Life-Changing Experiences
I haven’t had very many life-changing experiences, which I suppose is obvious given the word “life-changing.” However, skydiving with my co-workers on July 11, definitely counts as one of those moments. When I think back on all of my adventures, across the world and back again, very few can be identified as events that altered my state of mind and being. In my opinion, the experiences that can be defined as life-changing encompass the following characteristics:
- Something that challenges you, whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally
- Changes the way you view yourself or the world around you
- Provides a rush of emotions: accomplishment, excitement, fear, etc.
What do you think defines a life-changing experience? Or, is it the very nature of these experiences that they cannot be defined by any number of qualifiers?
Have you had a life-changing experience? Multiple?
“Life changed after that jump…I’d suddenly stepped to the highest level of daring, a level above even that which airplane pilots could attain.”
– Charles Lindbergh (1902 – 1974), describing his first skydive
Street Art
I love street art and murals. Living in Uptown, there’s plenty to be found. I pass by this one each morning on my way to work, and I wanted to share it.
When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college – that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared at me, incredulous, and said, “You mean they forget?” ~Howard Ikemoto
Mid-Year Goal Check
It’s hard to believe, but 2010 is near the half-way point. Just flew right by us. Seriously.
So, it’s time to check in on your list for the year. Whatever you choose to call them: goals, tasks, resolutions. Most people have some sort of a list of things to accomplish, a bucket-list of sorts.
How’s yours coming?
Taken straight from the right sidebar of my blog, here are mine as a reminder (and an update on where I’m at this June 21, 2010):
- Stop biting my nails. – I think I might be there. Hooray!!
- Read more. – Miserably failed thus far. I have two books waiting to be opened. Will start this weekend.
- Take more pictures. – Ehh… not bad. Now that it’s summer, I have more opportunity to get outside and shoot. Might need to change up the scenery a bit.
- Commit to exercise. — Decent. Not great, but a considerable effort has been made. And continues.
- Be a tourist in MSP. – Good. Hit up Rock the Garden this past weekend, and have more plans to see local sites including Minnehaha Falls, the Greenway (if I learn to ride a bike), art fairs, etc. Again, summer is the perfect season for this stuff.
- Build and grow relationships. – Of all my goals, I am genuinely pleased with my efforts here. On several occasions I have stepped outside my comfort zone, and fear of meeting new people, to meet up for impromptu happy hours with Meg Gerritson Canada, Kasey Skala and Lindsi Gish. I’ve got a long way to go, but this one is off and running.
How about you? What were your goals for this year? How far have you come in accomplishing them?
Millenials to the Rescue?
Posted by Kristin in In the News on June 8, 2010
I’m sure most of you read the opinion piece in the New York Times entitled “Save Us, Millenials.” I know it was extensively passed around on Twitter and Facebook last week. I’ve read it at least five times now, and every time, something new jumps out at me.
Now, there have been TONS of books, articles and opinion pieces written about the Millenial generation. From the book Generations (which is next on my list to read), to the article in last month’s Delta Sky Magazine, it seems people just love talking about us. And, my oh my, the adjectives used to describe us are vast: entitled, lazy, driven, optimistic.
Whatever you’d like to call us, I believe Timothy Egan nailed it when he said:
Instead, at a time when most Americans described themselves as “angry,” the generation now entering adulthood is keeping their trademark optimism. A recent, detailed survey of their attitudes done by the Pew Research Center was headlined: “The Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.”
Pitch, please
A while back, I responded to a ProfNet query. Unlike the many times I have done this before, this time I was the expert. Me. Seriously?
Unfortunately, I didn’t hear anything back from the reporter – and I’m not surprised. I didn’t really sell myself. I failed to describe how I was the perfect source for this story. I didn’t convince myself that I should be the expert source, so no wonder she didn’t email me asking for more information.
What’s your WORD?
While on my vacation, I finally got around to reading Eat, Pray, Love. The book, as a whole was great – a wonderful example of writing about personal experiences and simply about self. However, I don’t want to write a review, especially since I am quite possibly one of the last people to have read this book. Instead, there was one small part of the book that I found to be very intriguing.
In conversation with one of the many characters the author comes across throughout her journeys, they discuss the idea of cities having one word. According to this individual: “Every city has a single word that defines it, that identifies with most people who live there… And if your personal word does not match the word of the city, then you don’t really belong there.”
The natural follow-up question to this idea is: What’s your word?
Is this a fluid concept? Does it change as you age, accomplish new things and meet new people?
At the moment, I think my word is BALANCE. Finding equilibrium is consistently on my mind. Work-life balance. Friends-family-fiance balance. Active-lazy. I also like to think this fits in well with Minneapolis-St. Paul. But, I could definitely see others having a different word for the Twin Cities.
What do you think? What’s your word? What’s the Twin Cities’ word?
About Me
Public relations and communications professional. Passionate about sports, photography, travel, friends and family. Minnesota native, looking for where life will take me next."In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." --aaron rose
Share a Little Love
Posted by Kristin in Social Media on June 2, 2010
I read dozens of blog posts every week and subscribe to more than 50 different blogs on my Feedly account. However, I can say with confidence that I don’t comment on as many posts as I should, and I also know that I’m not the only one.
It’s not enough to be a blogger, you have to also be a commenter. Remember when you first started your blog? How nerve-wracking it can be to put your opinions, experiences and knowledge out for the world to see (and judge)? Now, think back to some of your first commenters.
Too often, we get caught up in our online networks and rarely stray outside of those contacts and engage with others. Comments give the blogger the confidence and encouragement necessary to put up the next post, possibly that extra push to try something new or post about something out of their comfort zone.
Whether it’s a comment about one particular post, a question to ponder or simple words that acknowledge the effort it took to click “submit,” the act of commenting can make all the difference to the author.
I’ve started to make a conscious effort to comment on the blog posts that I read each day. I encourage other bloggers to add “commenter” to their online activity as well.
blogging, comments
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