just thought i'd share

i'm wasting time on pinterest, while waiting for my peanut butter brownies to finish baking and i came across this. 

happy saturday! (:

Image

at dinner last night my dad was talking to me  about maintaining an image for oneself in a professional setting. he does leadership workshops sometimes and one of the exercises they do is to define how you want to be seen and then work on ways to improve and maintain that image. he said it's amazing how many people don't think about how they come off to other people, and while he was talking specifically about the workplace, i think it's worth reflecting on for your day-to-day life as well.

so how would i like to be perceived?

• patient. 
• as i've previously mentioned, i am not the most patient person. i need to work on not getting  frustrated with people so easily. i think a good way to start is to breathe and take a few seconds before immediately reacting when i start getting annoyed.

• creative.
• to be perceived as creative, i need to focus on doing more creative activities. creativity feeds creativity so i really just need to make it a point to make time to write, or doodle or read magazines. i love the montage of words and images that make up magazines.

• quick-thinking. 
• i would like to be the kind of person that can react quickly in a given situation. unfortunately, i am not this type of person. i tend to panic or get flustered when things don't go as planned. i need to work on going with the flow. as far as being on top of things, i'm not sure how to work on that, but i'll think about it (:

these are just a few attributes that i would like to cultivate. how would you like to be perceived? 

Resolutions

have more patience. (be kind, in general, but patience is something i feel i lack.)

exercise more. (in addition to making wiser food decisions. be healthy.)

sleep better. (i have terrible sleeping habits.)

stop biting my nails. (i want to have nice hands.)

call mom and dad once a week. (in general, stay in touch with those who matter.)

push boundaries. (i need to take more chances. not play it so safe.)

write more. (including keeping up with this blog.)

New Year...

in more ways than one! not only is today the first day of 2012, but i just made a huge change in my personal life. last week i moved from Las Cruces, NM to Chicago.

this is a big deal. i was born and raised in Las Cruces and have never lived anywhere else. the thought of going away for college didn't occur/appeal to me for some reason.  but lately i've been feeling like i need a change. Las Cruces is so small and it just seemed like i couldn't meet new people without finding some connection that was previously there. that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it gets old. the opportunity for work was also limited. i wasn't very happy with the way things were.

i need something new.

when i visited Chicago in September i mentioned to my uncle that i would like to try living in a big city (like Chicago). at that time they were in the process of looking for a larger apartment, and my uncle suggested that i rent a room from them for a year or so, after which he thought i'd be tired of the weather. 

i thought about it and proposed the idea to my mom, and decided it was a great idea! so last week my dad, my friend Kyle and i loaded my car up with about half of my stuff and drove across the country to my new home (eek!)

and that's where i'm writing this post from. sitting at the dining room table as my aunt Maria reads a book about butterflies to my cousin Martha. 

it was really hard to leave my family and some of my friends, but i'm excited about the opportunity this city offers. 

Packing

i'm getting ready for the move to Chicago and i am so overwhelmed!

i've always hated moving, but this time seems worse. i think because i have limited space so i have to pick and choose: things to take, things to store at my parents' house and things to get rid of.

i'd like to think of myself as not being materialistic, but it's so hard for me to get rid of stuff! mainly because i have a sentimental attachment to things that remind me of people and places.

i'm just at a loss right now. luckily, my wonderful mother is on her way here to help me! i should get off the internet so i look productive when she gets here!

Thing 2

my sister is pregnant! while this news is very exciting, it also brings me some sadness because i won't be here when the baby is born in June. regardless, i'm excited for my new baby niece or nephew!!!

happy tuesday (:

& remember:

So Little Time!

my friend Jenna recently posted BBC's Top 100 Books list and it got me thinking about all the books i have yet to read. and it's not just books. there are so many movies i want to see, so many TV shows i've been wanting to watch or catch up on. i got about two episodes into Game of Thrones (so good!) before i started watching Mad Men which i also love! 

Mad Men is fascinating to me with the outdated ideas about women, and everyone is always smoking (gross!). it's darkly funny and i lovelovelove the fashion portrayed.

and music!!! how i love music. i love discovering new music and listening to old favorites. it's amazing how a song can say exactly how you've been feeling but haven't been able to articulate correctly. 

(i know, i'm an English major and should therefore have faith in words, but i find this to be true at times.)

all this is to say, how do folks keep up with it all?? if i read everything i wanted to, watched all the shows and movies i've been meaning to and listened to all the music that's been recommended to me, i'd be a hermit!