thoughts on the year’s first day

They say faith is taking the first step when you can’t see the whole staircase. Actually, wisdom is seeing the elevator behind it that would have taken you to the top floor.

― Shannon L. Alder

Christmas music fills the house on this bitter January first, Richard digs deep into his bag of trigonometricks to insure we measure right before cutting lumber meant for our off-kilter, no-reflective surfaces box of a voice booth, and I sit at the kitchen table pondering this next epic path I’ll take to a new, satisfying career.

Awkward first steps for me include the conflation of myriad projects in varying states of completion spread across three computers, their yawning mouths like a nest of hungry fledgling sparrows demanding my attention. Last night, I arrived at some semblance of completion just before midnight so Richard and I cuddled by the fire with Haägen- Dazs and champagne. We kept up the annual tradition of casting runes for the upcoming year, my reading a warning that I still need to till the soil a bit more before I plant.

Fine by me. I’ll take this journey ahead step by deliberate, thoughtful and intentional step and enjoy the ride. As Albert Einstein pointed out logic will get me from A to B, while imagination will take me everywhere.

As I was cleaning out old documents and pictures – many sent to friends yesterday accompanied by a nostalgic new year greeting – I came across this cool list of advice. I hope you like it and I welcome your thoughts, any additions to the list, which ones you favor – and maybe more important, which ones might offer the biggest challenge in 2020.

Happy New Year! Happy Trails! <3 Singet

thirty things to do before you die

1. Stop worrying about debt.

2. Forgive your ex-lovers.

3. Stop trying to control your outcome.

4. Look in the mirror and love yourself unconditionally.

5. Leave the job you hate.

6. Find your purpose and live it full heartedly.

7. Adopt a furry friend.

8. Don’t feel guilty for holiday weight gain.

9. Trust that everything is in right order.

10. Travel to the place you keep thinking about.

11. Try something that scares you daily.

12. Be open to change.

13. Let go of your past.

14. Stop trying to change people.

15. Stop looking for answers outside of yourself.

16. Stop thinking you did something wrong.

17. Be your weird, crazy, beautiful self.

18. Follow your heart.

19. Risk everything for love.

20. Reject rejection.

21. See the world as a beautiful, safe, and loving place.

22. See everyone as equals.

23. Give up all attachments to stuff.

24. Recognize the journey is the reward.

25. Stay hopeful and optimistic in difficult situations.

26. Welcome all life lessons.

27. See the opportunities in every challenge rather than give up.

28. Live your values.

29. Inspire others by your own bigness.

30. Play with the world.