Wednesday, February 8, 2012

"my moooostache brings all the boys to the yard"

Hi Friends :)

I hope everyone has had as much fun as I have since I last talked to you. Heres a little bit of what I have been up to since we last spoke: I had dinner at Fig and Olive with the roomies for restaurant week; I made a visit to the MOMA and saw Van Gogh's "Starry Night" FINALLY, along with many other great works from artists like Monet, Jackson Pollock, Freida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, and more; I attended a City Wide Worship event with friends; I've been continuing with my half marathon training (even hit 5 miles this week, woohoo!); Emily, Kendra and I went to the Martha Stewart show (airing Feb. 13th.... DVR it if you want to see yours truly on TV); AND, we hosted a super awesome Super Bowl Party (did I mention it was super awesome!? AND, the Giants won!!! ... looks like I'm the good luck charm. Let's see if next year I can bring some luck to those Bengals  ;) ).

Although I did want to inform you all of what I have been up to, it is not solely what I have felt inclined to write about this week. Each time I have gone away for an internship, I have learned so much about myself and what I want to do with my life and career. Although I never seem to quite figure it all out, which can be very frustrating at times, I take something away from each experience and it brings me one step closer to the person I have grown in to and will continue to grow and learn from.

This particular experience, in NYC, has been an eye opening one for me thus far. The message at church the past few weeks has been all about the choices we make, that we are "saved by grace but great by choice." This really got me thinking about the choices I have made since starting college, applying and taking internships, the daily choices I make about what to do in my free time, where I spend my money, and even the way I treat and think about people. In a city like New York it is very easy to fall into a life that becomes self centered, insensitive, greedy, and very much routine. I haven't even been in the city for more than 5 weeks and I feel like I have showed a lot of this selfishness for much much longer. I want to be a selfless person; someone who is compassionate, giving, loving, patient, kind, and thoughtful of others. I also want my life to be filled with meaning. I don't want to just go through the motions but carry out every motion with purpose. At the end of the day I may not know why I am where I am or whether or not each job or decision is the right one, but I do have a choice and want to choose greatness. So, here's a list of some of the great things I am going to choose to do in the next year (some may refer to these as "new years resolutions a little late").

1. Personal: Stop feeling guilty about saying no. Remember, it's okay if I can't go to every luncheon, party, or entertaining extravaganza... my friends will understand if I have other responsibilities, right ?!!? :) Relax more, worry less. Worrying accomplishes nothing. (Matthew 6: 27-29)
2. Spiritual: Give more. I want to give more of my time and money to outreach and volunteering, not because I have to but because I want to. Join/create a small group or Bible study. Get into the word more and pray everyday. Have a positive, loving, and compassionate attitude. Be inclusive, not exclusive. (Matthew 5:16)
3. Health: Be healthier, but not in the way of "oh its the beginning of a new year, I want to be healthy." Make it a lifestyle. Running as a daily routine. Run both a half and full marathon. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
4. Career: Keep a sketchbook. Create a website. Be passionate about what I am doing always... remember that God brought me to where I am for a reason. Use my talents for good. (Jeremiah 29:11)
5. Friends and family: Take the time to let the people I care about know it. Express words of kindness, gratitude and love towards them. Write letters, make phone calls, actually take the time to reach out (Facebook & text message should not be the primary source of communication people!!!) (Proverbs 3:3)
6. Lastly, actually make the effort to fulfill these goals ^^^^ :)

I do want to mention that I am no longer even going to try to make promises of multiple posts per week. Although, I would love to do it and will try very hard, realistically I'm pretty slow at this whole writing thing. Hopefully with practice I'll not only be more interesting but will also have more to say ;)
However, one thing I will mention is to keep an eye out for a weekly "Thrifty Thursday" post. More info to come.
Now for the part where the moustache comes in.....
HeHe...Just Emily and I being silly. Make it a great week everyone :)

xoxo Allie Fawn