8 Week Challenge: Hope- Concrete Goals
So, some people (Tristan, I’m looking at you 😉 ) think that my previous post about Hope was maybe just a bit too vague when it came to my goals. Yes, I’ll admit that my goal of simply finding Hope was probably a bit abstract, but that piece was more about my opinion on Hope in general at the time, not so much about the Challenge.
So, because I wholeheartedly believe in this Challenge and the good that will come of it, I’ve gotten over myself and have made a list of some short term and long term goals that I’m going to set about accomplishing starting today.
Short Term Goals
1. Make a friend. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; my social life is entirely an online experience. It’s so weird. I feel like I can start a conversation with anyone, chat for what many would consider an inappropriate length of time with a complete stranger and never feel even remotely self-conscious. When I try and translate that over into an ongoing friendship, however, I freeze up. I have no idea why I do this. I always feel that I’m being somehow presumptuous when I try and instigate a friendship. When it comes right down to it, I’m a great big scaredy cat who doesn’t want to risk the possible rejection from someone who may only be humouring me in conversation, but really has no intention of ever really being my friend. Well, this week I’m going to throw caution to the wind and start throwing out invitations left and right. What’s the worse that could happen? They’ll say no. In that case I’m really no worse off than I am right now, except my ego may be a bit bruised. Well, that’s nothing I can’t handle. So, to heck with rejection, I’m going to try and make a friend.
My plan of action for this is to contact every one of my facebook friends that still live in my area and try to reconnect with them. I’m also going to invite some of the women (or men) at our weekly playgroup over for a playdate with the kids. My third plan is probably going to sound a bit desperate, but seeing that there are already a dozen or more ads on there for this sort of thing it doesn’t bother me. I’m going to place an ad online. Hey, why not? We live in a technological age, I might as well take advantage of it and use the free classifieds to find something that I really need. Even if all I get out of it is someone to go see a chick flick with once a month, I’ll be thrilled. I’m ready to take whatever the Universe is ready to give me.
2. My second short term goal is something I’ve been thinking about for a while. As some of you may know, I’m a bit of a shutter bug. (Shameless self promotion is 3… 2… 1) You can see some of my work here. Currently, when I do make money from my photography it’s by shooting weddings or family portraits. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing this (well, if I’m being honest, I don’t really like the weddings. I don’t like to charge a lot of money because I think everyone deserves awesome wedding pictures, but it’s a long day, hours and hours of editing and just a lot of work. But I do like taking family portraits), but my real passion with photography is the art part of it. I would love nothing more than to know that a picture that I took, edited and poured a little bit of myself into was hanging on someone’s wall.
I know that I can’t make someone buy my art, but I certainly can’t expect someone to buy it if I’ve never made the attempt to have it shown. So that’s my next short term goal. I’m going to become a member of my local artists coalition and submit my work to be displayed in their gallery. They’re a pretty awesome organization. If my portfolio is accepted, they’ll display my photos in their gallery, help promote me by putting my work into exhibits, or even helping to organize an exhibit just my own. They also have relationships with local businesses who display the art in their establishments. So really, even if I never sell a single photo, they will be displayed in coffee shops and doctors offices for all to see.
3. My third goal is health related. For the most part, I’m a pretty healthy person. Good blood pressure, amazing immune system, no heart problems, good blood sugar, etc. I am, however, having extreme difficulties with my digestive track. I have been having extreme tummy troubles for at least the last four years, and I was never exactly normal before that. Yesterday, at the ripe old age of just 28, I had a colonoscopy to help figure out what is going on. Now, I know that there is nothing I can do to influence the results, but I can start to make myself more comfortable. Because I’m currently starting with a clean slate, so to speak, as there’s still nothing inside of me, I’m going on a mission to find out what’s causing the most trouble. I’m going to go on a monofood diet. What this means is that everyday, all day, I will only eat one type of food. Every time I find something that causes the upset, I’m going to write it down. If the last year has taught me anything about the practice of medicine and the health system in general, it’s that the absolute best thing you can do to be healthy is to do the research and look out for yourself. An elimination diet may not be the best long term solution for whatever is ailing me, but it’s certainly something that I can actively do right now to positively alter my situation. I’m already feeling good about this goal. All I’ve had today is cottage cheese, and I’m happy to report that it is staying down and I have yet to feel any rumblings from below.
Long Term Goal
Now, before I go and disappoint you all, my long term goal is a completely selfish goal. It’s not spiritual, it’s not deep or noble or anything that will save humanity. It’s for me, pure and simple. Aside from my family, my greatest passion in life is fiber. I love to knit, crochet, weave, and most of all, I love to spin my own yarns. I’m not really a fiber snob, because I love to spin anything and everything. So, my long term goal is actually something that not only will I never complete, but I’ll be highly disappointed if I do manage to complete it in this lifetime. My goal is to spin as many different and exotic fibers as I am able to. Anything that is stringy or fluffy, I want to spin it. You know what, sometimes that’s not even a requirement. My favourite yarn that I have spun to date had lace, feathers and pearls in it, hardly fluffy materials. Look, isn’t it pretty?
So, what I’m really trying to say with this goal is… Give me Your Fiber! lol
Seriously, if anyone has a pet with long hair that you’d like turned into some sort of a keep sake, or if any of my readers are zoo keepers who have access to camel, lion mane, buffalo fuzz or anything at all you’d like to see wrapped up into a one of a kind novelty yarn, send me an email ( sustainableutopia@gmail.com) and we’ll work out the details. My life time goal is to spin as many different things as I can, and yes, I’m calling on you guys to help me achieve that goal.
Hopefully you guys all enjoyed this post. Feel free to let me know in that little box down there where comments are born. 🙂
Reblogged this on SustainableUtopia.
Great goals honeybun!!!! I love fiber and photography, everything handmade for that matter. Anyway health and happiness will follow if you follow your goals.
Me too. I’m a handmade junkie. I’m really into basket weaving with natural materials right now. I don’t think that my hunger for crafting will every be satiated, and, in fact, I hope it never is.
You have intriguing goals, and I find it fascinating that you spin all sorts of fibers. I admire people who are good at crafts. Could you show more pictures of the things you’ve made?
Absolutely! I love showing off my fiber stuff. I’ve got a few crocheted items pictured here, and I’ll get to adding more soon. I’m actually going to be cleaning up a whole fleece this weekend to start spinning into sock yarn (super excited yay), and plan on taking pictures of the process.
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