After the total heart-break-down of last week, I am choosing to move on and remembering that happiness is a choice we make, not something that happens to us. As a life-long, self-directed, intensely curious learner, I have often used the phrase “choose your own adventure” to describe how I think learning should happen, and even build classes I teach with that in mind, but I need to remember to apply that philosophy to the rest of my life. Who I am, what I do, and how I feel are all choices…And if ever I had an opportunity for re-invention, this is it.
I went into this weekend optimistically, still feeling a little broken and beat-down by life, but with the goal of bouncing back from that no matter what. Then I came across this quote, very appropriately from Bob Marley – whose 3 little birds have more than once in my life convinced me not to worry about a thing and reminded me that every little thing is gonna be alright:
The hardest part about this experience for me has been feeling like someone who I gave everything to gave up on me…but this was a good reminder that the right person won’t. The only thing I can do now is not give up on myself, so that’s where I’m re-focusing all my energy right now.
I took this weekend to reflect but also to start putting some adventures into action: I crossed the 1st item off my 30 Before 30 list, spent over an hour wandering around my favorite book store, took myself out on an iced-coffee date, had an extra happy hour (turned impromptu bar crawl) with 2 of my most amazing/fiercely loyal girl friends who always lift my spirits, struck up a conversation with a screen-printer who convinced me to sign up for a class – another of my goals for the year, caught a few innings of a Cubs win and then had a wild post-game dance party that I am still laughing about 2 days later…There are always adventures to be had, I just need to remember to choose them.
Ashley Blackburn 