Who are you?

We wear lots of different labels in our lives whether we want to wear them or not.  Often times when we are asked "What do you do?", we give our profession hence labeling ourselves.  During the January prompts, the focus is on identity.  It's important to know who you are before you start working on yourself.  You've got to know who you are to know what you want/need to work on.

Prompt #1 asks us to list as many of the roles we play in life as we can.  Here are mine:

I am a husband.
I am a son.
I am a brother.
I am an uncle.
I am a friend.
I am an employee.
I am a Christian.
I am a weightlifter.
I am a planner.
I am a dog parent.
I am a gay man.
I am a Democrat.
I am left handed.

These are just a few roles that I play in life. 

What are some roles you play?

The Year of Me

Recently, I've felt a bit lost in life.  My marriage feels like it is at a crossroads, my career is at a standstill, my friendships are pretty much nonexistent, and my health could use a boost. I thought that journaling would be the best way to work though some of what I've been feeling and be the action plan I can use to improve myself.  So I took to searching the web for a guided journal and found "The Year of You" by Hannah Braime that I plan to use.  While the book is set up with monthly topics, and the author says to you can just jump right in on any day you want, my OCD won't let me just jump in so I'll be starting with January's prompts now.  I also know that I won't be doing these daily so getting through the prompts will take longer than year.

So here's to some healing and growth as I begin this journey.

38 Things I've Learned in 38 Years

Today is my 38th birthday.

I took some time to reflect on the on my life and came up with 38 lessons that I've learned over the years.  I think some of these could have dedicated blog posts and I'll provide links if I get around to expanding on some of these life lessons.

Without further ado, here's the list:

1. You never feel as old as you are.
2. Don’t forget how old you are. 
3. Friendships take time and work. Don't neglect them. 
4. It’s hard to make friends as you get older. 
5. Have a plan. It doesn’t have to be fully thought out; just have a plan. 
6. Write it down before you forget it. 
7. Take time to recharge. 
8. Listen to your body. 
9. Talk it out. 
10. It’s OK to not be OK. 
11. Marriage is work. 
12. Don’t try to change your spouse. 
13. Hire a professional. 
14. Do your research. 
15. Prepare for emergencies. 
16. Cultivate a hobby. 
17. Don’t talk just to fill silence or to hear your own voice. 
18. Attitudes are contagious. Always keep a positive attitude. 
19. Know your strengths and weaknesses and how to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. 
20. Never stop learning. 
21. Don’t settle. 
22. Travel as much as you can. 
23. Don’t eat your feelings. 
24. Embrace change. 
25. Vote in every election. 
26. It’s OK to say “no”. 
27. Have a pet. 
28. Keep your promises. 
29. Call your mom. 
30. Make time for exercise. 
31. Work hard. Be Humble 
32. Take (calculated) risks. 
33. Be aware of your surroundings. 
34. Life is complicated and you’ll never have it figured out. 
35. Don’t compare yourself to others. 
36. Competition can be healthy. 
37. The days are long, but the years are short. - Gretchen Rubin 
38. Treat others the way you want to be treated.