PICKmeg

Happy Things

meg — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:35:14 +0000

I love the quotes and photos posted on icanread. I find them inspiring. I printed a few and laminated them and placed them around my classroom. Everyone needs a reminder of happy things.

Best of 2011

meg — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:35:38 +0000

This year was great! I enjoy being able to reflect upon the year that was through my blog. I blogged a lot in the Spring and Summer, but the Fall got a little crazy. I wish I’d done more blogging here these last few months, (I’ve shifted some of my blogging energy to my classroom blog). Being able to look through all my posts for a year reminds me how much I love recording and journaling it all. It has become a bit of a tradition (2008, 2009, and 2010). Below is my highlight list of 2011.

I ran a 10k! I’m actually still surprised I did this.
Tranee and I took a girl trip to Fredericksburg.
JMO and I took a cooking class, which he gave me for Christmas.
I went to visit Mike in Orlando for Spring Break.
I was named rookie teacher of the year for my school district.
My family and I spent a week at the beach in Florida visiting with my relatives.
I travelled to Honduras for my first mission trip.
I enjoyed karaoke with my pal.
JMO and I have been dating for five years!
My cousin got married in New Orleans, not only did I get a mini vacation, but I got lots of family time!
I completed a year long Happiness Project

Next year….

In 2012 I have a few broad plans. I’d like to save more money. At my age, I feel like I should have a little more in the bank. That means only buying things I truly want and having a plan. I quit my gym this week. The monthly amount I paid for my gym fee will now automatically go into savings. I’ve really enjoyed doing bootcamps, zumba classes, and whatever else I find a Groupon for. Indpendent studios are more motivating to me. I’m doing the Rodeo Run again in February, so that will motivate me to get outside and run a little more. Next year I want to continue to spend time with people and make sure they know what they mean to me. Life has been good to me, and I hope it continues to be!

2011 Recap of Happiness Project

meg — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:41:05 +0000

2011 was a pretty great year for me. I decided to do a Happiness Project after reading the book. I tracked A LOT of things about myself, from work outs, to sleep, journaling, mini adventures, friend nights, and what I ate. The biggest thing I learned about pursuing happiness is that to be happy you need to be yourself. And, it turns out that to be yourself, you have to know yourself. This year I spent a lot of time getting to know me. I did monthly reviews and created another page on my site (Happiness Project 2011). I made a list a year ago of my plan, and looking back, I feel really accomplished. Because I tracked a lot of my goals on my blog, I am able reflect upon all that has taken place in the last year. The elements that added the most to happiness were…

Spending time with loved ones. I love people, and those that are my closest friends and family mean the world to me. I made it a monthly goal to have a “friend night.” On this night, I would have to make plans to hang out with my college gals. My family and I some great visits, I spent a great deal of time with JMO, and I strengthened friendships with some new work pals.
Mini-adventures. There is a lot to do in the Houston area, in Texas, and in general. On the weekends I am tired, and don’t often push myself. I made it a priority to get out of the house and go to a museum, go out of town for a weekend, or just do something. Activities rock and I did them with people (who I love) so of course this contributed to my happiness.
Sleep. My mood varies greatly depending on how well I rested. Getting sleep is important!
Positivity. It is a struggle for me to remain positive. One month I recorded one positive thing from everyday. The negative things come up quicker, but they are best forgotten. Being positive had such an impact on my great year.
Creating goals and sticking to them. A sense of accomplishment goes a long way. I was really proud of myself for working out more, praying more, being more positive, getting more sleep, and spending quality time with people. Although I never managed to do it at the same time, I did do all of those things!

Tracking behavior was such a great learning tool for me. I know that pursuing happiness never truly ends, and I look forward to making that journey. Next year I probably won’t make a goal for every month, but I’d like to make goals in months where I notice something slipping. I don’t have to wait till New Years to start fresh, I can start on the first of the month or any Monday. Change can happen and I’ve grown A LOT this year trying to get happier!

Enchanted Rock

meg — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:08:51 +0000

Most native Texans I know have been to Enchanted Rock. In college, I was interested in checking it out, but no on was ever interested in accompanying me. Mike and Tranee went three years ago while I was working, and I was jealous. Then, last Spring, Tranee and I went on a girls trip to Fredericksberg. We were so close! But we already had planned out our whole weekend. So, I added hiking Enchanted Rock to my life list. Yesterday, we did it! It wasn’t a very long hike, but fairly steep. It was great to spend the day with Mike and Tranee! And… I get to mark something on my list as completed, which just feels really good!

In constant pursuit of happiness…

meg — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:45:48 +0000

JMO got me an UP band for Christmas, and I have already opened it. I am absolutely fascinated by the sleep graphs and how many steps I’ve taken. Last year, I made it a goal to become happier in 2011. Every month I’ve made goals, and struggled to stick with them. But, I have stuck with them. A year later, I am very proud of all I have done. The biggest key in the search for happiness, is knowing myself. Before, I’ve been concerned about what others are doing, what works for them. Cool trips? Cool clothes? Interesting life? These things have made me envious. This year, I’ve learned a great deal about what I want. Knowing what makes me happy is key. The way to know? TRACK THINGS! Printed plain calendars were great tools for me in 2011. I’m really excited about tracking activity as a way to inspire more movement. I also know, I am a million times happier and more pleasant to be around if I’ve had a good night’s sleep. So as I wrap I up my 2011 happiness project, I am beginning a new path of tracking. For the final two weeks of the year, I SHALL MOVE MORE and SLEEP MORE. I will not bother with the food tracking, because it is the holidays. Food becomes a priority again in 2012! The pursuit of happiness never ends, but I’ve found great satisfaction in the pursuit.

Jelly Beans and Fun Song

meg — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 15:24:37 +0000

JMO emailed me this earlier in the week, and I’ve watched it several times since then. 288,000 Jelly Beans were used to make the video. I read all about it here, and watched the making of the video too. Sidenote: Remember when MTV used to do the “Making the Video” show? My brother and I were way into it.

Read more on Jelly Beans and Fun Song…

October Review- November Plan

meg — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:32:03 +0000

Last month, as part of my happiness project, I decided to reflect and journal daily. When given the chance to see the patterns of days in a month, things begin to appear. Things like negativity, chronic sleepiness, and lack of physical activity shine through. The exercise of recording positive things from each day is powerful, but that isn’t what I challenged myself to do. I’ve definitely learned over the years that when I am not pushed by myself or others to remain positive, I begin to steer down the negative path. There is much in life to complain about. But, there is also much to rejoice in. When I choose to complain, it snowballs. I’ve learned that I will probably always have to have check points, and push myself back to positive reflection.

In October, I finally settled into the routines of school. It takes awhile to get to know new kids. It is a struggle to realize that what worked last year, may not work this year. Honestly I spent August to October as a giant ball of stress. Giant balls of stress aren’t not part of happiness projects. Who can be happy when you are constantly worried about lessons, behaviors, and feedback?

In school, when we have problems we are asked to collect data. This is time consuming and often a nuisance. But, after the data has been collected, clear patterns emerge. This month, I suppose journaling allowed me to collect data on myself. Here is what I realized – I AM ALLOWING MY JOB TO OWN ME. I love teaching, and feel I am very dedicated to my class and kids (if you haven’t checked out my glorious classroom blog- do so here. I’ll share my enthusiasm about the site at a later time). But, arriving at 7:00am and leaving after 6:00pm and taking home work is not healthy. I do realize people do this everyday, but it is a quick way to become unhappy. I need to separate my personal life from my work life. I need to stop answering emails at 10:00pm. The answers can wait till the morning (although I know that to be true, I probably won’t stop).

So, here is the November plan: MAKE AN EFFORT TO LEAVE IT AT WORK. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, I have commitments near school. So, it makes sense to stay and get things done before I have to be somewhere else at 6:00. That means, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays I need to leave. My goal: before 5:00pm. This is not drastic, but a friend told me that when she made that rule for herself, she was much more productive. I chat and piddle around. I check on things, and organize. I procrastinate on things that really need to get done. If I know I have to get out by 5:00pm, I’m hoping it will trick me into working harder and staying focused. When I leave at 5:00pm, I can work out (which I’ve been missing actually), I can spend time with JMO (he’s a pretty swell dude), or just relax.

Tracking is kind of difficult for this one. I’m just going to give myself a sticker on my calendar when I leave work, make an effort, and enjoy my day. Even grown ups like stickers for good work.

Also-

Friend Night October: Awesome game night, had a blast.

Mini Adventure: Didn’t do it, but I did go to a bridal Shower for an old friend, go to an awesome wedding, and start Spanish classes.

Fall Festival

meg — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:01:45 +0000

On November 12th, we are having a fundraiser to help support our Honduras trip this summer. Last year was an absolutely amazing experience, and I hope this year is even better. The festival will be at Sugar Grove church from 11am-2pm. There will be lots of fun games for kids! Come out and support us!

Cinco.

meg — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:02:02 +0000

About five years ago, my friend JMO told me that we should date. I told him that was a crazy idea. I told him it would mess up our relationship as good pals. We were great friends, and I always felt comfortable and excited around him. He made me laugh, and we played board games. The first year we dated was my senior year of college. I was 22 and he was 21. We had fun.

(JMO is eating candy bacon in 2006.)

(JMO and I at the CARPOOL Gala in 2007.)

(JMO and I at Universal Studios in 2007.)

Now I am 27 and he is 26. We still have lots of fun. JMO helps me grow everyday. He pushes me and challenges me to go outside my comfort zone. He reminds me what I am good at when I am down, and he is proud of me when I do well. I am very proud of the person JMO has become in the last five years. He has always known what he wants, and he makes great efforts to make things happen. Love truly does grow and change over time.

Thank you for still being my pal. It turns out that us dating was not a crazy idea at all.

Happy times

meg — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:50:59 +0000