First stop. Always. For my favorite:
Mocha shake. Work. Beach.
This is how I live simple and do more of what I love.
What are you working for?
#LessStuffMoreFreedomHappyLife #Travel #TodayIsTheDay
Good food and time with good people are my key to a good life! (Those, and not having a bunch of crap in my space I don’t need or use:)
Here’s what we business brainstorm Monday noshed on today, lunching in the sunshine:
If you haven’t been to Zio yet, I highly suggest you make your way there to dine in deliciousness sometime soon.
What do you eat?
#Feast #Collaboration #Community
Where will you go?
#BlueHighways #Adventure #WhatIf
Before getting on an airplane yesterday morning:
…to a destination with warm sun and palm trees (yahoo!), and before knowing I’d be giving not one, but two free lap dances to that person in the middle seat who refused to actually get up and out for just a quick second so I could make it to my coveted window spot, I bought this book:
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this read. Jen Sincero is hilarious and I love her no bs writing style. Her last book made it to a favorites list that I posted about here back in the fall of 2015. I’ve managed to crank through a good amount of pages over the past 24 hours even though I’m still slightly disturbed about Middle Seat Molly not getting out of the way for me yesterday in flight. (You know what I’m talking about; Oh, ok. You’re not going to stand up, weirdo? Great. Awesome. Let me just desperately suck my whole body in as I best attempt to not touch any of my parts with your parts because there’s a whopping three inches to move in row 26. Thanks. I appreciate it. I hope you feel fabulous right now.)
Anyways.
My sweet little fine point Sharpie pen is off to the races:
I dig this book just as much as Jen’s last one. I recommend picking it up. Once again I’m slightly pissed at myself for not writing nearly as much as I want to, because I’m reading far too much lately I feel like I could’ve written myself.
Lessons for today?
1.) What the eff are you waiting for, again? (Yeah. That’s to both of us.)
2.) Take care of yourself before you attempt to take care of anyone else.
3.) If you have the middle seat, don’t act like there’s ever enough space for another human to scootch by. Get yo lazy ass up and let the people pass in peace.
HAPPY FRIDAY!
#LifeOnTheBlueLollipopRoad #TodayIsTheDay #ChangeIsGood
By “chase” I mean I walked out of a long day of being packed inside on a major downsizing project, saw this amazing looking sky, and drove toward it for a bit like an excited kid on a treasure hunt. What’s that they say about never losing your sense of wonder?
Always looking up…that’s how I stay unstuck.
Where do you find your magic?
#LessStuffMoreFreedomHappyLife #LifeOnTheBlueLollipopRoad #Sunset
I have a new client who’s stuck. He’s completely capable, experienced, smart, kind, aware, etc., but something hasn’t quite clicked for him for his next phase. It’s all good, it happens, and usually a few times in a life span, reminding us that it’s time to pivot. I have full faith in what he will do, so I challenged him to set a goal with a completion date of April 25th. Then I threw myself in the mix of the challenge. If you’re going to ask someone else to do something, you should put your own money where your mouth is, right?
I had an epic sleep last night (yes, I know that word is incredibly overused, but it fits here, so?) which is pretty rare for me. I woke up feeling like a million bucks. As I got dressed for my run, I set a pretty big tall order kind of intention for my day. (Don’t roll your eyes! That stuff works, people!) Let’s just say there was a little extra pep in my step and I ran like the wind. (Ok, now this is getting really cheesy.)
Anyway, after run snapshot, the power of Diggidy:
(Ask me about this old nickname sometime if you want a good story.)
I’m convinced if EVERYTHING you wear/have/own/do in your life actually has some kind of meaning, things just feel better and flow better. This includes ratty old running clothes from a gazillion years ago like this jersey from my 2004 marathon in Phoenix.
This life ain’t easy as we have established many times here. As much as it’s up to us as individuals to kick our own asses each day to make things happen, shouldn’t we perhaps stick on this team in training, together?
This is #1, K! 9 more to go for me by 2 weeks from today. Hope you’re cranking on your end!
#CarpeDiem #TodayIsTheDay #GetIt
Hey girl, hey! (Lynn, that opening is dedicated to you.) I’m HERE!
Whew. How do you peeps with fido’s and kiddos do it? I have no pets and no little nuggets to run after and my days still fly by like the Blue Angels in an Airshow.
Lately I’ve been at auditions for Dancing with the Stars, HELPING MY CLIENTS GET RID OF ALL THE CRAP IN THEIR LIVES THAT’S KEEPING THEM STUCK, and pretending that I’m a Barker’s Beauty at black tie gala events:
(Ok, only two of those are true. Did I mention I scored my dress for ten bucks? #LessSpendingMoreFreedomHappyLife, baby!)
Behind the scenes I’m always up to something when I disappear from here for more than a few days, so as usual, I appreciate your patience, your support, and you following along. If you continue to stay tuned, I promise to give a shout out thank you and I love you style in my book of life. The big kahuna is coming!
Happy Thursday.
#DanceTheNightAway #Celebrate #TodayIsTheDay
I’ve always been known as the “energetic” one. That “Boy if you could bottle that energy and sell it, you’d be a millionaire!” gal. That friend that “we just can’t keep up with.” I don’t feel like a freak of nature, but sometimes I have to remind myself that in fact I’m not, when I hear the constant barrage of:
“I’d love to hang out, but I know you can stay up all night.”
“Good lord, where did you come from? How do you have all that energy?!”
“I’m sure YOU don’t need sleep, but I do.”
Can’t a girl just be herself? It’s tough not to get a little insulted over here, when these “compliments” are regularly hurled at me. I have some very disappointing news:
I don’t stay up all night, I’m from a tiny town in Vermont, not space, I cannot explain how I have the energy I do (Mom, can you tell the people?), I actually need sleep like you, and no, I’m not a unicorn, Ewok, or other worldly being. I have shitty days. For instance, the other day I cried during a meeting with my accountant at Panera (yes, as in Panera Bread, in public), and it had nothing to do with finding out I’m not a billionaire. I already knew that and I don’t care. If you really want to know where the tears came from call me, (804.339.6514) I’ll share anything.
In an effort to solve the energy mystery right here, right now, after much reflection, I have come up this:
I CHOOSE TO CELEBRATE, PEOPLE. I AM JUST FREAKING CELEBRATING THAT I AM ALIVE.
Put that in your I’d rather stay miserable and quiet about it pipe and smoke it.
We’ve all been beaten into a life happens pulp. Do we need to recap on that again? So what do we do about it? Stay in the drone zone, or wrap our wounds with whatever we’ve got left, own and accept our crap, and drag our asses out of bed everyday in the never ending search for those few last tiny beautiful things that are left?
I refuse to wait for a weekend or big event to wear my sassy shoes:
(This photo was taken on a Tuesday after stopping into my friends office to have coffee. I think that’s all I got dressed for that day.)
…I don’t say no to invitations to road trip to beautiful places with good friends:
…I don’t save treats for only special occasions:
…I always play like a kid and jump for joy at sunset:
…and while things are often better shared with good company, (and oh my do I love a lot of humans!) If it’s 86 degrees on a random Tuesday in March like this week, I’m not afraid to sit outside at a picnic table to enjoy an after work beer in the warm and sunshine, alone:
I don’t have too much energy. I JUST ALLOW MYSELF TO BE ALIVE BECAUSE I AM, and I fully plan to continue celebrating the bleep out of this life while I have it.
I’ve never asked anyone to be like me and I would never dare. You do you, dudes and gals, quiet, loud, whatever you are…I accept all of you! You’re always invited to my party over here, but if this sparkly blue lollipop is “too much” for you, please walk on. I’m only interested in those fellow tribe members who might roll their eyes or shake and scratch their heads a little, but simultaneously are thrilled about getting smothered in glittery, energetic, life-celebrating love as we run down this steep, wondrous, rocky road together.
I’m off to my Friday morning dance party. I’ll see you and Beyonce in the soul train line…
#ShineBright #TodayIsTheDay #LessMiseryMoreLaughsHappyLife
*(This post is dedicated to everyone in my tribe (I LOVE YOU GUYS, you know who you are, but particularly Maria, Brandy, Leslie, Katie, Sam, Joe, and Grapa. I will forever be inspired to keep smiling and dancing because of you.)*
I went to the dentist today for some needlework. I don’t like the dentist. I’m not usually a nervous person, and I’m not sure the last time in my whole life I felt truly scared, but being in the dentist chair is so not fun for me. I told them I felt more at ease when I jumped out of a plane. My body gets cold chills, I feel hot and sweaty…I just don’t like it.
Recently I made a first visit to this highly raved about and recommended new dentist for the usual x-rays, cleaning, etc. (Don’t tell Mom but it’s been a while.) Go figure, because it had been a bit of time, that one “on watch” possible cavity had come to fruition, one needed to be replaced, and even better news; I needed a crown. Yippee! I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend a few thousand bucks on teeth instead of you know, a trip to Italy for 2 months or something? Adulting is such a bummer. So in I went today for the first in a three part series we will call project drain Diane’s travel fund, but you only have one set of those teeth, so you better take care of them!
My new dentist and her lovely assistant were the best. I mean, the best. (Like a mom with a rockstar reliable babysitter, I refuse to share any contact information for this amazing tooth care goddess in fear you will all call, book her up, and I’ll have to go back to that psychotic creepy old man that ripped my mouth apart last time adding buckets of fuel to my already flaming I fear the dentist bonfire.) This new bright shiny office and all of it’s help were kind and attentive. They listened to my past dental horror stories to genuinely learn what I needed, then got to work; numbing gels by the gob full, then one needle, and another, and another, and another. Did I mention another? They kept asking if I could feel this and that to ensure I was fully in numb la la land before starting to drill. When I could finally (sort of) feel the right side of my face nearly sagging to the ground, this ever so patient woman said “Well, I guess we’ve found out that you are very hard to numb!”
HA! Isn’t that the truth. Story of my life, sweet, gentle lady.
Back to why I need a crown:
A couple big cavities on a back tooth I’ve had for years are now cracked/damaged along with the tooth itself. Why? Because I spent a good portion of 2015 and 2016 not sleeping even though I tried desperately. You could say I had a torturous run of getting my heart ripped to shreds. (Picture it’s 1985 and a seven year old on Christmas morning turns animalistic assuming his wrapped box is a Nintendo.) Apparently on the rare occasion I did actually sleep, I was a gold medal champion jaw clencher and teeth grinder as I tossed and turned dreaming of things you don’t want to hear about. Break goes the tooth. (This is not a case of she just doesn’t brush or floss. With the Nutella habit that I have, I’m a nut…no pun intended…about my Sonicare, floss, and Listerine routine.)
If you really do give a super duper flying you-know-what about anything or anyone, you’re bound to feel intense pain when that something or someone isn’t so peachy keen. During those couple years when this deliciously gorgeous and abusive life was swirling around me, I didn’t rest much. Not because I was restless, but because I was ALIVE. Obviously too alive, too conscious, too un-numb. I now wear extra wrinkles at 38 proudly because I’ve come out breathing on the other side.
In 2003 after reading Roadtrip Nation, my 25 year old self was in love with these authors, and everything they were doing. Their book and manifesto were a big encouragement for me to continue my road warrior habits. I needed to discover. They get it! I thought. Life! It is supposed to mean something. What you do for work can and should matter! Purpose! Yay! I want to find that! I remember writing to Mike & Nate asking for advice on best ways to discover what kind of work I wanted to do. I will never forget what Mike sent back to me via email:
“YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING TO GIVE A SHIT ABOUT.”
And here we are.
I probably give two shits (by that I mean 2,222) about way too many things and far too many people. My heart is filled with that kid in a candy store joy more times in a day that I can usually count, then broken again a few minutes later, and all too often. I stay in touch with/put a lot of effort into/love a lot of human beings and that makes me happy. People are my jam, my priority. I feel like I live in an over the moon utopia of lucky awesomeness because I am able to share with so many other different, interesting, funny, kind, quirky, entertaining heartbeats.
I don’t ever want to be numb. Even if that means I could get raked through the coals a million more times.
The price tag for giving a shit is VERY expensive. There are HUGE needles involved. I will pay the bill and take the pinch every time. Life outside the drone zone might hurt more than existing in the safety zone, but every bit of pain is worth it. I hope until my very last breath, even if I’m stuck with a billion needles, I’ll keep moving towards the finish line still being able to feel every bit of everything.
What makes you feel alive today?
The above screen shot is part of a text conversation that happened as I was starting to write this. Perfect, right?
#LoveFinishesFirst #FeelIt #NeverNumb
This photo just popped into my inbox:
…with a note attached:
“Just saw this mug, it made me laugh and think of you.”
Oh the special place in my heart for all the people who get me!
#MyUnicornsAndRainbowsKeepItReal #WestCoastCoffee #LifeOnTheBlueLollipopRoad