Motivation Monday: Smile

How's that for a little motivation??  Take one and pass it on!!

Smiling takes gumption!

Write on Wednesday: Everything Happens for a Reason

It has been awhile since I have done a WoW post … time continues to escape me during the week!  But, this week I have found just a few minutes to squeeze in some writing time.

Here is the prompt from INKPAPERPEN:

The Write on Wednesday Spark: Agent Chin- Wag
Pay attention to the conversations around you: at the dinner table, in the supermarket, while DVD Returning, wherever. You are looking for one line, one tiny sentence of dialogue. You may find your words lurking in a D&M or perhaps you will choose a phrase from everyday chatter. Write down your line. Use it to inspire your Write on Wednesday post. Keep your post on the short side: up to 500 words OR a 5 minute stream of consciousness exercise. Link your finished piece to the list and begin popping by the other links. Oh and enjoy.

REMEMBER: Creative writing is still on the WoW cards in 2012 but consider exploring other writing styles as well. Write fact or fiction. Link up a real life piece, a blog post, a Haiku, a letter, a poem, even a photography narrative. Tell us a STORY, by whatever means you fancy. Wherever the prompt takes you...

“Everything happens for a reason.”  I have said it a million times over the years to many different friends.  I have written it in hundreds of diary entries.  I have whispered it to myself during some of those terrible moments in life where I have struggled to remain calm and in control.  It probably comes in at the top of my most commonly used phrase list, likely preceded only by “I love you” and “how are you?”  That one simple line is something I have always believed in, trusted in, relied upon.  And yet, I often can’t help but wonder: what could possibly be the reason?

Unlike all of my other WoW posts which have been fiction, even if loosely or closely based on fact, this post is completely non-fiction – a pure reflection.  Reflections take gumption!

Motivation Monday: Resolutions Can Change Your Life

Most people’s new year’s resolutions (including my own) include a vow to go to the gym in the new year.  This is a great and an awful resolution.  It is great because more people need to actually do this (or if not go to the gym, at least stay active in some other way).  It is terrible because it means that the gym is now super crowded and it makes me want to go less. 

I failed to make resolutions last year until March (better late than never?).  But on March 15, 2011, when I walked into the gym, signed a membership, and scheduled a body fitness test, I promised myself that I would lose weight and keep it off.  This is one resolution I have kept and intend to continue keeping.

If your resolutions included getting healthier, losing weight, becoming more active, or the like, I applaud you and I want to give you a little motivation from my own experience, in the form of pictures.  The pictures below are 9 months apart and show how keeping to your resolutions can really change your life.  Use mine as motivation to start with, but in a few months, you will be able to use your own!!

 Me and my best friend at the end of March 2011.

Me and my best friend with her sister and her cousin on New Years Eve 2011.

Making and keeping weightloss and/or fitness resolutions takes gumption!

Webinars

As I have mentioned in one of my previous posts, my current job involves a lot of things I never thought I would be doing after having graduated from law school.  You better believe hosting webinars was one of those "never" things ... and yet ...

On December 20, 2011, I hosted my very first webinar for St. Francis School of Law.  The webinar was "All About Online JD Programs."  I discussed how to go about getting your JD online and then getting licensed in California.  It was my first experience hosting a webinar and I was very nervous, especially since with St. Francis' awesome platform my webcam image is live for everyone to see in addition to hearing my voice.  There is also a presentation component that I had to prepare but that was a simple powerpoint presentation.  The webinar had 9 participants ... not bad for the first one!  I was happy with the way it went despite the initial nerves.

Today, I hosted my second webinar.  This one was a bit more involved and complicate.  Entitled "Learn to Write Like a Lawyer" the webinar was about IRAC including what it is and how it is used in law school and in practice.  This was more of a skills webinar than the first informational webinar so I was nervous about the teaching aspect in addition to the presenting aspect.  But, I prepared my slides and my materials and gave the presentation despite my rising anxiety.  This time we had 16 participants and tons of questions!  It was very exciting that the level of participants practically doubled!  :)

Although I know I will always experience some nerves prior to presenting, it is a great experience and very rewarding when you are done.  If you have never been to a webinar, I encourage you to find one that you are interested in attending as they can be very informative and helpful.  Also, if you have never hosted a webinar, they are actually a lot of fun (despite the initial nerves) and if you have the opportunity, I say go for it!

If you want to view my 2 webinars (because I know you want to see me in action) check out the St. Francis website at www.stfrancislaw.com  or click HERE.  If you go to the website you can also sign up to get notices of upcoming webinars.  I hope you can join me sometime!

Hosting webinars take gumption!

Mile High City

This post is LONG overdue since my trip to Denver was back at the end of October, but better late than never right?!

If Colorado bordered an ocean I would probably move there.  My second trip to Colorado was even more enjoyable than my first (although my first trip included taking the bar so I guess most trips would be better than that).

I flew into Colorado on a Thursday night and was picked up at DIA by the mom of one of my best friends from law school.  It had snowed 2 days before and  it was definitely cold.  I was a bit afraid I had not packed enough clothes, but at that point it was too late.  It took us about 30 minutes to get from the airport to the city in which they live.  I was hungry so we stopped at the Elephant Bar and grabbed some food before we headed to the house where I was greeted by my friend’s brother and sister-in-law and their cute dog Connor.  It was late and had already been a long day, so after a bit of catching up, it was time for bed.

I slept in a little on Friday and then went to a popular breakfast place called “Snooze” … I am sure you will remember this place from my first trip to Denver.  I ordered the peanut butter and chocolate pancakes … mmmmm they were sooo good!  After breakfast I headed to my friend’s mom’s office to meet her before we headed downtown for me to be sworn in.

I drove with my friend’s mom to downtown Denver and we found a parking spot about a block away from the Civic Center.  We were met in the lobby of the Civic Center by my friend’s mom’s boyfriend who was there to witness the ceremony.  We made our way up to the 18^th floor and found the Office of Attorney Registration, where we were buzzed in by the clerk.  She welcomed us to the office and handed me a pile of paperwork to fill out.  She also handed me an oath to sign.  I was confused and wondered if that was it.  Was there no verbal oath to take? 

Fortunately, there was a verbal part to the swearing in.  Unfortunately, it was done right there in the reception area to the Office of Attorney Registration.  I had to say, I was a bit disappointed that it was not done by a judge, or at least in the courtroom where the pictures would look more traditional, but nevertheless, it was an official ceremony, and I am not sworn into the Colorado State Bar!

I spent the remainder of the afternoon in the Denver Art Museum, which I love!  I revisited some of my favorite pieces, and got to experience some new exhibits.  I only had about 2 hours in the museum, but a little time there is better than none at all.

That evening I met my friend’s mom and her boyfriend for dinner.  We went to a local little restaurant called Cherry Tomato.  It was a cute Italian place that drew quite the crowd.  We had to wait about an hour for a table, but we passed the time at the bar drinking wine and catching up.  Both the food and the service at the restaurant were good and the company could not have been beat.  After a wonderful evening of celebrating I headed back to the house and straight to bed.

Saturday we went for a day trip to Breckenrdige, a skiing town about 2 hours from Denver.  We took the “old” way up there because it was more scenic, offering fantastic views of and within the Rocky Mountains.  On the way we climbed to over 11,000 ft. and reached the Continental Divide, where we just had to stop and take a few pictures!  It was cold an windy, but worth the view and the experience.  Once in Breckenridge we ate at the Breckenridge Brewery and then headed back, taking the “new” far less scenic route home.

That evening I spent with my friend’s brother and sister-in-law who took me to a great pizza place called the Mellow Mushroom.  We had a few drinks and talked about everything under the sun from how the two of them met to sports to work to my recent trips.  It was a fun, mellow night after a long day – just what I needed.

Then Sunday I slept in a got a bit of a late start.  I packed everything before I headed out just to make sure that things were ready to go before I started my day.  Then I headed downtown to go to the Nature and Science Museum.  My friend’s mom’s boyfriend was working there and he got me in as a visitor for free.  I took my time at the gemstone exhibit and the space odessy exhibit.  Then I went to the health science discovery exhibit where I participated in a study about genetics and the ability to taste.  I had a blast at the museum and will definitely have to go back since I did not see even a tenth of the exhibits.  I guess I know what I will be doing next time I am in Denver!

After the museum, I met up with a friend I had gone to grammar school and high school with.  She recently moved to Fort Collins, and upon discovering that I was in Denver she messaged me to call her to see if we could meet up.  Fortunately she was available for an early dinner!  We ate at a restaurant across from the convention center called Row 14 Bistro and Wine Bar.  The menu was interesting, but the wine was good.  It was really nice to catch up with her as it had been way too long.  I then headed back to the house to grab my stuff and head to the airport.

My trip to Denver went by like I blinked.  I still cannot believe it is over actually.  I am so so grateful to my friend’s mom, brother, and sister-in-law for letting me stay with them, letting me borrow a car, and basically treating me like family.  It was an extremely enjoyable trip and I cannot wait to make it out to Colorado again. 

Revisiting a city and finding it even more enjoyable than the last time you were there takes gumption!

Blogging

I am not exactly sure how many people read this blog, but I know that it is more than anticipated and that is very exciting.  I have had several experiences of people quoting something from my blog or telling me that they love my blog and I had no clue that they cared or even read it! 

One of the first times I discovered that I had more of a following that I realized was when I shared an entry about my weight loss on facebook.  Several of my friends commented on the post and told me to keep up the good work.  I was shocked by how many people actually read the post.

Then, I was at a wedding and a sorority sister of the bride who I had met a couple of times and gotten to know better at the bachelorette party told me that she really enjoyed reading my blog.  Again I was shocked.  I told her I had no idea that she read it and she said she loved it and looked forward to more posts.

At a small gathering later that weekend, another friend of a friend told me that she enjoyed reading my blog and thought it was a cool idea.  I seriously had no clue more than my immediate friends (if even them) read it.  I told her I just wrote it and never really thought about people actually reading it.  Of course I do edit things out and try to keep things anonymous because I know it is a public blog but I really had no clue that it was being read by so many people.

I was chatting with a good friend of mine about nothing in particular when she said she was thinking of starting a blog but was not sure if she could stick with it.  I told her I thought it would be a fantastic idea and that the easiest way I found was to come up with themes.  She said she had noticed that on my blog.  Again, I had no idea she was reading it. 

Most recent, I got a facebook message from a classmate of mine from college.  We probably have not talked in 4 years.  She lives on the other side of the country and is at a very different point in her life – already married and raising an extremely adorable little boy.  She send me a message just to tell me she “LOVED” reading my blog and looked forward to more posts.  It was so nice to hear that my blog was getting out to people that I have not talked to in what seems like an eternity and that people in different stages of life can relate to and enjoy it. 

Blogging takes gumption, but keeping up with blogs and acknowledging a blogger’s efforts takes gumption as well, so thank you to my readers, and especially to those who have let me know that they are reading and have encouraged me to continue writing!  :) 

My "New" Job

As of tomorrow I will have officially been at my “new” job for 2 months.  I can hardly believe it has been that long already!

I must say, that during my time in law school and for the whole time  I was looking for a job, I never actually thought I would end up back in academia.  I figured that I would end up at a law firm and be practicing law.  But looking back, I always loved academia.  I remember countless times thinking I would kill for a position like Dean of Admissions or Dean of Students, because it would be a position in which I could help students and it would be so much fun!

Well someone out there must have been listening to my inner thoughts as opposed to my expressions of wanting a law firm job, because the job I landed was a job in academia, a job helping students, a job in a field I had desired to be in.

I started my job as Director of Admissions and Marketing on November 9, 2011.  At first I was doing a lot of stuff I had not done before and I was frustrated because I was not getting the hang of things as fast as I thought I should.  I was doing a lot of marketing which I knew was part of my job but had not expected to be such a big part of my job.  Marketing was foreign to me – even as a business major, my emphasis had been finance.  I took a grand total of 2 marketing classes in my life.  I was overwhelmed and started to doubt myself.

After a conversation with my mom about my frustrations, she reminded me that it was a brand new thing and I needed to take the time to learn it, not just expect to hit the ground running.  This helped a bit, but I still felt like I should be better at what I was doing.  As the weeks progressed and I finished the books I was reading to help me with the marketing, I started playing with the platform, and that is when things finally started to sink it – I needed to play with it, not just read about it.

At about the time that I finally began to understand the marketing stuff, I went to lunch with my boss.  He told me I was doing a great job, exactly what they wanted in fact.  This was a huge morale booster and a bit of validation.  Tackling some of these foreign things did not seem so hard anymore, because I had reassurance that I was going in the right direction.

Over the last couple of weeks things have just constantly improved.  I feel more comfortable in my environment and with my bosses.  I have a grip on some of the marketing things I thought I would never understand.  I am being given new projects including designing curriculum for a new program.  I am interviewing and admitting new students for the spring semester.  Things are really starting to take-off and it is incredibly exciting.

To top it all off, just before Christmas, I got my business cards!

Starting a new job and becoming comfortable with it takes gumption … and time!

Motivation Monday: Want It Enough

Looking back on some of the things I have achieved over the course of my life, I have realized that I can do anything I want as long as I want it enough.  I will give you a few examples.

My freshman year of high school I watched in awe of the ASB officers as they organized events, entertained crowds, and from my perspective, ruled the school.  Even as an incredibly shy freshman (I had trouble even ordering at restaurants!), I knew right then and there that I had to be an ASB officer.  My Junior year the opportunity arose to run for office and I jumped at it.  I wanted this for 3 years and I was going to do everything in my power to get it.  I ran for ASB VP.  After putting up a door decoration that took hours (basically we were given a classroom door to decorate as our campaign poster), after rehearsing my speech with everyone I know, and after days of fretting because of a forced run-off, I won.  But it was not the decoration or the speech that won votes, but my actions over the previous 3 years.  I was a good student, a good friend, a good member of the high school community.  I was involved in a million activities and always made my commitments.  I knew where I wanted to go and I knew how to get there.

My freshman year in college I joined Alpha Kappa Psi, the Professional Business Fraternity.  I knew from the moment I was admitted as a full brother that I wanted to be President one day.  I wanted to give back to a group of people and an organization that I already loved.  I spent the next 2 years running for positions to gain experience, attending almost every single event, and really getting to know the organization from the inside out.  At the end of my Sophomore year I was nominated for President.  In what I remember as quite a debated race, I was unsure of whether I would win and what the clear divide would do to the chapter.  I was sure of one thing though … I wanted to win and I had since the moment I became and AKPsi brother.  I had put in the effort and the time.  I made the connections and developed the knowledge and skill to do the job.  I won the election and became President of my chapter.

My first year of law school I went to graduation and heard the student speaker (who I actually knew).  I instantly became enamored with the idea of being the graduation speaker when I graduated in 2010.  I thought about it my second year and wondered what I would write about, and who my competition would be.  Finally in my third year, I found out that in order to be the graduation speaker you submit a written speech, and they are voted on.  I had known for a while that I wanted to give the speech at graduation, but I really did not understand why until I started actually writing my speech.  Words are kind of my thing and I could not think of a better way to express my love for my law school experience (the people I met more so than the knowledge that I gained although that was great too) than to reminisce with them and tell them how they have become more than classmates over the last 3 years.  So when I wrote my speech I told our story.  I wrote and rewrote.  I solicited stories from friends and asked others to critique and edit the written version.  I wanted to be the speaker and I knew if I made the speech perfect … if I made the speech exactly what it should be (a collection of everyone's stories told with heart), then I would be speaker.  And I was.

I have wanted to lose weight for years.  I have always been heavy and uncomfortable in my body.  I have wanted to lose weight, but until recently I have not wanted it enough.  Other things got in the way – school, work, having fun etc.  It was consistently put on the back burner, only to be moved to the front when I had time to deal with it.  This year, enough was enough.  I wanted it this year, and I want it now.  I will continue to lose weight until I hit my ideal body weight, because now I want it enough and I have started doing what I need to do to make it happen.

You can do anything you want as long as you want it enough.  Because if you want it enough, you will do everything in your power to make it happen, and when you do everything in your power, it happens. 

Wanting something enough takes gumption.

12 Resolutions for 2012

Happy 2012!!  I really cannot believe it is 2012.  Can you?!

I have thought long and hard about New Year’s resolutions this year.  Last year, for the first time I actually kept mine – I lost weight.  This year I think I need to tweak that resolution a bit, and come up with a few new ones. 

1. Meet My First Fitness Goal:  According to calculations and my typical weight loss, I should be to my first fitness goal (loss of 100lbs since starting!) by no later than April 1, 2012.
2. Continue My Fitness Journey:  After I meet my first goal, we are planning to set the next goal as my ideal weight (additional loss of about 35-40lbs).  This goal will be met by my birthday August 5, 2012.
3. Go to Hawaii:  I fell in love with Hawaii on my first trip there for a friend’s wedding.  That same friend (who I have not seen in over a year now) currently lives in Hawaii.  I cannot let it go another year without seeing him.  A great excuse to go to Hawaii no?
4. Go to Spring Training:  This may be a little bit of a cheat since the plans are already in progress, but it is still something I want to cross of my bucket list this year.
5. Volunteer:  I used to volunteer quite frequently and have recently gotten away from that.  In 2012 I will volunteer at least every other month.  I know it is not a lot, but I want to make a commitment I can stick to and if I can do more, I will!
6. Get Outdoors: With my improved fitness level I have seen an increase in my desire to participate in outdoor activities.  In 2012 I want to spend at least one weekend day a month getting outside and doing something – hiking, swimming, walking on the beach etc.
7. Spend Time With Family:  I live with my family currently (both my parents and my sister) so this one would seem easy, but I mean nore than just seeing them in the living room at night when we watch tv or passing in the hall at various hours of the morning while getting ready.  In 2012 I will plan activities with each of my parents and my sister, at least every other month.  Not just an hour, but maybe not a full day – just an afternoon or a morning of something fun (going to a movie, attending a craft fair, going to the driving range etc. etc.)
8. Spend Less Money:  This is a common resolution, and a good one if it can be kept.  Because my salary is not what I had hoped at this point, and I have quite a hefty loan payment, now more than ever I need to be spending less.  In 2012, I will maintain a budget so I spend less, especially on things I do not actually need.
9. Talk More, Text Less:  This is inspired by my mom who absolutely abhors text messaging.  She does not understand why people cannot just pickup the phone and call someone.  Sometimes a text is just easier (at least for my generation) but it is some much less personal.  In 2012 for all friend’s birthdays, celebratory events, and holidays, I will pick up the phone and call people instead of sending a text.
10. Take Time for Myself: We all need a little time to ourselves, and this is something I have had a difficult time doing in the past.  I find time for work and for things other people need done, but often neglect my own needs.  In 2012 I will make time for myself including: going to yoga on a regular basis, reading more, and painting my nails at least once a month … you know … the little things.
11. Keep Posting:  Since my life got busy I have neglected my blog a bit, and believe me I realize this and I am sorry.  I cannot promise that I will post as often as I was, because that would be setting myself up for failure, but I can make a smaller commitment.  In 2012 I will enter a new blog post no less than once a week.
12. Enjoy Life:  For so long my life has been about school and work and achievement.  In law school (oddly enough) I was fortunately enough to find 2 amazing friends who really taught me the importance of enjoying life and really living.  I have been trying to be “all about being happy” over the last year and I have seen some improvements.  In 2012, I will carry this mantra with me and continue to “be happy.”

Feel free to take some of these resolutions and make them your own.  I would love to hear you’re your own resolutions are … maybe they will inspire mine for next year.  Making New Year’s Resolutions takes gumption.  Keeping them will take more.