Day 15: Kids, Thai, and Bowling

Day Fifteen

Today was the perfect bounce back from yesterday. I righted some wrongs and was resilient overall. I also met a lot of new people and just had a blast.

As mentioned, I was my friend Erin's "Mystery Reader" for her 3rd grade class. Unfortunately, I was running late. When I walked in, the kids were waiting for me on the floor. They were in front of the couch where I took my spot as Mystery Reader. Oh. My. Gosh. They were seriously adorable. (There were 15.) And they were so sweet with all their enthusiasm and questions. I had so much fun reading to them while Erin snapped pictures of the whole thing!

Afterwards, Erin asked if I would autograph the wall of Mystery Readers. Little Ryan guided me over there to show me what to do lol. He chose pink for me when I asked what color I should use. I think he had a crush on me lol because he kept shooing off the other kids when they tried to show me how to do it too. And I found that flippin' adorable!! Oh and they got so excited that I knew some of the other guests they've had, such as Alan and Gabe.

Afterwards, we had a little dance party to 2 songs. One was John 3:16 and the other was "Every Move I Make." It was so fun jumping around and such. Afterwards, we gathered in a circle to pray as we held hands. Then, before they were dismissed, some of the kids gathered around me and asked me if I was really afraid of grass when I was little and if I still was lol. (Erin reads 5 clues about the reader who comes in. The grass tidbit was one of them.) I assured them I am over that phobia.

Oh man, I definitely want to do that again. And I definitely enjoyed talking with Erin for awhile afterwards. That girl grows on me more and more everytime I spend time with her!! I also aspire to be as cute as her.

As I said, a friend of mine and I planned a last minute get together and it was pretty successful I'd say. There were 8 people at dinner at a cute little spot called Talay Thai. I got to meet some new people, as well as get to know ones I'd met awhile ago. Plus I got sushi! Sadly, I didn't get to say goodbye to those who didn't end up bowling.

There ended up being 6 people who bowled and we bowled in one lane. It was a smaller group than I had thought, but it was the perfect size! Having a small group proved to be the perfect setting and we all got along really well. I love when that happens; it brings me serious joy when people who have just met get along so well!

Jaclyn joined us but didn't bowl.

By the way, I'm a TERRIBLE bowler, but as I told them, I served as the self-esteem raiser with my scores of 55 and 40-something. LOL yeah I had to have broken some sort of record. It was really fun though. Haha, the best part is that when others were upset for only knocking down 8 pins, I was excited when I knocked down 3. We bowled for 2 hours and people were great about paying me back, which is always a welcome thing.

Bonus Kindness

Before my night started, I had to get gas. On the way out of the gas station, there was a lot of traffic zooming past me, which made it hard to ease my way into traffic. While I was waiting for an opening, I was taking up far too much room in the entrance. When a car came my way, he didn't even flip me the bird like I thought he might. He instead paused in the entrance, blocking the way for me so other cars couldn't get by as easily. He did that until I was safely out of there while gesturing for me to go. WOW! That kind of thing totally sticks out to me.

Day 14: Sometimes Pollyanna Just Can't Show Up...

Day Fourteen

Near the beginning of when I first started this blog, I made the amendment that if nothing good or "kind" happened, I would have to do something to make the world a better place. As I write these words, I have no idea how I will do so.

Okay, I just got back inside from staring at the ocean and nothing came to me. So instead I will be honest.

Today was crappy. Like, I-want-to-cry crappy. There were just a lot of stupid little things I did or that happened, whether it be spilling cereal on my laptop, being late for the first time and therefore making our tax person wait outside the locked office, realizing I'd forgotten my wallet when I went to fill up the gas, miscommunications, and...well, since I'd rather forget about today for the most part, I won't list the remaining things. (And yes, there are remaining things.) 

One thing I can say about today is that it's going to help other days look that much better. It wasn't the day from hell or anywhere near, so I really shouldn't complain.

My Pollyanna Moment Shows Through...

On the upside, it was fun planning something social with Zach for tomorrow night. He randomly asked me what we could get a group together and do. And since I randomly wanted to go bowling, that's what we're doing tomorrow night. First we'll eat at Panera Bread, then go bowling.

And before that, I get to read a children's book to about 14 third graders. Then I guess they have dance parties afterwards. If tomorrow doesn't take my blues away, nothing would have been able to...

What I'm Going to Do to Pollyanna it Up

I'm going to write 5 letters to people telling them what I love and appreciate about them. Not sure who yet. But that is tomorrow's task. 

Day 13: Cliche movie role?

Day Thirteen

Originally, I was supposed to be the creative director at my job part-time, but it's turned more into being another office person. I've come to terms with that, especially as other editing possibilities have been presenting themselves. (And especially considering this economy.)

I've learned that I need to choose my battles; I now view this job as a way to save money while I work towards my dream job of being an editor.

With that said, there's been some drama at work. I won't go into it, but I was in a situation where I was going to be forced to say no to my boss. (Don't worry, nothing sleazy.) However, this morning, I decided to take a deep breath, take a step back, and be more of a team player. (I still can't say yes for the most part, but I'm a little more willing to give an inch than I was before.)

Well, almost immediately, God did something remarkable and miraculous, if you know my boss. He brought someone in to do the exact job I was going to say no to. He said he knew I was too swamped with everything else and that this was the best solution for everyone. Oh. My. Gosh. So, there's no showdown or future discomfort in the office. (I know, I know; not very specific. I don't want to get into it though.)

I almost feel as if I'm the key player in a cliche movie wherein the screenwriter decided to make the message "Let go if you want it back." And I will totally do an encore...

Day 12: Positivity Amidst Multiple Car Troubles

Day Twelve
Today has been quite the day filled with car...malfunctions? Haha, and not just one time either. When I tried to start my car this morning, I quickly discovered that the headlights had been on all night. (It's supposed to be automatic I thought...) Oops. The valet guy tried to jumpstart it but said the problem was that there wasn't enough energy to enable the car to really start or something like that. Ugh. His name is Isaac and since he was so helpful, running all over the place, etc., I tipped him. He refused at first, but I didn't back down, haha.

So, we called our car dealership and then a tow truck service (called A Touch of Class). Then began a whole new slew of problems which I just have to laugh at. The garage my car is parked in has a 6 foot 2 height limitation so the tow truck couldn't fit in. The tow truck driver, his name is Levonne, was INCREDIBLY positive and a total sweetheart. He didn't look that buff, but he was! He had me sit in the car while it was in neutral. I steered while he pushed it down from the 3rd level. When it was going down a big incline, he both steered and "drove" it out so that I wouldn't have to risk crashing it when momentum picked up.

LOL and then there were more problems with getting the car BACK in neutral once out in the open. He had to put it back in park in order to pop the trunk and get the cables. Again, he just had a big fat smile on his face and was all about thinking outside the box. It was wonderful to be around, and it worked out, of course.

On the drive to the car dealership, we had a great conversation about his job, positive attitudes, and life. He's this cute little Black man who is way stronger than he looks, and grew up in West Palm Beach. I think he's about 55 or 60 years old. It was so fun talking to him!

So, I have a rental car now, and on the way home, I decided to stop in at Dunkin Donuts and use the free wifi (that's where I am now). JUST as I was about to pull all the way into the perfect parking spot in front of the donut shop, MY CAR DIED! It just stopped running. I have ZERO idea why. I apologized to the people behind me and put it in neutral so I could push it all the way into my spot. As I was doing this, one of the drivers who'd tried to pass me before it died got out and helped push it too. Another guy in an office next to Dunkin Donuts also came out and helped me. The first guy who got out of his car got it to work, but I still have no idea what happened. LOL oh life.

So, surprisingly, I've enjoyed my day greatly. It's gorgeous outside and I'm excited to go to Bible Study tonight. (True, those are two very unrelated thoughts, but I'm at peace about it ;) haha.)

Day 11: An Author Gives Me Access to Him Whenever

Day Eleven
I was in the office for half an hour when a man called to register for one of my boss's events. He said his name is Tad G. and that he related to Omar's story. (Omar's family left Cuba when he was 7 years old with nothing but what they were wearing, though they'd been very wealthy. They had to escape Castro's regime and came to America to do it.) Anyway, he briefly told me his story. It was about a 30 minute conversation and I found him very pleasant to speak to. He buttered me up a bit at the beginning when he told me that he could tell I was a people person with a genuine smile on my face and in my voice. (He was right; I was totally smiling the whole time.) I also enjoyed it when he said he genuinely loved this country. (That was what he led into his story with.)

Anyway, he said I could always feel free to call him and ask him questions about his book "Hitler, Stalin, and I" even at 11:30pm because he never sleeps. So that was kind of a sweet way to start my day off.

Day 10: Church, Social, Editorial, and Sunny Breaths of Fresh Air, as Well as a Random Wheaton Spotting!

Day Ten

Today was one of the most perfect days I've had in a long time, and that's considering this has been one of the best weeks of my life. (I know I tend to exaggerate, but seriously, it has been: Got editing leads, grew closer to new friends, met more people who I'm interested in becoming better friends with, got a raise, organized and went salsa dancing, had some previous mindsets altered in a good way, went on the beach, discussed entrepreneurial possibilities, etc. Didn't I tell you?! An amazing week!)

I was really convicted me on a lot of levels at church. It was actually hard for me not to cry, because of various insights. So, while Tullian sadly wasn't there today (he's our pastor), Rev. Herst did an excellent job. My favorite portion was about Bob who came to know the Lord after years and years going to church and singing in the choir. He had just put the Gospel out of his mind, and it took another godly man to really force him to confront his lack of salvation. There are a lot of hard decisions - but freeing ones - that I came to because of God's word spoken straight to my heart. (He preached about Methibosheth in 2 Samuel.)

At one point, I glanced over a couple rows and noticed someone. I did a double take because he looked so much like someone I knew from college. When service ended, I decided to go find out once and for all, because I figured the worst that could happen would be that I make a new friend. But, sure enough, it was TOTALLY who I thought it was!!! It was Sheridan (Mark)!!! We went to Wheaton together, and sold books door-to-door on the same team together in Houston, Texas!! He's absolutely the last person I would ever have thought I'd see again! The chances were totally stacked against this meeting since I know him from IL, worked together in TX, and he lives in MI with his wife. While his wife is in Thailand, he's visiting a friend here and just happened to be visible to me a couple rows down from me in church!! Of all things!!! Oh my gosh, that made my day!!! (If you can't tell by all the exclamation marks.)

Southwestern Company in the summer of 2004

When I went back to my friends, I talked with Mariam about her new blog. The cool thing is that she and I have come to an arrangement (to be further developed) wherein I can use my editing passion. (It's perhaps dorky, but I seriously LOVE editing papers and making things in print better than it was before.) I won't elaborate on that, but all I know is that I could not be more excited! I really hope we can help each other out.

Sometimes the young adults like to go to lunch together, and today was one such day. About 15 of us went across the street to Olive Garden for what turned out to be a rather long lunch. I greatly enjoyed all the people I sat by, because each conversation was an enormous blessing. I got to hear Andrea's amazing conversion story again, got to do some editorial networking with Julie (as well as get to know her better), got to know Eric better, and enjoyed Mariam's company in general. (Not that the huge blessing I experienced can at all be summed up in a simple sentence. It really can't.) Oh yeah, and when I realized that I had TOTALLY forgotten to bring my wallet with me, a friend stepped in for me, ensuring I not have to do dishes at Olive Garden in order to pay for my meal.

To back up, Julie further made my day when she told me about a cousin she has in Boston who is an editor in a publishing house, if I remember correctly. She's gonna see what she can do to get me advice and even some leads in Florida. Um, wow. Thank you Julie! (Oh yeah, and I'm excited about getting baking lessons from her at some point!)

After lunch was over, I went to a Turkish festival with 4 other women. (Liz, Mariam, Andrea, Erin.) It was a perfect day outside and I really enjoyed my time with other women. (Coed is great, but there's just something great and necessary about all-women get-togethers.) I also love the fact that it was a cozy group of women, rather than too many to be able to fit in a conversation with.

Me, Erin, and a cute pony!

I must add that this blog has been such a blessing on my life. It has really helped me keep my focus on the positive aspects of my life. It's also helped prove to myself that I DO have the capabilities (and desire) to stick with something.

However, with that said, I'm going to stop tagging people on my facebook with it though lol. (I'm a bit of a facebook tagging nazi as my "friend" Jim so graciously pointed out.)

Here's to another week full of kindness and proactive deeds.

Laurs, out.

Day 9: Entrepreneurial Ventures, Elevator Viewpoints, and Educational Victories

Day Nine

I've been trying to think of ways to add additional income to my life, and one way is a business idea I ran across my friend Jim. It was fun meeting with him and my brother on the beach with all the other residents at L'Hermitage who were taking advantage of the great weather. It should be fun to develop our ideas. I'm glad he's so on board to do this.

(P.S. to that: My brother showed me kindness with the simple gesture of letting me use his sunglasses when I didn't have mine. We were facing the same direction even, but he sacrificed.)

On the way up from saying goodbye, I was standing in front of the elevator, absent-mindedly playing with my hair. A woman walked up as the elevator door opened and we both stepped inside. Right as she was about to  get out of the elevator on her floor, she turned to me, and said, "Your hair looked really good that other way." It was the cutest, most surprising thing. I told her so, saying she was so sweet as we parted ways.

Lastly, while on the beach with Jim, I finished my book! It's the first non-novel I've started and finished in a long time. It's been fun slowly falling back in love with books again. (College overwhelmed me and made it much less appealing to read books at that point. I think that was mostly an excuse though. I totally missed out with that excuse.) So, I'm thrilled, and will totally read that again. (Oh, and I TOTALLY recommend the book. It's called "I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How To Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It" by Barbara Sher.)

Honorable Mention: I got my mom to join facebook the other day. She's developing a blog and I'm helping her with that too. It's fun seeing her get so excited about so many things like that.

Day 8 (Friday, Feb. 19): Bonus on the Dance Floor

Day Eight (Friday, February 19)
Yesterday was just what I needed. Aside from the obvious joy I got from dancing again, there was a lot of kindness and proactive deeds that went on. So, aside from Amanda's blog dedication, I am creating this "bonus report."

A friend of mine and I decided to plan a salsa dance event, so I wrote a (what else) facebook note inviting people. I thought there would be like, 4 people, but there were 16 altogether! Before the great turnout though, I kept bombarding about 14 people with changes to the plan, including the place, time, and eating arrangements. No one displayed any sort of exasperation but were only gracious. Everyone was so nice! Whenever I said how I hoped no one would block my phone calls, my friend Liz sweetly soothed my insecurities.

Early on, I was asked to dance by some random guy. He was pretty good and helped me with my rusty salsa dancing. He also bought me a drink (which I only drank half of). His friend also taught me some merengue moves. I actually preferred dancing with that guy because I was feeling his moves moreso and had a lot of fun. We only danced for one dance though, sadly enough. They were really sweet and it was enlightening to meet them.

I have to give my friend Jim a shoutout. He told me (in his lighthearted way) that he was looking out for me when I was with those random guys. And this much I know about Jim, though I kid him around a lot, I think he genuinely meant it and would've come to my rescue if things had come to that.

So yeah, it was a pretty perfect night. Near the end of the night, around midnight, the club played regular tunes and everyone in our group immediately got out on the dance floor. I don't much care for regular dancing, at least not for long. So, when I got tired (and over) the regular dancing, I started to make my way through the crowd back to our table. However, my friend Ryan saw me try to leave and pulled me back into dancing with him and everyone else. From there, I had a ton of fun actually. It was a little thing, but meant a lot.

I was pretty thrilled because last night was the first group event I had helped plan, and it turned out really well. Everyone I talked to said they had fun and wanted to do it again. It seriously brought great joy to my heart to know everyone had fun and would do it again. PLUS, I got to DANCE!

So, that was my Friday-slash-Day-Eight.

Laurs, out.

Day 8: Thank God Amanda was born 25 years ago

Day Eight

My childhood (and adulthood of course) friend Amanda turns 25 today. I will be out late tonight and won't have time to write a blog if I don't do it now. (Going to a latin restaurant and salsa dancing with a bunch of friends until early in the morning.) So, this blog post is dedicated to her. I have known Amanda since kindergarten and took piano lessons from her mom. We grew up together, and I can't thank God enough for her!

Random memories:
* Making movies all through childhood
* Shopping
* Going to countless movies
* Taking zillions of pictures
* Went to high school together
* Went skiing with my youth group
* Laser tag with her youth group overnight
* Birthday parties
* Camp!
* Took golf lessons with our brothers and goofed off while golfing for fun
* Got drunk for the first (and basically last time) on my 21st birthday
* Dodged exploding Champaign bottle caps
* Went dancing in Fort Lauderdale
* Pretended we were various Batman and Power Ranger characters with our brothers.

My childhood is full of our memories and I am a better, fuller person because of these moments. I love her dearly and am so thankful to still call her friend.

Day 7: My Ex Earns My Respect and Gratitude

Day Seven
I debated making my ex the topic of one of my blogs, but the fact is, he impacted me positively both yesterday and today. He and I hadn't talked for about a year after our breakup, but we have since reconciled. We are on good (but distant) terms now.

The fact is, I was, am, and most likely always will be a major fan of his music. He's the real deal. And I ordered his newest (3rd) CD. It's pretty much incredible and I am so happy to finally own the final copy. (Back when we dated, I had various unfinished versions of his music.)

Anyway, on one on of the tracks, called "Take Me Back" he mentions my first and last name.

"There's only one girl that is really worth mentioning, her name is Laura Dunn and she really been a friend to me. They say you can't break up and be a friend too, but I think that depends on what the hell you been through."

This is after saying he's lost every girl he's ever been with. He sounds pretty angry for most of the song (but artistically). Then he says that nice thing about me!

I'm just blown away that he kept that lyric. It almost makes no sense at all really. He made then showed me that song when we were still on our sorta-dating, sorta-friends stage. Shortly afterwards, we had a major falling out and didn't talk for a long time. But as I said, we reconciled, shortly before his CD came out (which was not even a month ago).

Naturally, I assumed that by that time, he either bashed me in a song or two, or at least took out that favorable set of lyrics with my name in it. Not only did he not bash me, but he also kept that friendly lyric featuring my full name. That speaks volumes about him and touches my heart.

So, not only do I benefit from not being angry at him anymore, but I got a song out of it? I strive to be as classy to others as he was to me with that action.

Day 6: My Boss is Brilliant and Selfless & Andrea Never Stops Giving

Day Six
My boss is a wonderful man. He not only pays my meal ticket, but he advises me to do things that most bosses wouldn't. What I mean is that he selflessly told me I need to do what is right for me, rather than to just sacrifice for the company, if it comes down to it.

Today was my first day off. I used to work 5 days a week, but in our meeting last Thursday, Omar told me that he thinks I should take 2 days off to pursue my writing and other dreams. Therefore, I have Wednesdays and Fridays off. Wow, how many authors/motivational speakers are as legit as him?? Seriously, this man is one of a kind. He's a great boss, mentor, and friend.

I used today to the fullest, let me tell you. After reading Andrea's comment on my facebook note yesterday (which was already mentioned on yesterday's post), I called her up and we talked about what I could do to get that job as a part-time editor.

She is a rare friend who is truly giving and caring. I can already tell she'll be a lifelong friend of mine. She helped me tweak my resume; she sweetly told me when it could be better without breaking my spirit. I am blown away by how good God is to me through people like her. And it was fun meeting at Starbucks for 3 fast hours with her to talk about life and get to know each other better. I was very encouraged, inspired, and built up. I really really do appreciate my life. Praise God!

P.S. I haven't fixed the time on here. I almost didn't make the midnight deadline! It's now 11:43pm. Time for family prayer.

Day 5: When Putting Yourself Out There Pays Off & Childhood Friends Come Through

Day Five: 
I was hesitant to post a facebook note proclaiming my vulnerability, but I'm glad I did.

I reached out to my fellow So-Flo residents in order to get job leads. Currently, I work part-time as a Creative Director for a small company, but need another part-time job in the area of editing. (My goal is to be an editor at a publishing house.) So, I asked for leads, tips, and suggestions from people if they had any.

Then BAM! My friend Andrea - who I met only last Saturday! - chimed in and has provided me with a very exciting lead as a part-time editor! She's going to get me an interview between this and next week. So, here's hoping that works out, on every level. I even live (relatively) close to it! It sounds like it could be a fantastic opportunity. Pray for me!

*It's interesting how many big kindnesses have been coming my way. I honestly believe that what we think about manifests itself in real life. So, if we think everyone is rude and out to get us, THAT'S what happens. But when we have positive attitudes and mindsets, things tend to go better. That's not foolproof whatsoever, but it's a way better to live, for sure.

So, since I've been thinking about positive, kind people and deeds, they've been pretty abundant. I don't mean that in a New-Age-y way. After all, it was God Who said to think about things that are good. (See Phil. 4:8 in particular for some amazing verses.) Crap happens, but I don't have to EXPECT it to happen.

BONUS Good Deed: 
So, another really kind deed just happened. One of the best friends I've ever had, Karl, informed me that his brother Andrew (who is also a longtime, good friend) and sister-in-law Laura (whom I adore) would be doing my family a HUGE favor.

To back up, my Dad's father was a relatively well-known pastor whose sermons aired in Peoria, IL. We have all those sermons on tape but for whatever reason, 4 boxes of them were at my old apartment where Scott's friends (and our cousin Andy) live. There isn't a lot of closet space for 4 guys so they've been trying to get it outta there for awhile. Being in Florida, we hadn't figured out something until recently. Karl talked to Andrew and Laura who agreed to get our boxes for us and store it in their apartment until March. Then, when they visit Karl in Champaign 3 hours away, they'll take it with them.

I asked Karl to do this today and he made it happen just like that. (Well, I asked him a week or so ago, but then said we didn't need him to anymore.) I really appreciate it and am blessed to have friends like him in my life.

Day 4: Old Memories and President's Day Weekend

Day Four:
Just when I thought I wouldn't have much to blog about today, I got another compliment via facebook after my workout. In honor of President's Day, one of my best friends from college (Brandon) dedicated a post to me and 2 of my other close friends, saying the following:

About this time four years ago, I was just returning home from one of the best weekends of my life. Thanks for the great memories JJ, Laura, and Shannee...and Kate Winslet ;-)



Though we all used to be inseparable at one time in college, we rarely talk now, for various innocent reasons. (Shannee is married in Missouri, Brandon is in Illinois, JJ is married in Washington, and I'm in Florida.) Still, they once formed one of the most tightly knit group of people I have ever been part of.

In honor of President's Day weekend, we took a roadtrip from Wheaton to Champaign to spend 4 days together at my house. We had a hilarious, unforgettable weekend. One of the highlights was filming a Titanic music video (lol) wherein JJ made a soulful Celine Dion, Brandon made a sizzling hot Kate Winslet, and Shannee made an adorable Leonardo DiCaprio. Oh, and I was the floutist. (And I still cherish all the still pictures we took that weekend.)

Anyway, here's to 3 great people who helped formed a very positive part of my college (and life) experience. Honorable mention of that group goes to Katie C. who unfortunately wasn't there that weekend :(

 

 

 

Day 3: Valentine's Day and the Text

Day Three: 
I woke up to a wonderful text message from my dear friend Jaclyn at 9:04am. I'm not sure why she sent it but it set the tone for an incredible day! I won't write it out (as I'm tempted to do because it makes me so happy) but all I'll say is that it really built me up and affirmed me in just about every way. I love surrounding myself with people like her.

I have always enjoyed this holiday as a single person and today has been no exception. I always look forward to going to church where the pastor is both humble and convicting. And it was really nice to sit with 3 wonderful women who I met last weekend at the Art Walk I went on. We connected pretty instantly and actually followed through on getting lunch together after church. The original place we planned on was packed, so we decided to go to The Ritz Carlton instead. It was kinda cold out, but it was still nice to sit outside with a gorgeous view of the ocean. (We were in the touristy section of Fort Lauderdale next to the Fort Lauderdale beach on AIA.) The hot cocoa helped.

I am so thankful for the kind of friendships God has been bringing me here. It's a literal answer to prayer and one I hope to never take for granted.

I'm actually off to go to another Valentine's Day/Mardi Gras party in 10 or so minutes, but I wanted to at least jot down today's stuff.

Day 2: Compliment

Day Two:
I got to do three of my favorite things today: Eat sushi, spend time at the library, and be with my family. We ran business ideas by each other, laughed about inside jokes, and just had a great day in general. They also helped me build my side business on half.com.

However, I had a late night and was pretty tired after lunch. So, when I finally couldn't take it anymore, I took the keys, very much anticipating a nice little nap while they finished up inside.

On the way out, a guy who was walking in called me gorgeous.

Maybe I should roll my eyes or display elements of feminist indignation, but I didn't ;) Instead it made me smile the rest of the day. It's not like he tried to get my digits or grab at me or whatever.

So really, it was a day full of kindnesses in general. My family and I have always been quite close, but our relationship has been getting better lately, and I'm thrilled and thankful. And it really means a lot to me the way they've been complimenting me today and every other day about my many improvements/changes. It's also really nice how they're always so supportive of my many endeavors and ideas, whether as an entrepreneur or otherwise.

Week One's Proactive Deed(s):
So, I realized that this whole week's span of time could count in the category of proactive deeds. Therefore, I have quite a few proactive deeds to document:

~ Starting this blog. I've been wanting to start one for awhile, even slightly before finally seeing Julie and Julia. (Seeing that movie really solidified my desire, though it took until now to actually do it.)
~ I decided to take a TV fast this week (up until the weekend) which gave me loads more (quality) time.
~ I made a well-practiced presentation to my boss about my role in the company. I even got a better deal out of it than I'd anticipated! I was firm about the things I was not going to do, and accepted the things he was saying no to me about too. And actually, the compromise we came to is much better than what I had envisioned, so I'm THRILLED with the situation. Even if I didn't get the full raise I tried for, I'm glad I was bold about it. Plus, if I achieve everything I told him I would, I'll get another raise in 3 or so months. So, I will be getting a raise after all ;)
~ I lost 4 pounds. I didn't even try! In fact, honestly, I don't know how it happened. Haha, I'm just glad it did! It's funny because a little while back, I tried to drop 10 pounds but actually gained a pound or two lol. So, praise God for that fun surprise.

..............................

Okay, so I came up with a great amendment to my 1-year blogging experience. I don't want things to come to the point of "forcing" good deeds per se. Therefore, on days where I don't interact with people, or on days where people are nothing but rude to me, those are the days that I absolutely HAVE TO do something nice for other people. It won't even count as my proactive deed for the week, but will be built into my day.

After all, I'm not ignorant of the fact that I'm going to have bad days or interact with people who are having a bad day. So, the way to offset a potentially bad day, is to proactively "Pollyanna" it up. In other words, I will do my part in making the world around me a better place.

Laurs, out.

Day 1: How I Became "Pollyanna's Protege"

Hayley Mills is probably most well-known for her role as "Pollyanna." She was the relentless optimist who saw and/or made everything around her better.

Much like her, I am a relentless optimist, which is why I will be spending 365 days blogging about my experiences as a true life Pollyanna. It will be a two-fold deal.

PART ONE: I will mention the day's kindness(es) shown. 

PART TWO: Each week, I will go out of my way to do something really cool, unique, new, or classy. I will make a concentrated effort to do something that benefits other people, as well as to help make myself into a better person. Doing this more than one time a week is of course permissible ;) but my goal will be reached if I manage to do it each week. I did this very thing one summer while in college, and those memories still stick with me. A friend of mine even told me he was positively impacted by how I daily recounted it on my then-xanga blog. 

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Anyway, to give you a little background on why I'm doing this blog, let me tell you about a big life change I made 9 months ago. I moved from Chicago, IL on May 10th, 2009 to Fort Lauderdale, FL to pursue some job leads. My whole life has transformed since I stepped off that plane. (This is the first time I've lived outside of Illinois for a long-term deal.)

Note: I adore living in Florida, but in my heart, I will always be a Midwest girl, with a little Florida thrown in :)

It's funny, because while I've been here, Floridians have sweetly warned me about South Florida's reputation for being snobby or downright rude. So far though, I've had to disagree with them. I'll tell you what I've told everyone else here:

I have not met ONE jerk. Okay, well there is one person who kinda flaked out on me here, but these things happen and she has a lot of insecurities, so I will let that slide. (Plus, I had some part in things fizzling out. Besides, I wouldn't call her a jerk.) Mostly though, I've only met good, kind, smiley people. I'm including people driving on the road. (If you think people are crazy drivers in Chicago, come to Florida. As someone with far too much enjoyment for fast driving, I admit to kinda liking it.) Everyone here seems so happy! I think it's the constant exposure to the sun, quite honestly, as well as the nearby ocean.

For the past week, I've been toying with the idea of starting a blog dedicated to talking about all the "good news" that happens to me here. In fact, the other day, a friend of mine told me that she wishes there were more reports in the news of good things that happen. I attribute this blog in part to that comment.

So, while I might reference flashback memories in order to capture the extreme kindnesses I've been shown in Florida, it will mostly be a present-day blog.


Day One:

I've been planning to go to the beach tomorrow all week. So, I extended an open invitation to anyone who wanted to go, via facebook update. About 4 comments down, after 2 Illinois friends commented about wishing they could, I wrote a "disclaimer" of sorts, in reference to something a friend jokingly told me last week:

"Let the records show that I am only posting this to invite people, not to gloat to my Illinois friends about the weather :( I was recently told by someone that he thinks this is what I do lol."

The next comment I got was from my dear childhood friend Darcelina: "I know you are not capable of gloating! :o) No worries!"

That seems minor, but I always appreciate the kind things people tell me. 

Now, since she's from the Midwest, you could technically argue that this doesn't count. So, here's a bonus, honorable mention of something a resident Floridian was responsible for: my boss, Omar.

Yesterday was a huge deal day for me for many reasons. (I came to a wonderful compromise with my new boss about my role and hourly wage in the company I just joined a month ago.) To start the day though, he gave both me and his other employee each a big box of chocolates for Valentine's Day. (Not in a sleazy way; more fatherly.)

As for the thing I'm responsible for, I will have to think of something by the end of the weekend and report back then.

For anyone who has seen "Ugly Betty," they would instantly recognize the key role as a modern-day version of Pollyanna. (I'm super bummed that it's being cancelled after only 4 seasons.) So, to end for the day, I'm going to quote a recent episode (Ep. 12: "Blackout!"). I apologize for it being so long, but yet I also don't because it fully captures what kind of person I want to always strive to be like.

Mark: How could we be so stupid? Meade is like Electric Everything. We're never going to be able to get in. Once again, life has pooped on the head of Mark St. James. That's it; I've had it.

Betty: Wait, where are you going? We've just made it all the way here!

Mark: No, no I don't want to hear it. The only reason that I tried to reach above my means is because of you; because I thought, what would Betty do if she were in my position? She'd be all like, "Oh, reach for the stars and unicorns and lollypops and, and sunflowers." So why can't I? Well [crazy throaty laughter] look at me! This is why! [Sighs] I have had it up to here [hand at chin] with your sunny optimism.

Betty: Yeah? Well, I've had it up to here [hand at forehead] with your negativity. All you ever do is complain. "I'm Mark St. James. Everything bad happens to me. I never get what I want. I'm always the bun." Have you ever tried just once to think happy thoughts?

Mark: Oh please. What do you want me to do? Clap if I believe in fairies?

Betty: Yeah, I want you to clap.

Mark: Fine! [Puts things down on sidewalk and claps fast motion with her] I believe in fairies Betty! Come on out! Don't forget your fairy dust!!

Betty: That's good!! [Still clapping]

Mark: Thank you. [Still clapping] Thank you very much.

Betty: You're welcome. [Still clapping]

[Lights come back on at Meade Publishing. They freeze, scream, jump up and down, and hug briefly.]

Mark: Come on!

Betty: Yay!!!! [Very upbeat and Betty-like as she throws her arms in the air.]