Recently, I have been challenged to walk away from the narrow lens that views and dwells on all the negative events happening in life. Always in overabundance, negativity seems to be compounding with each new day -- from the ComAir flight crash at my brother’s airport, to the conflict in Lebanon, to the utter despicable sickness found in John Mark Karr. Media, in my view, being largely responsible for the obsessional culture, create an environment in which it is difficult to escape the stark realities of the pain. I for one am eager to (a necessary retreat from my own obsessional mind). Most likely, some of this is fueled by another recent major personal health scare that has required me to finally make significant changes in my life – more positive thinking being one of them! We all can produce an exceedingly long list of challenges, chaos and pain in our personal lives -- the greater challenge is to think about what is "working" and the good stuff that is happening.
In honor of this transition, I have created Rebecca’s top 10 list of amazing stuff from August 2006. I encourage everyone to do this!
10. Breakfast on the beach watching the sun go up with a producer in LA. I was in LA for the Voice Awards in which I was a judge.
9. Practicing bikram yoga and sweating out all the toxins in 106 degrees. After 1 hour and 45 minutes, your body can bend far beyond your stopping point at normal temperatures.
8. The Secret – http://www.thesecret.tv/ Recommended by our financial coach, the concept has changed my life in just the two weeks since I watched the documentary online. Never before have I taken 7 pages of notes while watching a movie. A little mystical for some, but chew the meat and spit out the bones.
7. Reading and practicing Dr. Andrew Weil’s “Eight Weeks to Optimum Health” – Not much to say beyond this. He has moved me to explore wellness in every area of my life: diet, exercise, environment, relationships, and spirituality.
6. Delaying a full-ride scholarship to grad school at Emory in honor of taking care of my body and reducing stress this year. A “first” in my life – and a true personal win.
5. A major promotion at work.
4. The designer Zuki’s furs at Saks Fifth Avenue – The Onyx Sheared Beaver “Romancing the Stones” is just what the doctor ordered, and I could hardly take it off after trying it on! A cool $17,000 – a girl can dream, right?
3. Watching a bunch of 20-40 somethings pack the 900 seat auditorium, and floor, and stage steps at church on Sunday (and growing past four services) in their jeans with starbucks because everyone is trying to hear the new rare message that God, spirituality, and meaning aren’t connected to “religion”, “traditional church”, or “denominations”. I love this gathering place and being a part of it! Not to mention the band for the first 30 minutes kicks it every time!
2. Sitting with my longtime friend Lynne who gave birth to little Joshua at 34 weeks – and they both made it through fine!
1. I am alive and well.
Now if I were to create a top 10 wish list, the Zuki fur “Romancing the Stones” would be at the top -- and you all thought I was just a humanitarian!!
