Many thanks to @JoshuaDenney for sending me this link!

This is just so many levels of awesome. Many thanks to UVIC for starting my Saturday with a smile!

My furnishings, clothing, and household items are scattered all over–some in my car, some at the Salvation Army, some in trash bags, and some in storage at my boyfriend’s house.

I’ve been in this position at least a dozen times before: in between apartments, working some creative magic to get from A to B. I know my dad always said you should have something new lined up before you give up what you have–whether it’s a job or a home–but that’s just not the way I operate.

I prefer to clear away everything I have to make room for something new, which is what I’ve just done. I quit my job and packed up my apartment, with faith it will all work out. It always has in the past. In fact, my whole life has been one giant leap of faith. Truthfully, it’s not landing somewhere cool that motivates me–though that’s always the goal, on some level. It’s the floating with my head in the clouds.

I love shedding everything and feeling free. Free from responsibilities for a while. Free from pressures. Free from expectations.

I adore the time between apartments and jobs. I love drifting without living anywhere specific. I love putting my stuff somewhere where it can’t weigh my down. Shedding my microwave, duvet, and lamps and using only what I need on a day-to-day basis.

The next two months will include a week in Vegas, four days in NYC, three days in the Cape, and several weeks in Massachusetts. I have a vague idea of what life will look like on the other side–and a clear idea of the ideal. But I’m challenging myself to not think about that at all in the next two months. To simply enjoy being homeless instead.

I’ve accepted that adulthood requires some level of responsibility. That I have to own a bed if I want to rest. That I have to finance a roof if I want to sleep under one. That I need to buy food if I want to eat. That expecting other people to take care of me is not a viable plan for living.

But transitions allow small cracks in all that adult necessity.Those cracks give me a little space to disconnect from everything that clouds what really matters to me. A little room to breathe, imagine possibilities, and then create them without any limitations beyond the ones I put on myself.

I adore those cracks.

*That’s a picture I recently took in Sedona. Ah, the open road.

I’m amazed by this video! The girl has only one arm, and the boy has only one leg, and yet they both perform beautiful ballet together.

Just a simple reminder that nothing is impossible if you have will and heart. Or as one commenter wrote, “An amazing example of what the mind and body are capable of if you put physical limitations behind you.”

*This is an older video, but it’s new to me and I felt compelled to share it!

Because I am insanely busy and facing a lot of changes (all positive but still a little scary) I’ve been turning to the musical equivalent of comfort food. And by that I mean songs from the 80s.

I’m hesitant to admit this because I date myself, but I was a kid in the 80s. Take My Breath Away, Time After Time, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun–each reminds me of a simpler time, when Better Off Dead was in my VCR and the Smurfs on my Saturday morning cartoon list.

So just for fun, here are my top 10 favorite things from the 80s:

1. Gem. She was truly outrageous.

2. Alf. Truthfully I don’t remember much from the show, other than this one episode that had a song about asparagus. Random, yet it makes me happy!

3. Super Mario Brothers on Nintendo. It was extra fun to play Super Mario Brothers because it meant my mom put down the controller and stopped playing Zelda–something she didn’t do often.

4. Hair crimpers. Before I got a hair crimper, I braided my hair in tons of little braids every night so I could look like “Splash” (by which I meant Daryl Hannah’s character in Splash).

5. Speak and Spell. I wasn’t one of those kids who liked educational toys, but I’ve always been a dork for words.

6. Girl Talk. I actually have a story about this game that paints me in a less than flattering light. At 9 years old I tried to walk home from cousin’s house, 5 miles away, to avoid “wearing” a Girl Talk zit. Still I loved that game!

7. You Can’t Do That on Television. OK, I know this is my third TV reference, but the TV was our babysitter. And I was all about the green slime.

8. Jelly shoes. They were insanely uncomfortable, but they breathed so well, and came in all kinds of cool colors. Not sure I can pull off neon orange shoes these days.

9. The roller rink. I actually went to an 80s night roller party last year, right when I first met my boyfriend. Best fifth date ever! (Pic above from said event).

10. Recess. This isn’t specific to the 80s, but I didn’t get it after that. Time to bring it back.

Were you a kid in the 80s? Got anything fun to add to the list?

This site is kind of new and not many  people know about it, so it’s entirely possible I’m sending this question into the vast emptiness of a non-existent audience.

But just in case you are reading, I’d love to know: how’s everything today? What’s got you excited or happy? If you feel scared, sad, or hurt, what’s going on?

I really miss connecting with people online as I did when I had more free time. About six months ago I was a Twitter-holic, always connecting with people and hearing about their dreams, passions, and even fears. These past three months I’ve been a little overworked, and, well, I miss you!

So reach out. Share what’s on your mind and in your heart, even if just in a few words.

Sometimes I forget people are out there waiting to listen and support me. I guess this is just my small way of reminding you the same is true for you. And if you let me, I’d love to know and be there for you.

Sending you love and light, and wishing you a joy-filled weekend!

I recently wrote a post on Tiny Buddha about wanting less, explaining how we can be happier if we stop assuming happiness is tied up in something down the road. With that in mind this post might seem ironic. I don’t think it is, though.

You see I’m reading this awesome book, 365 Health and Happiness Boosters. In one of the sections, the author suggests creating a want list to give yourself things to look forward to. I think there’s a place for enjoying what you have now, and also for enjoying the seeds of what you’ll create later.

It’s gratifying to imagine a possibility and then create it. I suspect the key to finding happiness in this practice is to focus on quality, not quantity; and to be sure the dream of tomorrow isn’t an escape from today.

So here’s my want list, the things that get me excited right now:

1. My book. I am moving very close to publishing my first book, and that feels amazing on so many levels. I feel proud of myself, excited to know I’ve made a difference, and just plain giddy about this new adventure.

2. Fun in my upcoming vacations. The past few months have been work-intensive. Before August 1st, I’ll spend five days in Sedona, one week in Vegas, a weekend in the Cape, 4 days in NYC, and about three weeks in Boston. When I’m not writing, I  intend to watch movies, lay by pools, drink margaritas, and generally do whatever the hell I feel like doing. Can’t wait!

3. A garden. I just signed up for a CSA program to get locally grown, organic vegetables. When I move into my new place in August, I want to start growing my own. I have no idea what I’m doing, and that, to me, is awesome. Yay for learning something new! (And getting to eat…)

4. A new workout routine. Since I’ve been so busy, working out has fallen to the wayside. I can sometimes be a black-and-white person, and this is something I challenge every day. I’ve decided to buy a bike so I can take a short ride whenever I want, and get just a little exercise, even if not a ton.

5. A new car. I’ve always said cars aren’t important to me, and I still feel that way. But my car is officially dilapidated. It’s a ‘96 Toyota with a cassette player and roll-up windows. This year, I want a new car. I don’t care what car or whether it’s fully loaded. I just want something that feels a little cleaner and newer…for no reason other than just because.

And that’s it. That’s what I want right now. Here’s where the fun part comes in–now I get to create it.

*That’s a picture of me and a horse at this medieval show which reminds me: I want to go horse backriding.

My friend Joanna strikes again with the awesome videos. I wish I found this in time to post for Mother’s Day because that kind of synchronicity makes me happy.

Absolutely fricken adorable and great fodder for a smile break!

I almost forgot to share this here! I was thrilled to speak with Sabine from Worldwide Good News about Tiny Buddha, and all the positive developments over there. Check it out:

If you haven’t visited lately, you may enjoy some of my recent posts:

• 7 Tips to Keep Technology from Taking Over Your Life
• 8 Ways to Find Love: Wisdom from Classic Love Songs
• 33 Ways to Be Childlike Today
• How to Want Less and Be Happy About It

I write a great deal about being authentic and vulnerable in interactions, so I’ve decided to write a little something that makes me feel vulnerable. If past experience is any indication, I suspect it will also make me feel liberated, so here goes.

I became a writer because it harnesses some of my greatest strengths. For example:

I excel at analyzing. I explore topics from every possible angle, which allows me to write thorough explorations.

I have an intense sense of empathy. Whenever I write about something, whether I have direct experience or not, I can feel what it would be like to be in that moment.

I feel purposeful when I am helping someone. I don’t write for pageviews or RTs. I truly want to make a difference in people’s lives.

But I am also a writer because it indulges some of my weaknesses:

I am a perfectionist; and writing allows me to edit my thoughts into, what I feel, is a well-crafted presentation.

I feel safest interacting one-on-one. I work from home by myself, and sometimes at the end of the day I have connected with far more people through the written word than I have face-to-face. Being part of a group pushes me out of my comfort zone. Writing allows me to maintain a type of intimacy that feels safe.

I started tinybuddha.com to help people apply wisdom to real life, but also to help myself. You see, I am not an after picture. I am a work in progress. I’ve come along way in the past ten years, but I have challenges, just like everyone else. It’s important for me to share that, partly for me and partly for whoever reads this.

No matter where my writing takes me, no matter what problems I help people solve through my articles and future creations, it’s important for me to never lose sight of what started all of this. And that’s one simple idea: to really live, we have to be willing to let go of what’s familiar and trust in other people.

So today I’m letting go, and I’m trusting you enough to share it. I’m stepping out from behind my laptop and admitting I have room to grow. I’m acknowledging where I need to focus my energy for personal growth to affirm the actions I’ll take tomorrow.

I really believe we are all in this together. No matter what I produce, or where my work takes me, it’s this belief that makes it worthwhile.

Thank you for being there.

*The picture is me, without makeup, in my brother’s old pants and my Dad’s old sweater. The dog’s name is Jax, and I love him.