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48

21 May

I woke up this morning to this note from the universe and it could not have been more perfect considering I am 48 days away from turning 30 and my crazy journey is coming to an end.

……

The very best moment in any long journey that makes your dreams come true, Kate, comes not on the day you realize they have, but on the day you realize how little they matter compared to loving the adventure they’ve inspired. 

Don’t ask me why, I just know what I know – 
    The Universe

……

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92

7 Apr

We shot a 365 til 30 promo piece yesterday and it was so much fun to see the project and goals come alive in video! Here’s a sneak peek…

I’m off to Costco to get road trip supplies which should be a really fun place on a Saturday!

138

21 Feb

Coming off yesterday’s post, I am sure this will NOT come as a surprise to you- I have hit a bit of a midlife crisis with 365 til 30. Or, as Maggi, my life coach so kindly put it- “I think 365 til 30 is starting to run you now, instead of you running it”. Ouch. What a painful thing to hear but so true. The ten goals that gave me SOOOOO much joy 6 months ago have started to feel like chores- totally not the point of this project! Maggi has urged me to remember why I originally wanted to accomplish these goals and to focus on the joy and excitement the thought of experiencing them brought me.

 When I started 365 til 30 six months ago,  I was off and running right out of the gate. Full of excitement and wonder, I happily embarked on the adventure of camping and Tassajara. After accomplishing them I moved onto my other goals for the year- learn to cook, master the tango, speak French fluently, work with my favorite websites, publish my writing (I have a book proposal floating around at a publisher…fingers crossed) and volunteer. I have realized these goals are less finite and instead are an ongoing process. I am constantly tending to them.

The last two goals…Drive Across the USA (which I am in the process of planning for April) and getting Frank, my French Bulldog (which will happen when we move) are goals that I am still working towards. With the road trip fast approaching I happen to think about it all the time. I am DYING with excitement to drive across the USA with my girlfriend Rachel– she is the perfect friend to do this with and equally excited! This goal has always been one of my favorites on the list because it’s something I have dreamed of doing since I was little girl and I can’t believe I’m finally going to do it! As the trip approaches though I have started to feel a bit anxious about it. When I put it on the list I always wondered how I would take the time off to do it right. It’s not like it’s ever really convenient to leave your life for 3-4 weeks…work and money are valid concerns. My remedy for the fear is to remember the joy the idea of accomplishing it brings me and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

With so much on my plate I decided I needed a focused plan towards finding the joy in the goals again.

I start another round of tango classes on Monday the 27th for 6 weeks and I will not skip one class…not one!

I will find one new exciting dish a week to learn! (last night it was fish provencal! It was soooooooooo gooooood- post coming!)

I will continue my volunteer work at PATH once a week.

I will spend 4 hours a week practicing my French in preparation for my trip to Paris in July!!!

I will finalize all the details for our road trip from a joyful place instead of an anxious place so that we are ready to embark on the journey in April!!

I will stay positive and grateful about the fact that my book proposal is floating around  in the world instead of anxious.

I will re-stratagize my approach for working with Take Part and Explore- I have had sooooo many meetings with both of them and feel like the timing has been off…but maybe I need to re-think my approach.

I will commit to weekly sessions with Maggi starting this week. It doesn’t matter how busy I am! They will be a priority because they always keep me focused, calm, joyful and on-track.

Oh, and most importantly, I will commit to being grateful and enjoy the process….otherwise what the hell is the point right??!

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Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.

Anais Nin

144

15 Feb


“Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.”

Buddha

146

13 Feb

My note from the universe this morning-

With the vista of a new year still dawning, is it my imagination, Kate, or is someone out there forgetting that the “hows” are my domain? That when it comes to manifesting change, their real job is to focus upon the end result. And that simply doing what they can, with what they’ve got, from where they are, will always be enough to move heaven and earth?

I didn’t think so.

The Universe

I rather like this note. It came at the perfect time considering I have been obsessed with the “hows”. How is the road trip stuff all going to fall into place? How will I take that time off of life & work? How will we move in the next few months with everything going on? If we don’t move how will we get Frank? How will I make Paris a reality in June? How will my book proposal be received? How will I get back to Tassajara this spring? How will my goal of contributing to Explore and Takepart come together with all the moving parts? How will everything fall into place exactly the way I want? How? How? How?

Exhausting questions because they don’t have answers! With that being said I am off to a Trapeze class this afternoon. I think it will be the perfect activity to help me get out of my head. Although it looks like it’s about to rain? That can’t be good.  I can’t trapeze in the rain can I? It seems like rain will make an already challenging activity needlessly more challenging. I guess we will see if it actually still happens today! My mother is supposed to be joining me on this adventure as well and I would hate to think of the disappointment she would feel if it got cancelled. Last night she texted me this-

“I wouldn’t miss it. Hoping I can get into Cirque de Soliel

Yes, it appears the type A monster may make an appearance today.  She doesn’t just thrive on the French language he likes the trapeze too- she’s versatile.

155

3 Feb

INSPIRATION, GRATITUDE & SURPRISES

 365 til 30 is the featured story on Life By Me today!! Life By Me happens to be one of my favorite sites- I look forward to reading the  featured piece everyday and today it’s mine! No pressure that other featured stories were written by Deepak Chopra and Desmond Tutu, right? No pressure at all. In all seriousness though, I am thrilled to be included on the site. It means the world to me and I also don’t mind being called a “Manifesting Dynamo” either…

-What inspired me this week?-

This quote-

“When you surrender, the problem ceases to exist. Try to solve it, or conquer it, and you only set up more resistance. . . . The most difficult thing to admit, and to realize with one’s whole being, is that you alone control nothing. . . .”
— Henry Miller

I have been crazy focused (I stress crazy) on how 365 til 30 is supposed to end and attempting to plan everything out like I control the universe. I have had to keep reminding myself that 365 til 30 is a ride to be enjoyed and not to be controlled. So when I stumbled upon the quote above I smiled with acceptance. I alone do not control everything and that’s actually part of the fun. That’s the funny thing about manifesting. You have to trust that you have put the energy out there and be open to what is meant to come. Things may turn out differently than I initially imagined and who the hell knows what’s to be revealed within the next 5 months. I have been wonderfully surprised numerous times in the last 6 months. Why stop now, Universe!

Oh, road trip planning you certainly do inspire me. I get a little flutter in my heart every time I think about my upcoming trip. I could stay up all night every night researching interesting things to do across America. I find it all so exciting! I still can’t believe I plan on leaving my life for a month to explore the US. Sounds slightly insane. But, I guess I am slightly insane so it all makes sense.

LOVED this list.

This beautiful photography project by Lauren Fleishman features the love stories of couples who have been married for over 50 years. The pictures are the sweetest thing I have ever seen but the quotes are even sweeter.

I am re-reading The Artist’s Way and I always find it inspiring.

When I can hear the waves crash at night.

-What am I grateful for this week?-

Brian. I was sick this week and as we all know when you feel crummy there is nothing better then having somebody take care of you.

-What surprised me this week?-

 I received an envelope in the mail from my friend Aireka with an amazing music compilation CD in it! She decided to make a CD for her friends that represented  her music expression of 2011. Don’t you just love that idea!?

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“If we are in the middle of the tunnel, we don’t get to the beauty on the other side by wishful thinking or burying our head in the sand—we get there by taking one deliberate step at a time.”

Ingrid Mathieu

175

14 Jan

177

12 Jan

My head has been a bit of a crazy place this week. I have wanted to do exactly what the dog in the picture above is doing – bury my head and hide. I actually did climb in bed a few times and bury my head under pillows just to get some silence. It’s not really a helpful response to overstimulation. I am working on this. You see a funny thing has happened recently…as my readership has grown so has my need/want to please. I’ve grown to care so much for readers I don’t even know. I want to make them happy and inspire them and amuse them and confide in them and be honest with them…I want to do it all everyday. Kinda impossible huh?

Over the last month or so I have received lots of blog input. Which I love getting by the way so please don’t stop! But it’s been a funny experience because everyone has an opinion and everybody has a favorite kind of 365 post- a different reason they read it everyday. Some like the funny…some like the serious…some like the buddhist ones..some love imaginary Frank…some HATE imaginary Frank…some are totally bored by my desire to drive across the USA…some LOVE the idea of driving across the USA so much so that they email me and ask to join…some people love the tango…some hate it…some people are obsessed with my goals…some not…some love reading about Brian…some wish I would stop sharing about Brian. I think you get the point right?

My favorite was when my father told me that “he misses my spiritual posts”. So sweet. I wouldn’t have thought he was my spiritual post target audience. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a spiritual guy but it’s not like I have ever found him meditating or anything. I said ” Well Dad it’s kinda hard to be spiritual on cue, somedays the world isn’t falling apart and my biggest concern is what to have for dinner.”

When I started 365 til 30 I promised myself that I would always write from an honest place, that I would take this year to really explore myself and the world around me. I don’t want to change that. I don’t want to edit myself or write to please others because then my readers aren’t getting the truth of the journey, not to mention I won’t be getting the truth of the journey either. That was the whole point of this year and this project. To live. To experience. To manifest. To fail. To enjoy the ride.

So I have come to the conclusion that while I may not please everyone everyday, I can promise you all that I will always be honest with you about what is swirling in my head that day even if it’s just the state of my hair.

*

“Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.”

 John Jakes

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(I love this song. Although it does seem to make the above post seem much more dramatic. HA)

187

2 Jan

My vision board for 2012 is finally complete! I LOVED making it. It’s always so much fun to find the images and words that correspond to what’s in my heart. When I look at my new board, it is very clear to me that I will be traveling a bunch (driving across the usa anyone?), working a bunch, that 365 til 30 will have a lot of continued success, that i’m going to Paris (hopefully for my 30th birthday!), working for both Explore & Takepart, moving into a truly spectacular new home by the beach, signing a book deal…and living happily ever after with Brian. Oh and if you happened to notice a few pictures of babies and kids (rather cute ones)…those are long term goals. I simply want to lay the groundwork for them this year. I truly believe that all of this is possible and that excites me. I just need to get back on the horse from my vacation brain. As much fun as the holidays have been…I am ready to get back to work.

What do you want to manifest for 2012? I’d love to hear!

*

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate,
That can circumvent or hinder or control
The firm resolve of a determined soul.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox~

200

20 Dec

Good Morning everyone! I don’t know how I woke up in a cheerful mood considering I barely slept but I did. I hate nights like that. It could be because I am house sitting for a friend and was in a different bed. Must be that. I tossed and turned all night. After my hour of sleep, I woke up this morning and thought “this is going to be a really long day and holy shit I cannot believe I am 200 days away from 30!!” How is it possible that one hundred and sixty-five days have already passed? Unreal.  On a whole other note I have another Tango lesson tonight! Vladi and I meet again! I’m excited to put my tango shoes back on. I have really got to step up my game though because  come January 8th I have exactly 6 months to nail the tango. I also have 6 months to drive across the country, get Frank, finish learning French and contribute to my favorite websites. A tad daunting for a girl who barely slept. But, I am totally up for the challenge.

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 ”Don’t listen to anyone. Trust what gives you pleasure. Trust the emotions. If you love something but can’t explain why, that’s enough.
Calice Becker