Life List

Yes, Miss Science Nerd and Obsessive Fact Checker is going a little granola just for a minute. (Go ahead, Nellie, lemme have it.) I want to clarify my perspective and I did a few exercises that I thought might help me break things down. They did. A few realizations:

#1: I really do a lot of negative thinking and self-criticism.
#2: I can choose not to.
#3: When I spell out what I want to do with my life in concrete, clear terms, none of the things I want are outrageous or unattainable. Oh, and without planning it at all, I wrote exactly ten things. How tidy. Here they are:

I want to do good work I can be proud of.

I want to be self-sufficient, debt-free, and financially secure.

I want to live a life of peace and progress.

I want to be brave enough to fully engage with people and have more meaningful connections.

I want my talents and energy to benefit others as much as possible.

I want to forgive those who hurt me.

I want to trust people enough to let them see who I truly am.

I want the strength to be able to look others straight in the eye and be willing to see them for who they are.

I want to feel worthy of success, and confidently embrace new opportunities and experiences.

I want to be able to trust more, relax more, and be less of an obstacle to my own progress.

Insomnia? Who, Me?

Goals for the next two and a half years:
(You know I mean it because I rarely use large font.)

Be a victim of Stendhal Syndrome. Expose myself to beauty, either through art or nature, that utterly overwhelms me.




More travel. Even if it's not far away, I want more frequent getaways, even for just brief weekends. And one big trip -- a swing through Europe. Lots of family and friends in various places there. This is entirely a reachable goal.

Clear away all debt. I have some professional traction and I'm making decent money now and this is totally feasible.


Grow my hair long again. I miss having a long swishy girly ponytail.

At least one big athletic challenge. I've done a few triathlons but never been much of a runner. Maybe a mega bike race or a longer triathlon where I accept that fact that I'll have to walk most of the run. Maybe I'll join a swim team (this time without burning myself out like I did as a kid). But I need to prove something to myself and I need a major physical challenge.



Take the comedy and creativity to the next level. Publish a book. Keep trying new things with comedy and writing. This week alone I made my stage debut and declared myself the mastermind behind Bella Rossa Productions (thanks, Hud), which produced its first "real" film project. Make some short films. Take a bigger leap with comedy and push myself into more new areas.



Move. I've been in Chicago for 2 1/2 years. Getting here was a big leap. I've made a lot of personal, professional, and creative progress, and I'm already getting itchy for a new challenge. The brainy part of my is drawn toward New York, where my brother may well be moving in the near future as well, although when this topic comes up in my dreams it's always about Los Angeles. I have friends in both places. We shall see. But the time will come.

As my friend Nellie Ann (by way of another friend) recently observed, "When you set your foot upon a path that is going to accelerate your growth, things align around you and happen very quickly." I'm on the right path. Things are snowballing. I'm moving ahead. Want to come with me?