax on your porch with a glass of white wine, sweet tea or lemon water and enjoy one of these hot Summer nights…with sweet sweet memories of Summers passed.
Often we get so caught up in daily routines that we forget the excitement and possible serendipity which can occur from saying the word “Yes” when we would often have replied “No.”
The usual excuses come into play – I’m tired. I have to work tomorrow. I have to do laundry / clean house / catch up on sleep / etc. etc. I know this, because I’m very guilty of doing it more often than not. I forgot how fun saying Yes can be when saying No seems so much more convenient at the time. But…….life doesn’t happen quite as easily when you say No and let those excuses hold you back.
So this week (and hopefully a lot more often)…..
• Just say Yes •
Ignore any reason you may try to come up with and just say YES! Some of the best times of your life will come from saying Yes, so why not start now? Go have those drinks. Take that afternoon off and get a mani / pedi. Call that boy you met the other night for a dinner. Go see that movie you were invited to at the last minute. I think you might be surprised what happens when you say Yes a little more…
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*Note: as I’m typing this it’s 11:32 on a ‘school night’ – aka I have to work tomorrow – and I just got back from going out to a semi-last minute dinner and drinks with friends and having a great time. See…..saying Yes when you’d normally would say No can be a truly great thing sometimes ;)
Being the first of the year and everyone still a buzz about resolutions and such, I thought it perfect to re-introduce a cause that I strongly believe in – one that will truly be a fundamental in change, if we allow it to happen.
My theory is — How can we expect to help another if we can not accept another? This is why I want to make sure the everyone, EVERYONE is aware of:
I first wrote about me taking The Pledge back in early September of 2009. (click here for previous post) It is a movement started by the USA Network encouraging the
• combating prejudice, intolerance, discrimination and hate
• promoting greater acceptance, understanding and mutual respect of ALL people
The goal is simple. I’m a Character. You’re a Character. We are all Characters in some form or fashion. So it is time for Characters to Unite and make the USA – created by and made up of Characters – a better place.
In the past two months I’ve traveled quite a bit over the USA. From Northern New York to Southern Texas, from the East Coast to the Mighty Mississippi River and passed a million different people on the way. I stopped and talked to airline passengers from California, a couple from Portland, a kid who was coming back from Kansas, and the list goes on. All great conversations that make me very thankful that I was always encouraged to open the book before judging it by the cover. (although I do still struggle with it at times, the fundamentals were instilled long ago)
And so I ask you, dear reader, to take a look at the commercial clip below. You may have seen it already on the USA Network, or you may have seen the new one they’ve recently put out, but please take a two minutes and watch it again. Then if you feel inclined, go the the Characters Unit web site and Take the Pledge! Either way, it’s a great site to check out. You can read other people’s pledges, get involved in the discussions, or take a look at the 50 Things You Can do To Unite the USA.
If everyone tries a little more, our united bond (and country) will grow stronger and stronger each day.
I’m going to take a little journey back a few years and visit my childhood for a bit..
Lately I’ve been on a Where in the World is Carmen San Diego kick. I was a super huge fan of the show when I was little, much like many of you were. (A little fun fact for you ~ Where in the World is Carmen San Diego was created by a team at National Geographic.) There’s a really good chance my urges and passions for traveling .. and my want to become a spy .. started with that show.
Secretly, I think every girl has the urge to escape off to an exotic location and work undercover, chasing the bad guy. (oh wait, some of us already have that habit of chasing the bad guy..I raise my hand) My fascination with the show has carried on through life as I love, love, LOVE learning about new places and have quite the list of future travel destinations. This may come as a surprise, judging by the name of this site, but my favorite magazine of ALL TIME is none other than National Geographic Traveler. What can I say, I was bit by the Carmen San Diego bug at a young age and just can’t seem to shake it.
In fact that’s one of my Secret Shifters. Looking at pictures from places I’ve never been, adding future destinations to the list, diving into the Wikipedia of someplace trying to learn all there is to know about it. Now when I say Secret Shifter, I’m talking about a mood shifter. Maybe I need a lil pick me up or I find my mind filled with worry and I need a little help, a tiny nudge, to get me back on track. It’s a bit like day-dreaming I guess you could say, but it works like a charm.
So in this post I’m sending out a big THANK YOU to Carmen San Diego. Thank you for inspiring me to learn about the world, inspiring me to see the world, and for helping me find one of the best Secret Shifters I’ve ever come across.
"I adore, however others may not, being confusing and crazy, shy and loud, strong and weak, a bundle of emotions and a back-bone of society. The complexities of being a woman are nothing to be ashamed of and should be celebrated in great splendor!"
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So follow along on this crazy journey and discover the Sassy & the Steel Magnolia you have hidden deep inside. Cheers! - Jennie B
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