interesting article

here.

this documentary.

i'm thankful someone is paying attention to this problem and raising awareness.  bully trailer.

uplifting reflections

love kat's mission and stories.  she's so cute. ;)  check it.

this commercial

i'm not sure how i've never seen this commercial but it made me laugh out loud this morning.  i love people who talk to animals. #catloveistruelove

top 5 regrets

a nurse recorded the top 5 most common regrets of the dying.  via the guardian.co.uk.  article below.

There was no mention of more sex or bungee jumps. A palliative nurse who has counselled the dying in their last days has revealed the most common regrets we have at the end of our lives. And among the top, from men in particular, is 'I wish I hadn't worked so hard'.
Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.
Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. "When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently," she says, "common themes surfaced again and again."
Here are the top five regrets of the dying, as witnessed by Ware:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
"This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it."
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
"Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."

these thoughts

20 pieces of advice for 20 somethings.  brilliant blog post.  i'm going to read this weekly. 

life is short. share your passion.

somebody that i used to know

i heard this song on 99x this morning and fell instantly in love.  grab my iphone.  shazam to learn the artist.  ten minutes later, i hear it again on star94.  two minutes pass, i hear it on Q100.  so this is about to get majorly played out, but i'm oh so diggin' it today.  kcrw's version below is a great listen and watch.

gotye's "somebody that i used to know"

tracy

tracy and i have been friends for over 10 years.  she makes me laugh and overwhelmingly supports my cause if i'm angry (and well, pretty much any other emotion.)  she's a great hostess and a super chef.  we can discuss classic novels, political candidates and unabashedly, keeping up with the kardashians.  a true friend.  cheers to many more years of memories, happy birthday T! 

 (atlanta)

 (los angeles)

 (athens)

 (milton)

 (augusta)

(hilton head)

ballet

my dance studio is the greatest.  there's nothing like taking shelter from a cold, winter monday in a bustling, eclectic environment.  i look forward to the classes and never check the clock like i do with other exercise activities.  my ballet teacher in particular rocks.  specifically because her playlist sounds like she stole my ipod.  yesterday's mix - nikki minaj, bon iver, the civil wars and outkast circa '99.  makes for a splendid break in the day.

(this is exactly what i look like post dance.)

travel

"travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer"


southeast asia 2009 - thailand, cambodia, laos, vietnam.  best 3k i ever charged to my credit card.  excellent few months abroad with cristy....great memories for the scrapbook of life.

(this entry inspired by texts from shelby edwards today.)

volunteer. live longer.

i recently came across an study in women's health magazine that said people who volunteer live longer.  whenever i volunteer- which is not enough - people always respond with kind words about my character, etc.  i've tried to explain that i absolutely get more out the experience than the people i'm "helping."  it's selfish to a degree.  i can't find the specific article i read this past weekend, but here is another to back up the study.  don't just take.  give back.  help others.  live long.  win. win.

contentment II : a poem

in keeping with this week's theme of finding contentment, i discovered the poem below. 

It was spring, but it was summer I wanted,
the warm days, and the great outdoors. 

It was summer, but it was fall I wanted,
the colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air.

It was autumn, but it was winter I wanted,
the beautiful snow, and the joy of the holiday season.

I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted,
the freedom, and the respect.

I was twenty, but it was thirty I wanted,
to be mature, and sophisticated.

I was middle-aged, but it was thirty I wanted,
the youth, and the free spirit.

I was retired, but it was middle-age that I wanted,
the presence of mind, without limitations.

My life was over,
but I never got what I wanted.

Let's strive to live for today and get what we want.  

winter

for the first time in my life, i am truly enjoying the winter season.  perhaps because this past year has been quite busy or maybe i am just getting old, but i have an appreciation for the quieter months.  this week has been filled with cozy january festivities.  bundled up and met kelsey and diana at the dog park with bailey and turner.  spent an afternoon drinking terrapin stouts by the fire in a local tavern.  caught up on my movie game in preparation for the approaching awards season.  tearing through some great books.  daily hot tea and candles.  now heading to the mountains this weekend for some cabin wine nights with my girls.  a toast to finding delight in the cold.

florence and the machine

new flo album is splendid in it's entirety.  girl's got soul.  i always dig it.  my favorites are rotating.  "never let me go" has a spiritual tone that just makes this song explode with emotion even more than her others.  "spectrum" makes me want to go out on the town and dance.  "only if for a night" is good for runs.

oh and just for kicks- not on the album but i can completely relate to her in this video - except the part where she sings along and her voice sounds great...

contentment

i am always looking forward to something- the next event, purchase, vacation, promotion, concert, weekend.  like many people, i struggle with contentment.  i'm currently reading a book titled calm my anxious heart, to do just that.  came across this section today:

two women looked through the prison bars
one saw mud, the other saw stars.

i like that because it sounds pretty and simply states that the secret to contentment is how we choose to look at life.  i want to focus on the stars.

central america and 2012

i had high hopes of "thankyouliving takes costa rica."  alas, i direly needed a vacation that included a technology unplug.  i made a quick bullet point list so as not to forget the trip.  a few photo highlights below.  i will say costa rica turned out to be even better than i dreamed.  the people are gorgeous inside and out with a terrific sense of humor.  the land is lush and diverse ranging from active volcanoes to clean rainforests to hippie beach towns.  the food is delightfully healthy and tasty.  the beer is cold and the weather is beautiful.  perfect travel company: laid-back, new adventure seeker amanda and dance all night, photographer extraordinaire kelsey.  i typically want new new new in all areas of life but costa rica is one country that i would completely visit again.  perfect fresh start to 2012.

 (photo- arenal volcano)

  (monteverde rainforest suspension bridges)

(tamarindo sunset)

 (hot springs)

(imperial cheers)

this quote

i like people who have a sense of individuality. i love expression and anything awkward and imperfect, because that’s natural and that’s real.

— marc jacobs

holidays.costa rica.will return shortly.

happy new year!!