Really trying: my own awesome things.

I don't think I'm that profound.

I mean, as a human being I am, but in my blog, I don't think I am.  For whatever reason, I have a hard time articulating my profundity in my blog, which is weird because normally when I write, it's much easier for me to articulate my thoughts than when I speak (one of the many reasons I'm a writer).  I think the reason I have a harder time putting deep thoughts into this blog is because I usually write my posts in a flurry of emotion and impulsivity, so I don't have the time to really think about what I'm trying to say.

So here's what I'm going to do.  For this post, since I've got a lot of time on my hands right now, I'm going to talk about really awesome things (in no particular order).  I've been thinking a lot about certain feelings and certain experiences that make your day amazing and I think that those would be a perfect thing to discuss in my first consciously un-crazed, un-emotionally driven post.  My inspiration for this comes from the famous blog, 1000 Awesome Things.  Hopefully this will demonstrate a bit of the better writing that I'm capable of.

1. When your alarm goes off in the morning and you're immediately wide awake.

There's nothing worse than not being able to open your eyes in the morning.  So many times I've heard my alarm jingling away and seriously considered calling in sick from work.  I've never done it, but it's always so tempting.  I've been trying to figure out how to get the perfect amount of sleep, so my alarm goes off and I just want to jump out of bed.  Sometimes it happens when I've gotten only 5 or 6 hours of sleep, and sometimes it happens when I've gotten 10.  So who knows what the formula might be?  But it's an amazing feeling when I'm totally ready to go in the morning.  It makes me early for work and it puts a positive light on my whole day.

It's even better if I wake up early and feel that way because waking up early means I don't waste my day, and waking up early combined with feeling completely awake means that, not only do I not waste my day, but I can make the most of my day too.

2. When you can actually feel your tea or coffee wake you up.

I usually have a cup of tea in the morning before work.  A lot of the time, I don't really feel the effects of the caffeine at all.  But sometimes, I'll be sitting at work and suddenly I feel this surge of energy-- not in a negative, jittery way, but in a really nice, "here I am!" kind of way.  It's good to be where you are.

3. Old things

I've always loved the smell of old books (well, books in general too), because it somehow transports me into the world of that book.  The same goes for used bookstores.  They have an incredible, nostalgic personality.  Any place that's old has a very particular smell to it that makes me feel peaceful and happy. One of the offices where I work is on the oldest lot in LA and when you walk into the office, you can tell it's old.  Even though it's got all sorts of fancy furniture and computers in it, it's got a certain feel to it, and you can just tell that it's been around for a while and seen a lot (it reminds me a little bit of my grandparents' house).  Another place where I work just moved into a new office, which has a similarly oldish feel to it.  I'm happy about the move largely because of that.

4. That happily drowsy feeling after you've had just a little bit of wine.

When you're at a dinner party or something like that and everyone's having a little wine with their food, it's really nice to have that relaxing feeling wash over you.  It's not drunkenness; it's just a feeling that makes you appreciative of everything around you.  No, it's not the only way to get that feeling, but it's nice.




5. When you find a particularly nice outfit that makes you look and feel good about yourself.

I have a particularly hard time with this, so it's really great when I can do it.  I've never really cared about fashion or anything like that, but I've also always really wanted to look older (which means dressing fashionably).  My main goal when I get dressed is how to feel comfortable, so when I find a cute skirt in my closet that goes nicely with my favorite shirt, it's kind of exciting.  I love it when I can look in the mirror and say, "you look good today."

6. Laughing out loud when you're by yourself.

Laughing is fun.  It's even more fun when you can laugh when no one's around.  It feels weird because a lot of what people do, they do for others' approval, unfortunately.  So, it's really nice when you can let go and guffaw when you're just sitting in your bedroom alone.  I've been doing this more and more lately and realizing how wonderful it feels.  It's actually healthy to laugh, so why not do it all the time?  I do it when I'm driving too.  I just rediscovered a playlist that I made on my iPod a while ago, I was listening to it on my way to work and realizing how great it was, and I couldn't help but laugh to myself about some of the songs I chose to put on it-- thoroughly enjoyable.

7. Cuddling with a dog.

I'm a bit biased against little, hairy (instead of furry) dogs because I grew up with big dogs (labs, hounds, etc.), so I'm not used to tiny dogs that are smaller than my dogs' heads.  But when I find a really cute, soft, squishy dog, I can't not nuzzle my face into it's fur.  I love jack russel terriers and mini dachshunds, but with a lot of little dogs, I don't know what to do with them or how I'm supposed pet them.  No matter what, dogs are the most accepting, loving creatures I know of, and cuddling with them is like cuddling with a ball of love.  I can't help but absorb some of their perfection when I snuggle them.

8. Exercising until you can't do it anymore, and then doing it some more.

My mom always tells me to love the body I have now, because when I'm older, I'll look back and wish I had appreciated it more.  I played soccer in high school, and that was a perfect example of this awesome thing.  I had no choice but to run up and down the field during a game until I was subbed out.  My brain might have been saying, "stop! stop!" but my body didn't need to.  I went climbing yesterday and had the same feeling.  I went up once, came down and did it again; went up, did it again, for hours and hours.  I was really pushing myself.  The only reason I stopped was because I had an event to get to.  It's really wonderful to feel my body working exactly the way it's supposed to, and I know that that won't last forever, so I'd better make the most of it.

9. Going places

It's not where you're going, but how you get there.  As corny as this sounds, it's true.  I realized a long time ago that I always feel best when I'm going somewhere.  I love taking the bus home from Boston because it means that something is there, tangibly, in my future.  When I'm physically going somewhere I really feel that I'm making progress in that exact moment.  I'm not just sitting still, letting my day-to-day life go on.  Even though moving is stressful, I really enjoyed packing up the old office where I work last week so it could all be moved to the new office.  Progress.  Change is always exciting, even if it turns out not to be very nice in the end.  The act of changing keeps me moving forward.

10. Finding a good place and being there.

There's a difference between going to a nice place and being in a nice place.  I love the meditative feeling of being in a grassy park or by a nice lake or even in a nice, bright room and really feeling the positive energy there.  It helps me stay in the present.  Looking forward is good, as is remembering, but it will only get you so far.  I really like the quote from a Winnie the Pooh story where Pooh asks, "What day is it?" and Piglet responds, "It's today."  Then Pooh says, "My favorite day."  Take a deep breath, realize where you are, and love it.