Now, though I fear it is a little bit late, I will say farewell to summer. It has been fun...well as fun as it could be for little me. The tans (or burns, while others are bronze after time in the sun, I am pink, or even worse at times--red) will fade but the memories will last forever. (Who knows? I may have written in my journal about you!) True, summer is all I want. Days relaxing on the beach (there are lakes in Idaho, true that they were freezing, but I did go for a little swim or rather float in my life jacket) are through. As we traverse into fall though (my personal favorite season--so many colors) I like to think of an attitude as Walt Whitman put it--"You are so much sunshine in every square inch." On's attitude should say it all. Now, I am not your regular Olaf when it comes to summer, and sun, and everything hot (look at the first parenthesis of this post if you need enlightenment), but I will definitely miss those carefree days of summer, or rather, those more carefree days of summer in the sun, next to the lake, shielding myself from the sun with shade, but I hope I can still make the world a better place by acting out or carrying through with my monthly goals. (You had to have at least some idea that this post would detail on those. It's September 1st for crying out loud!) (Happy birthday, Somer!)
1) Take yourself "back to school" by reading a book or an article about something entirely foreign to you and enjoy the process of learning something new: Admittedly, I went to school up here in Idaho all of this summer. It was online, but I still consider that school. (Don't argue with me on this.) But, I think that every day is a success if you learn something new in it, no matter if it is in your schooling hours or not. Take for one, my scripture study this morning, I tied together two verses of scripture and a talk that I was reading. I would have never done that if I didn't remain with this perspective in my study. (If you would like to know and read my attachment, and add some of your own (I encourage that!) here it is with Helaman 13, Alma 29:1-3, "Trust in God, then Go and Do" by President Henry B. Eyring (October 2010)) All in all, my goal is to not be afraid to learn something new, whether I am in school or not. Also, I don't know whether this applies or not, (I'm my own worst enemy) but I am reading a book that I haven't read before currently. Just give me a library card and I have more potential than just the world.
2) Bake something new: I do love to bake. Admittedly, I tried a new recipe only a few days ago (lemon cookies, they are still sitting on my counter. Any takers?) (I originally made them for a boy who I had gone on a date with recently (hi Mauro!) and had offered me some tea. Honestly, I don't drink tea, but I do eat tea cookies (I eat any type of cookie arguably). Although I tried this new recipe awfully recently--one of the last days of August, I think that was just to show myself that I could bake solo. Even though, I didn't quite have all the ingredients so I had to borrow some from my sister across the way (Hi Tara!) which proved to be of extensive benefit, because once I was finished, and the dough looked weird to me (I'm used to thick chocolate chip cookie dough...here is a forewarning to each of you early bakers out there, lemon cookie dough doesn't look anything like that, it's light, thin, and wispy, and there are no chocolate chips (I know, startling)), and she helped me get it ready for the oven in its own little cookie dough balls. Now, I could consider that my try at baking something new, but no. It showed me that I could bake, maybe with a little help since I'm a legitimate beginner but since I can cook, I will in September and hopefully with more extensive recipes than lemon cookies (or any type of cookie). Also, if I haven't said this already, I'm not sure that I can say it enough, thank you, Tara!
3) Walk at least 10k steps every other day: This one may be a bit far fetched for me. Okay, let me elaborate; I have a bad habit of falling on my face. (You might want to stop reading this part if you can't handle blood) (please tell me I'm at least starting to discover the talent of describing something with words) In summation, whether it is ice or just a misstep, I trip and fall more than expected and I usually break a bone in the process, whether it be teeth (those are bones--look it up!) or nose, the ground, walking specifically with my limp, have never really been my friends. Or maybe it is that I remember the bad times really well, like a speck of dirt on a white tablecloth or a tiny beam in the eye (maybe that isn't what was intended with that one...don't look it up) (not that I'm advising you not to read your Bible, because that would be opposing everything and I'm not that much of a rebel). In fact, just yesterday, I fell on my face (stop reading if you can't handle it). I luckily didn't break anything...I don't know if it is because my nose is already a tad askew from my last fall, followed by a trip to the ER, or what, but I didn't break any part of my fragile body. I did, however, earn a pretty big bruise and now my knee is black and blue and I had to spend the rest of my day in bed, catching my breath from the wind being knocked out of me and being sent to kingdom come. What was my goal again?
4) Reach out to someone: I hope that this one becomes a full pattern for my life or at least a more regular one. If anyone needs help I do. I need to stop thinking that! I'm already having feelings of Deja Vu with this one too, but I don't care. From my perception, I think this is a good goal to have every month, not just a finish line that you cross, and don't care about anymore. It is just a trophy at the top of your closet collecting dust. They say that bad habits die hard, I would like to add this tagline, good habits die hard too, don't let them die! For one, I have the habit of reading at least a chapter of some book or other right when I wake up. I feel this prepares me for the day, and helps wipe away all the morning grouch cobwebs and is a good habit, so I sustain it each and every day. Reaching out and helping someone is a good habit too, I believe. Just like it says in Matthew 7: 12-"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you," (I think that is the correct citation for this one, is it?)
5) Go to bed at a reasonable time: Okay, it once again is confession time. I have almost always had trouble here. Whether it is too late or too early that I decide to rise, I've never been a pro at bedtime. (One more chapter! I wake up too early anyway!) (In fact, I am the first to arise from sleep near every morning in my dorm...unless Somer or Sierra have to go to work pretty early) I have felt like I have tried everything, that is except going to bed at a reasonable time. I partially have my nightly rituals to blame for this one. Take, for one, the bleek fact of last night where I finally went to sleep at midnight, possibly later. (I know it was later.) I have to read at least a chapter of my book to prepare my mind, plus dreams for sleep. I don't care if it happens to be a book full of very long, very exciting, I can't put it down chapters. Maybe I should learn to control myself better in this aspect (maybe...my books and I are something that you can't keep apart for very long). Then comes my second nightly habit, I like to write in my journal, and if I write in my journal, I am going to be up for a time more. Don't blame me! I want to be remembered, so I journal for someone in the far future could someday pick it up, and read it, and find out about me and my day. Journaling is also a good strategy for my memory, but enough about me.
6) Stay offline one day per week: Please tell me if this is a weakness that we all share--the need to know. Whether it be educated and you, say wish to know what is happening currently in the political world, or whether it is vainer, or lazy and you want to know what your favorite superstar is doing or where your friend got the outfit they were wearing the other day (that they posted on Instagram), this is a weakness. Did you ever hear that old adage of too much of a good thing is a bad thing? That is true. For me, I try to not read any of my fictional, fantasy, make-believe, or whatever stories on Sunday since that is the Sabbath day, you know "day of rest" and the most I can do to give that day to God is to ignore the things or books that the world gives out. That sneaky snake though, slithering through the grass unnoticeably to me still finds away. The internet is poison. Why did poison have to be so sweet? So to be sure to take heed and avoid, I will try and distance myself from it. (Just not today.) (Oh no.)
Those are my September goals. What do you think of them? How much are you going to miss those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer? This goal setting and stating strategy that I have, do you think that it is a good one, or should I write about something more...intense than that? As always, I am all ears.
