1.  I take things too seriously.  One of my most recent obsessions and favorite blogs is thepioneerwoman.com.  Someone asked me what was the one thing that I had learned from obsessively following that blog.  I learned how to make amazing cinnamon rolls and a new take on green bean casserole.  But really, I learned that maybe, just maybe I take things WAY too seriously.  I mean there’s nothing wrong with being serious, but it’s important to be light-hearted sometimes, to learn to let things go, to forgive others and yourself.  Taking things too seriously means your always on edge.  Being on edge, well, it can make you no fun to be around.   It makes disappointment catastrophic which tends to make you feel a little (a lot) hopeless.  It means refusing to take risks which means, well, it means that you miss out on a lot.

2. You should love what you do.  Nothing is guaranteed in this life.  Why waste the only life you have by spending your day doing something you don’t love.  Of course, how you do this and pay the bills is a lengthier topic that I have not figured out at all. 🙂  Maybe in 2011?

3. Friends are vitally important.  Living life without people to care for you or to care about is a very lonely existence.

4. If I want to be a minimalist, I have to start getting rid of stuff.  You can’t really count yourself a minimalist if you own multiples of things; like complete dish sets or hammers.  What do you need 4 hammers for – especially if you don’t own a construction company or have 4 people hammering at the same time?

5. There are things from my childhood that I treasure.  Living in the middle of nowhere gave me a love for the country, wide open spaces if you’re a Dixie Chicks fan, and animals.  I never thought I would have appreciated this, but though I couldn’t live without a high-speed internet connection or cell phone service, there is a part of me that longs for a little land.

6.  Sometimes dreams and realities meet.  The harsh truth that follows can be eye-opening.  As I was obsessing about riding boots on my way to work one rainy day, I passed by the equestrian center I always pass on my way to work.  In an instant, a picture of muddy (mud mixed with poo, as my husband likes to point out) cowboys flashed in my mind.  Ha Ha – if I really had riding boots and actually went riding, they would most likely be dirty boots that I wouldn’t wear with a cute outfit to work without some serious cleaning.  Not sure why this truth makes me laugh but it does.   Maybe because it’s an oxymoron to purchase real riding boots purely for fashion.

7. I like Gone With the Wind.  I mean I really liked it.  I mean, I would have never thought I would like this book.  I never, ever had any interest in reading it.  It totally seemed the anti-me book, but I LOVED it.  Read it non-stop until I finished it.  Who knew.

8.  Truth is Essential.  Being truthful with yourself, with others.  All of it.  Without honesty, you get nowhere fast.

9. Just do it and don’t look back.  Take a risk.  Maybe small ones, like starting a blog or meeting new people or maybe stop taking yourself so seriously.  It might just make life a little more enjoyable.

10. If the shoe doesn’t fit don’t buy it, wear it, lust after it, no matter the brand.  Sometimes it’s best to leave the brand behind if it means it won’t look good on you, will be uncomfortable or worse, cause your feet trauma.  It’s not worth the money or the pain just for the short-lived, superficial, brand name glory.