Ponderings

So as I sit here in my Ayesha Face Mask from Lush (love!), hoping no one can see in my windows for fear of embarrassment, I am reflecting on my week at the University of Georgia.  I was chosen to participate in an institute for professionals in the field of University Housing.  We learned about what it takes to be a Chief Housing Officer.  The majority of the institute involved planning my future and mapping out my professional development to achieve my goals.  This has left me very reflective and introspective, and so I thought I would share what's been rattling around in my head lately. 

I started The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz upon returning and am currently almost halfway through.  (This is also helping me with my 11 in '11).  Here are some things to ponder from the book:

"We are so afraid that somebody else will notice that we are not what we pretend to be.  We judge others according to our image of perfection as well, and naturally they fall short of our expectations." (p. 18)

"Every human mind is fertile, but only for those kinds of seeds it is prepared for.  What is important is to see which kind of seeds our mind is fertile for, and to prepare it to receive the seeds of love." (p. 28)

"Gossiping has become the main form of communication in human society." (p. 38)

These nuggets of wisdom made me reflect on myself and my actions.  Namely: how authentic am I, and how harshly do I judge others?  Truth: pretty harshly.  In reality all this does is cause stress and conflict.  I should focus on myself and doing good and let others worry about themselves.  This leads into the second two quotes.  If I let my mind be fertile for animosity or negativity I will absorb those traits.  By gossipping I am spreading those seeds to others and causing pain.  Does the fleeting joy of a juicy tidbit really warrant the possible negative consequences.  I'm going to go with no. 

So part of my professional development plan, is also to be personally better.  A better friend, a better colleague, and a better citizen overall. 

What have you reflected on recently?

What will 2011 bring...

So in posts yet to come this year I will explain why 2009 was a year of tragedy, 2010 was the recovery  But 2011, I am sure, will be the year of Melissa! (Inspired by George Castanza of Seinfeld and
the Summer of George.)

So what do I have planned for 2011?  I'm not big on resolutions, but I have some big goals and things to check off my bucket list ready to go for this year.  So I figured I would write down my 11 for '11 to keep me on track.

1. Get scuba certified (we love to snorkel, now we'll take it to the next level)
2. Actually go scuba diving-hopefully with my fabulous cousins down in Florida
3. Train Louie for his Canine Good Citizen award
4. Get involved with a regular community service activity--any Philly connections/tips welcome!
5. Meet with a financial advisor and figure out how to save for a house and invest our money
6. Read at least 10 books for fun--hmm, sounds like another good post series... I read Eat, Pray, Love in January and next up is Blink
7. Start recording stories of mine and Sean's family with my new digital recorder.  Preserving memories is priceless, and a huge priority of mine.
8. Exercise regularly
9. Learn to knit starting with the classes my honey surprised me with!
10. Actually order our wedding album--2 years later.
11. Explore professional consulting and coaching as career options--although my degree lends itself perfectly to these options, I really need to figure out if it's for me and if so, is it for me full time, part time....yeah this is a biggy.

So what are your goals/bucket list to-dos/resolutions for 2011?  And if you don't have an 11 in '11 make it happen and tell me what this year will mean for you!