Self-improvement

Waste Not, Want Not

Jeanna GLeave a comment

I’ve been pretty busy the last couple of months. Now that I’ve been vaccinated, and the world, for a while there, seemed to open back up, I’ve been saying “yes” to just about everything. Weekend beach trip? Aloha! Stomp grapes at a vineyard? Cheers! Bachelorette party back at my university? Obviously! Outdoor concerts? Heck yeah! Friend’s wedding? Certainly! Trip to the mountains, art show, birthday parties…. I’m there, there, and there! Why not?!

It’s been a blast! And all of this yes-saying reminds me of my youth. I was up for anything! I played sports every day, went to parties on the weekends, ran around town with my friends doing this, that, and the third, all while fitting in schoolwork, extracurriculars, and part-time jobs. Of course my body recuperated a lot faster back then, and I could sleep in until noon on a Saturday if I wanted, but despite the changes, my tiredness is still outmatched by my youthfulness . It’s not so much a case of the FOMOs, but more a case of the YOLOs that inspires me to keep going.

My friend rolls her eyes at me often as she says I have more time in my day than she does. I laugh, but we both know it’s not how much time we’re given, but what we choose to do with it that truly matters. I don’t think she actually wants to do all of the things I do, but I do know she enjoys spending her time giving me a hard time. And, to be honest, I don’t want to do everything I do either, but some of those things are a means to an end, so if I hurry up and do it, I won’t have to do it anymore!

In high school I was given the Briarwood College Book Award for showing promise in the field of business. I was caught off guard, as I didn’t know it was an award, and I certainly wasn’t expecting to be the recipient. I was nominated for the award by my keyboarding teacher. Thinking back, I realize he probably noticed that, while my classmates were chatting, I would fly through my typing assignments and then quickly move on to complete work for other classes, or use the leftover time to plan events for Student Council. I was, and still am, always on the go. Just Do It. Get ‘er done. Shit or get off the pot. East Coast state of mind… move or get run over!

The proverbial saying, “Waste Not, Want Not,” has become one of my most repeated mantras for life. This way of living enables me to do more without needing more. I don’t want to waste time, so I seek out short cuts. I don’t want to waste my breath, so I seek out amiable relationships. I don’t want to waste my talents, so I spend time doing what I love. I don’t like wasting materials, so I’ve become more creative, resourceful, and strategic in my approaches. I’ve become a better cook because I don’t like wasting food, so I’ll get inventive with those three random leftovers sitting in my fridge.

I know, it can be exhausting just reading about it all, but don’t get me wrong, I love a good tv series binge-fest on my couch with the only movement being that of my wine glass to my mouth. Whether I’m sitting in silence, or racing from one event to the next, if I’m enjoying what I’m doing or working towards, then I’m wasting nothing.

In Search of the Eternal Buzz

Jeanna G2 Comments

My older brother, who is way cooler than I’ll ever be, used to drive a ‘76 Monte Carlo hot rod. On the back bumper was a sticker that read, “In Search of the Eternal Buzz.” As his younger sister, I gathered that search involved fast cars, beer, and babes. Much older and a little wiser, I’ve discovered that the buzz is as unique as the buzzed. As Cole Porter points out, ‘I get no kick from champagne, cocaine, or a plane, but I get a kick out of you.’ To each his own, right?

I’ve had quite the range of experiences in search of my own eternal buzz. Some healthy, some not. Some legal, some not. Some safe, some not. Fast, slow, expensive, free, large groups, alone, far away, right at home. I’ve come to find my brother’s life motto is another way of describing the concept of flow. It’s not about the end result, but the journey. It’s about living in the moment so deeply that nothing else exists. Leaning in with open arms, heart, soul, and mind.

I’ve also learned there are a lot of buzzkills out there. Avoid them. They are speed bumps that need to be swerved around. Some people just don’t like that others are happier than them. Misery loves company, and all that. Buzzkills are narrow-minded enough to think their way is the right way, the only way. But I’m rubber and they’re glue…

Some people are lucky and find their buzz early in life. Some are old and gray before their search comes to a blissful end. Either way, it’s important to keep looking. And once you find that buzz, just keep buzzin’.

So in my search, I’ve found that I love adventure. I love writing. I love traveling. I love food. I love wine. I love learning and knowing things. I love good stories. I love when things are clean and organized. I love puzzles. I love being able to fix things. I love music. I love my dogs. I love nature walks. I love cool air. I love to be entertained. I love to play. I love Christmas. I love the fall. I love to laugh. I love when the ocean or a mountain comes into view. I love the moon and the stars. I love my home. I love my family and friends. I love God. I love my daughter. And I love me. Every day I make time for something or someone I love, and so every day I catch a buzz. The more I focus on what and who I love, the longer my buzz lasts. Voila! It’s as easy that.

So what gets you buzzed?

Keep Your Head in the Clouds

Jeanna GLeave a comment

My first post was written just over a year ago. The pandemic had just begun, and people were starting to wonder how long it would actually last. “When will life be normal again?” “What is the new normal?” “When can I do the things I miss again?”

As we pick up speed, build up our endurance, and decrease our social distancing, I implore you to remember what you loved about this past year. I know that at some point you thought to yourself, “I’m so glad I have time to do this again,” or “Gosh, I haven’t done this since I was a kid!” Yes, it will be fantastic to attend concerts and festivals, Broadway shows and indoor sporting events, but it will also be wonderful to continue making time for hobbies, playing, finding beauty in nature, and pondering life’s greatest questions.

This evening, as my daughter and I headed home from one of my work events, and I was in my own world processing how the day went and creating a mental to-do list, she says, “It’s a lamp, and the Genie is coming out of it.” It took me a few seconds to connect the dots, but I got there. Up in the clouds was a genie and his lamp. And then the genie became a dragon. And the lamp morphed into a witch’s hat. And with the clouds, my work hangover floated away.

Get out and do the things you missed this past year, but not in exchange for the things you loved about this past year. Find a new way to balance your life. Keep your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds.