It has been quite a while since I've taken the time to write anything of substance. I used to find great joys in writing; spilling my thoughts, guts and emotions out onto an empty notebook page, a blank greeting card or a white Word document gave me such a sense of calm and accomplishment. Then college happened. I found reading and writing outside of what I was assigned to be a hindrance to my fun.
Gotta love my collegiate logic.
I have since jumped back on the reading rainbow, and my fingers have begun to again itch with words and ideas. A blog seemed like the perfect opportunity to unleash the beast, but what I have been lacking was a purpose. While I'm sure I have plenty to blather about (returning to school, the aches & pains of dating, work-life balance, etc.), I didn't really want this to be something that I could easily turn into a vent outlet; I need something that helps me focus on the positive.
A friend recently lent me Paper Towns by John Green. I'm not going to get into a book review (though I would highly suggest reading it), but a quote from Emily Dickinson ("Forever is composed of nows.") and the intertwining of Whitman's Leaves of Grass into the story got me thinking about life and living and making the most of today, today.
I know, I know... lots of broad ideas. So I came up with this: I'm going to do something different every day for a year and write about it. It will be anything from experimenting with a new nail polish or a new recipe to visiting a new place or facing some fear. I plan on dragging some of my friends and family into it, but I also want to solo-mission some days. Most importantly, I want to find the value in doing and enjoying and being in the moment. It'll be like #100happydays on crack, if you will :)
Willie Nelson sums it up for me perfectly: "I take it not only a day at a time, but a moment at a time, and keep it at that pace. If you can be happy right now, then you’ll always be happy, because it’s always in the now."
September 1 marks Day 1. Until then... Cheers!
