I’ve been telling myself for ages and ages and ages that I wouldn’t join in on Things I Love Thursday, a weekly ode to gratitude and positivity started by Gala Darling. Nothing irks me more than seeing someone who isn’t me excel at something that I consider part of my identity. What irks me about TILT? Well it’s bright and sunny and wonderful and uplifting. Why didn’t I come up with that?! Well the thing is, I didn’t come up with it and resentment and jealousy is a toxic cocktail that I threw out with 2010’s calendar. Aren’t I the one who’s constantly waxing eloquent about how important it is for women to support each other’s successes? Yes, yes I am the one who’s constantly talking about such things.
There’s this saying that when it comes to your fear vs. your potential, whichever hungry dog you feed most is the one that becomes the strongest. I’m not quite sure what to call it, but whichever dog sits in opposition to my ego has gotten a little stronger these past few weeks. Maybe it’s the New Year New Me vibe or maybe it’s the several glasses of fruit punch at the adult table during the annual family New Year’s party that did my brain in, but I’m sitting here and feeling really, really ready to begin supporting other peoples’ successes and joining in on the love and good vibes their putting out there.
So my first or many, many Things I Love Thursdays to come:
- Making a bucket of sangria with my cousins and then tipping in an entire bottle of rum when no one was watching. Bahahaha!
- Seeing my entire paternal famfam on January 1st. I have 53 cousins (the newest one is just 2 weeks old!) on my dad’s side alone, so it’s rare and wonderful when we all get to be in the same place at the same time.
- Eating all my favourite foods in one day.
- Galaxy chocolates for breakfast, washed down with piping hot tea and shortbread! Om nom nom.
- Incredible birthday gift bags that make you feel like you’re loved! <3
- Seeing my cousin smile after her recent breakup.
- Finding out that every living generation of my family has had somebody born on January 11th. (Isn’t that just plain weird?)
- Packing to go from one home to another.
- The fact that I’m lucky enough to have two homes, so that no matter where I am in the world, I’m never far from unconditional love.
- New Year’s texts from friends.
- “No woman, I can’t watch Jerseylicious with you because I’m too busy watching Jersey Shore!”
- All 6 seasons of How I Met Your Mother for Christmas. Introducing people I love to the hilariousness of Barney Stintson. Toffee at 2am.
- Giant cans of Milo waiting for me on the dining table.
- Little Fockers. I’m so, so glad I stayed to watch the end of that movie.
- Sugar coated popcorn. (Oh my goodness you guys, someone save me from myself!)
- Twitter.
- Getting excited for my friend’s new job, inventing a custom nail art look featuring her company’s logo colours, and realising the maturity that excitement shows. It’s out of character for me to get so thrilled watching someone who isn’t me succeed.
- My dad hopping in the car at 10pm to get me suya for dinner, just because I asked nicely.
- The fact that my birthday this year reads as: 01/11/11. Is that the coolest birthday number date thingy ever or what?
- Getting excited for all the love, good fortune and success that’s already in my life, and then not being able to sleep at the thought of getting even MORE of that!
- Making collages of my goals that make me want to get started on things right now.
- And most of all, I’m loving myself like mad right now.
2011 (two-thousand-and-heaven) is my year, I just know it. Day one was a mad blast of awesomeness, and the idea that it’s only going to get better from here on out freaks me out and fills me with joy. I have all these goals and plans, but at the same time, I’m really, really excited to see what wonderful, incredible and unexpected things come my way. My ears, mind and heart are totally open to whatever needs to happen to push me on my way and the thrilling roller coaster that will bring. At the top of my list of goals for the year, I’ve written “I want all this, or BETTER!”
As my mother always says, may this be the best year so far, but not the best year ever!
