Different

When you become used to things unfolding a particular way, it's sometimes difficult to adjust when the exact opposite happens.  For someone unlucky in love, it's hard to believe when you've actually found a good guy.  For a Canucks fan used to post-season disappointment, it's dumbfounding to think we're two wins away from winning it all.  Pessimism has always been easier to fall into because the blind faith and belief needed to be an optimist is staggering.  However, it's what makes succeeding that much sweeter - knowing that you might have been the only one who believed from the start that it was possible.  Personally, I'm currently enjoying having my expectations challenged and proven wrong (in positive ways).  I don't think there's anything wrong with being realistic, but we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss hope.  After all, you never know when you'll need it.

Who You Are

"You were born original.  Don't die a copy." ~ John Mason


"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different." ~ Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~ Dr. Seuss

Posting quickly because after getting home from the movies with my dad, I got caught up on the phone.  This is usually a welcome distraction but it did leave me with very little time to say what I wanted to here.  So I'll leave you with these quotes as a teaser for the following post.

Message in a Bottle - Time Flies

Messages come in many forms but my favourite are those anonymous notes that brave the seas (or the web).  There's something cathartic about releasing those words into the great unknown, hoping they might reach the person they were meant for.  The Message in a Bottle series gives readers (and myself) that chance.  I am so proud of everyone that is brave enough to give it a try, and am equally humbled by the fact you trust me to deliver your message.

The messages posted so far have all been a bit sad; dealing with loss, regret, anger, and even pain.  I suppose it's indicative of the direction this blog has strayed into lately, but with the new month, comes a new plan and a new outlook.  One of my favourite quotes is from George Eliot, "It is never too late to be what you might have been."  Well I'm heeding George's words and getting the month started properly with my latest Message in a Bottle.  This came to me all the way from Scarlet in Savannah, Georgia.  I have no idea how Scarlet found the blog or why she decided to write, but I am eternally grateful and happy to post her message.

I haven't read all of the posts on your blog, but I have read all of the Message in a Bottle posts.  I found an actual message in a bottle once when I was little.  It hadn't been sealed properly so the message was nothing but a soggy bit of paper that fell apart as we tried to pry it from the bottle.  Eventually, the movie Message in a Bottle came out and the guy I had been seeing for the past month took me to watch it. The movie was cheesy and ridiculous, but it made me think of that old message that I never got to read.  It made me wonder who it was meant for, what it might have said, and what I would write if I had to send one of my own.  Now, after reading some of the sad messages, I know it's time to reveal what my letter said and who it was meant for.

Dear love,

Time flies when you're having fun.  I should know, since the past twelve years have flown by in a blink of an eye.  Even though time runs away from us every time we wish it would slow down, it's not always because we're too busy laughing, sometimes we're too busy period.  Through all those happy, sad, and busy times, one thing has always stayed the same, and that is you.  You've been my strength, my hopes, my joys, my fear, my inspiration, and my love and I can honestly say that I was lost before I found you. 

I know you laugh when I look for bottles every time we walk along a beach.  You think that after all these years, I can't get over the one I never got to read.  Truthfully, I'm looking for the one I sent after one of our dates.  You had taken me to the movies for Valentine's Day, and even though it was a pretty bad movie, that was the best date I had ever had because it was that night that I realized just how much you meant to me.  Being a silly, immature girl, I wrote a message, sealed it in a bottle, and dropped it in the Savannah River, hoping you would find it one day. 

We're coming up to our 10th wedding anniversary, and I realize I don't want to wait for that message to eventually drift ashore.  I want to tell you myself because a dozen years later, the message is still the same - I was made to love you until the end of time.  So thank you for letting me do the one thing I've always wanted to do, and for giving me a family to share it with.  If I had to write a new message today, it would be to the kids, and my wish for them to find someone who makes me feel the way you do ever day.

Always and forever,
S

Thank you so much for sharing Scarlet, and congratulations on celebrating 10 (or should I say 12?) years together!  If I ever find your bottle, I'll let you know =)

Failure = Success?

It's June 1st which means today was supposed to be the start of my new plan.  However, today is also the first game of the Stanley Cup Finals featuring the Boston Bruins and our very own Vancouver Canucks.  Needless to say, everything has been postponed until tomorrow which probably isn't the best way to start things off.  On the upside, we won the game! =) For those of you looking for a personal upside, I suppose this can be translated into me being more flexible and spontaneous, which I'm not really known for.  It feels refreshing to let go of being worried and stressed - to just go with the flow and see what tomorrow brings.

Quote Me

A while back, I mentioned that I like to collect quotes.  The danger with a collection like this is that eventually, you have more than you know what to do with them.  My solution?  Share and share alike!  Here is a minuscule sample of random quotes pulled from my collection.

"The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." ~ Ben Stein

"Forgive your enemies but never forget their names." ~ John F. Kennedy

"How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours." ~ Wayne Dyer

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." ~ Walt Disney

"You don't need to explain your dreams.  They belong to you." ~ Paulo Coelho

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." ~ Lewis Carroll

"Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground an miss." ~ Douglas Adams

It's amazing to see what a few well chosen words can do to change your entire outlook.  Hopefully some of you will leave your own favourites in the comments section below, and if I'm really lucky, at least one of you will read these quotes and have it change your day just a bit =)

Balance

As previously mentioned, I'm tyring to figure some things out in terms of life balance.  Someone suggested scheduling time for myself but have any of you actually tried to do this?  I pretty much just take breaks as I need them, but this is pretty counter-productive now that I'm actually typing it out.  In all seriousness, it's pretty easy for that hour break to stretch into two or more, then the next thing I know, I'm asleep with my fingers still poised on my keyboard.  This example happens WAY more often than I'd like to openly admit, which my family and former roommates can attest to.

So I suppose I'll have to give the scheduling a shot and actually try to follow it!  I'll try to remember to give you all a recap at the end of the month - I'll put it on my schedule =)

Reset

Another week has come to a close and it's hard to believe we're already at the end of May.  This year is flying by and I'm feeling a bit panicked that I haven't done as much as I had hoped by this point in the year.

However, instead of giving into the anxiety for once, I'm trying a new approach - hitting reset.  The problem with focusing on what is expected of you and comparing yourself to others, is that you're not staying true to the most important person of all - yourself.  I know this seems a bit cheesy, but there's no denying that it's true.  Once you take everyone else out of the equation, everything gets a bit clearer and easier to understand.

So with the new month starting in a few days, I'm coming up with a new plan and remembering it's all about me for a change.  Hopefully you're all focusing on the same thing as well; yourselves, not me!


N.B. (May 30th) Blogger, why must you hate me so?  I have no idea how I managed to post this as private, but hopefully it's all fixed now for your reading pleasure!