Everyone lives his or her life to the best of his or her ability, which includes all the ups and downs of a roller coaster.  Some people handle the ups and downs better than others.  Some see that change needs to be made, others strive to make positive changes, and yet others appear to be in complete control with goal-setting and lists.

No matter how you live your life, whether it’s with a bucket on your head or a bucket list, here are some ideas to jump-start your imagination to break the monotonous routine:

1.  Drive to work with the car windows down while loudly playing and singing your favorite song.  Need a song?  Some goodies include songs like “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield.  If you enjoyed the early 80’s, this song may be right up your alley.  Or maybe you enjoy the music of the 60’s or late 70’s, when musicians gave us “Brown-Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison or “Green-Eyed Lady” by the psychedelic band Sugarloaf.   Who can deny “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” by Joan Jett or “Hey Micky!” by  one-hit wonder Toni Basil?  I guess 1982 was a good year.  Whatever song you pick, make it loud and sing it like you mean it.  You will arrive to work with confidence, swagger and the wind-blown look of a top model.  Sexy!

2.  Hit a yoga class.  No, not rob them with a gun, but attend and participate.  For all you NON-YOGIS, you will quickly learn that it is not all about twisting your arms and legs into the shape of a pretzel, but about joining your mind and body.  In layman’s terms, it’s about detoxifying breath bringing  oxygen to your hard-working organs, including the big one in your mess of a head.  There is no competition, no judgment, only the opening of your heart.  Just try it once so you can check it off your 2016 resolution list as completed.

3.  Attend lawn mower races.  My brother used to race lawn mowers; thus, the reason for my one and only experience with lawn mower races.  It was quite amusing to watch grown men in coveralls try not to fall off their riding mower.

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Fortunately the blades were removed from the mowers.  If nothing else, it will definitely make you appreciate your own physique, or drive you back to number 3 above to try yoga.

4.  Go sky diving.  This takes a lot of guts!  A lot more than singing in your car or walking into a yoga class, but if it brings exhilaration and joy, then go for it!  I will wait on the ground for you.

5.  Create art.  Even if you are not an artist, try to create something.  There are lots of options from formal art classes to studios that offer pottery or painting while drinking alcohol.  You can fuse glass, make jewelry, throw clay on a wheel, and more. You could even take some junk from your yard, garage or house and mold it into a unique one-of-a-kind piece and put it on e-bay.

6. Video Games.  Do you have a dance game or Twister?  Guitar Hero would be a nice change.  You know you fantasize about being the lead guitarist or lead singer of a famous rock band. No one’s looking ….

This list could go on forever. Whatever you decide to do, please be sure to get your doctor’s permission, read all the waivers before signing, yadda yadda, and don’t blame me.

Send me your extreme ideas or pics for 2016!

Carpe Diem

Do you give homeless people a buck here and there, drop money in the Salvation Army bell at Walmart, or give up your change at the local truck stop to help Timmy buy a wooden leg?  If so, does this qualify you as a philanthropist?

In the spirit of the holidays, and my 2016, yet unwritten, new year’s resolution to write more, I thought I would start early by tossing around the true definition of a philanthropist.   Years ago I was interviewed for a trade magazine, and was asked “What is your dream job?”  Well surely I was in my dream job, but in reality, my dream job was to be the executive director of the Red Cross.  Silly me, I was really young and later realized that I would need to be the wife of a US President to get that job. Then, in graduate school, I was asked again, “What is your dream job?”  My answer was to be a grant writer, which, after I learned how meager the pay would be, I decided I wanted to be a philanthropist.  But how can I be a philanthropist if I don’t have any money?  Alas, I can get a job giving away millions of dollars to grant applicants.  It didn’t matter who or what corporation I worked for, I just wanted to give away their money.  Maybe one day someone will hire me to do just that.

For now, I donate to various charities whenever I can, and hope it makes a difference.  But do I qualify as a philanthropist?

Philanthropy is described as . . . .”the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.” 

Does buying a pack of cigarettes for a homeless guy count as generous or a good cause?  How about feeding the homeless cats next to my office?  Does our generosity have to be large?  Synonyms of the word “philanthropy” are  “benevolence, generosity, public-spiritedness (whatever that means), kindheartedness, compassion, unselfishness,” etc.  Considering the price of a pack of cigarettes, I would say that counts as philanthropy.

Most of us are not able to give away millions or dollars or be the executive director of a well-known charity, but our contributions add up. And if you only make $20,000 a year and still find a way to live and help out the Timmy’s of the world, then I certainly consider you a fellow philanthropist.

Make 2016 a good one!  Carpe Diem fellow philanthropists.