Year of Yes - The End

Well, I'm closing in on my Year of Yes. Or, as I am now calling it, my Year of Yawn.

It all started here, in October 2012. I did an update post in February 2013, then another one in June 2013. And now here we are, October again.

I wouldn't say my goal of doing 40 new and different things was a complete failure, but it certainly wasn't the success I'd hoped for. I did do some fun stuff, and I did manage to say "no" to others on occasion which meant saying "yes" to me. I just didn't open myself up to the experience the way I'd thought I would. Instead, I often felt pressured to do and to be and to push. It was exhausting.

But I did learn a few things: I like my comfort zone. I like my home and the area where I live. I enjoy "quiet" things - reading, watching favorite TV shows, going to the movies during off times, walking on the beach early in the morning. I'm not so keen on crowds and traveling all over the place and doing/thinking/feeling what I'm "supposed to." And all of that is okay!

Don't get me wrong. I'm still going to stay open to the new and the different. I'm still going to challenge myself. The difference is in the attitude. For example - the idea of hurtling down a mountain on skis scares me, but since I honestly have no desire to ski anyway, I'm not going to force myself to get over that fear. Now, the idea of swinging from a trapeze also scares me but that is something I would love to do, so I'll put my effort and energy into conquering that fear (and into building some upper body strength!)  

I am no longer trying to fix what I often thought was a cracked, broken base. Instead, I am going to improve upon a foundation that is flawed but is already pretty good to begin with. I am not broken. I do not need to be fixed.

So, as my birthday rolls around later this month, I hope to give myself a gift that has been a long time coming: the gift of my messy, sharp, weird, quiet, and, ultimately grateful self.

Year of Yes - February to May

Way back in October, I decided I was going to start saying "yes" more - to new things, to different opportunities, etc. It's my Year of Yes - check out the original post here - and the goal is to do 40 different things. Different for me, anyway. A lot of people might look at these things - see my first Yes update - and think "big whoop" but for me, any step outside of my comfort zone - no matter how small! - is progress. 

I've noticed, too, that the older I get, the more I find myself saying "no" to potentially fun and/or interesting things, usually with an excuse along the lines of it's too much trouble, too much hassle, blah blah. I am too young to be an old fuddy duddy!

So, here are some of my Yes moments from the last few months:

* After agonizing over whether I might be considered pushy or unprofessional, I finally took a deep breath and emailed a literary agent I've been in contact with about one of my recently published stories. Turns out, she read it and loved it! 

* Every once in awhile, my husband and I forgo our usual Thai takeout and get ourselves gussied up and go out to dinner. We went to Emeril's in Orlando and had one of the best dinners we've ever had. We went with the Tasting Menu - which included items we've never had but were willing to try! - including the Wine Pairings. I drank more wine that evening that I have over the course of the last few years. 

* My husband and I had our picture taken with sea lions at the local aquarium. We're considering making it our Christmas card this year.... 

* The development where we live has a great pool...one I haven't been to for awhile. I've been too embarrassed to go because I am so uncomfortable with how I look in my bathing suit. One day - and I don't really know why it was that day in particular - I decided enough was enough. I pulled on my suit, put on my suntan lotion and I went down to the pool. I swam and I floated and I looked up at the blue sky with the palm tree leaves reaching across it like green fingers. I was happy. 

*****

How about you all? Have you done anything different over the last few months? Are you planning on it? Taking a class you've always wanted to try? Going somewhere different? Saying "no" to something when you usually say "yes"?  Because that counts, too!

Year of Yes - October to January

Back in October, I decided I was going to start saying "yes" more - to new things, to different opportunities, etc. I call it my Year of Yes - check out the original post here - and the goal is to do 40 different things. Different for me, anyway. I know a lot of people might see these things and think "big whoop" but for me, any step outside of my comfort zone - no matter how small! - is progress.

So, here are a few of my Yes moments:

* I decided not to do National Novel Writing Month - the first time I haven't done it in many years - and instead said "yes" to continuing writing and revising a previous manuscript.

* I stopped the Off The Shelf Challenge 2012. This was not easy because once I say I'm going to do something I try very hard to, you know, actually do it. But this challenge started to feel too much like homework.

* I took an art class called "Discover the World of Collage Art." This was something I wanted to do for awhile now and I finally just did it - and I'm so glad I did!

* I tried some new Thai food - fried tofu. I've had tofu before and never cared much for it, but I figured how bad could it be fried and dipped in sweet and sour sauce and topped with chopped peanuts? Yeah, well, I figured WRONG. 

* I usually stay up past midnight on New Year's Eve, even if it's only until 12:05 am, and watch the ball drop in Times Square. This year, I stayed up - my husband and I were finishing up a Harry Potter movie marathon - but I did not watch the ball drop. Did. Not. I have watched that thing drop every year since I was first allowed to stay up. I felt like a rebel. I felt sort of like Hermione Granger when she starts breaking the rules in one of the earlier HP movies.

* I watched ice cream being made right in front of me using the power of liquid nitrogen. It was very cool - ha ha! Get it? - and something I'm definitely going to remember when the temps reach the upper 90s this summer. 

And there you have it. Nothing too exciting or extreme - no jumping out of planes or shaving my head. And, although I'm happy with my progress overall so far, I'm also a little disappointed. I've been very focused on writing these past four-five months and keeping my head down and plowing through some other things. But I think I need to look up once in awhile and get out there a bit more. Hopefully my next update will be more exciting.

How about you all? Have you done anything different so far this year? Are you planning on it? Taking a class you've always wanted to try? Going somewhere different? Saying "no" to something when you usually say "yes"?