dare to dream

Resolutionary Challenge 2010

The Resolutionary Challenge begins on January 11, 2010.

I am happy to announce that Bonnie White, who was integral to the success of the 2009 Challenge, will be our helmer this year.

For more on this year's rules and to participate, click here.

If you sign up (read:  pay your $30) by Friday, December 18, you will be eligible to win the 'Winter Cheer' print from Sarah Jane Studios.

Courtesy:  Sarah Jane Studios

Are you ready to be a Resolutionary?

P.S.  Thanks again to Heather Clayton Stake for starting this in 2008.   The tweaks to my daily routine inspired by the Challenge have become foundational to my daring and dreaming -- and I've made some wonderful friends in the process.

Books and Binding

On Friday, May 8, we had our Boston-based Resolutionary Challenge celebration at Henrietta's Table.  As we sat in the springtime sunshine, the conversation turned to our love of books, and how during the course of our 12-week challenge, the online discussion of books, more than any other thread, seemed to bind us to one another, many of whom we had never met.

Is it possible that like Liesel in The Book Thief, when we share stories, especially great ones, there is an express fondness for those with whom we share, as well as a seeing of both ourselves and our shared humanity in these stories?

By request, I've compiled the list of books recommended by this year's Resolutionaries.  If a book was recommended by more than (1) person, I'll include the total count in parentheses.  If I've read and can recommend the book, I'll asterisk.

Happy reading!

Fiction

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns -- Khaled Hosseini
2. Bless Me, Ultima -- Rudolfo Anaya
3. Gilead -- Marilynne Robinson (3)
4. Love Marriage - V.S. Ganeshananthan
5. Peace Like a River -- Leif Enger (2)
6. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society -- Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows
7. The Kite Runner -- Khaled Hosseini
8. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency -- Alexander McCall Smith (*)
9. The Road -- Cormac McCarthy
10. The Secret Life of Bees -- Sue Monk Kidd (2)
11. Uncle Fred in the Springtime - P.G. Wodehouse

Historical Fiction

1. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
2. Here Be Dragons -- Sharon Kay Penman Ines of My Soul - Isabel Allende
3. Moloka'i -- Alan Brennert (2)
4. Sarah's Key -- Tatiana de Rosnay
5. The Book Thief -- Marcus Zusak (4) (*)
6. The Many Lives and Secret Passions of Josephine B -- Sandra Gull (*)
7. The Game of Kings -- Dorothy Dunnett

Classics

1. Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton (1)
2. East of Eden - John Steinbeck (*)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (*)
4. Wives and Daughters - Elizabeth Gaskell

Mystery

1. The Camel Club - David Baldacci

Young Adult Fiction

1. Amaranth Enchantment -- Julie Berry (3)(*)
2. Book of a Thousand Days -- Shannon Hale (*)
3. Fablehaven -- Brnadon Mull
4. The Giver -- Lois Lowry (2)(*)
5. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman  

Note:  My daughter and I prepared a list of questions re:  Amaranth Enchantment for mother-daughter book clubs. Click here to download. 

Non-Fiction

1. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:  A Year of Food Life -- Barbara Kingsolver et al
2. Blink - Malcolm Gladwell (*)
3. Outliers -- Malcolm Gladwell (2)(*)
4. The Peacegiver - James L. Ferrell
5. The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell (2)(*)

Autobiography

1. Me Talk Pretty One Day -- David Sedaris
2. Personal History -- Katharine Graham (*)
3. West with the Night -- Beryl Markham (*)

  Any books I left out?

Finding my Voice: An Interview with Rebecca Cressman

Earlier this week, I was interviewed by Rebecca Cressman about why 'dare to dream', what's the Resolutionary Challenge, and why do I so frequently discuss pop culture on my blog?

If you'd like to listen to the interview, click here.  

Can I then be star-struck for a moment, and tell you it was fun to see archived interviews with Kelsey Nixon, who my daughter and I watched vie to be the Next Food Network Star, and Brandon Sanderson, one of my favorite fantasy-science fiction authors; I just finished his Mistborn trilogy.  

I also noticed an interview with Sam Beeson who I suspect is the son of Dick Beeson, the Director of the Orem Public Library when I worked there during my last two years of college.  Books, books -- and more books.  And wonderful people.  

One of my best jobs ever.

If you you are thinking that it was comfortable for me to share this interview with you, and you are wondering why it's easy for Whitney and not for me, it wasn't.

My initial impulse was to bury the interview as a post-script for another entry. 

But, my husband, superb peer mentor that he is, kindly reminded me that if I am going to suggest you walk through your fear, I might want to walk through mine.

If you'd like to read more pontifications on topics about which I am pressed to try and live up to lest I discover myself a wholesale hypocrite, take a look at these posts.   

1. Finding my voice:  an Interview with Maria Carr
2. Dreaming or deflecting?
3. NY Times:  For Girls, It's Be Yourself...
4. Second Thoughts on Psyche's 2nd Task
5. Learning to 'Let it Be':  A lesson from Brooke White

Send Perfectionism Packing

I've thought about this post for several days, but have put it off.

Ironic, but not surprising I suppose, given the topic is perfectionism.  

As a child, there were so many things I did well, I could afford to be a perfectionist.  In high school it became a problem.  I almost didn't take AP American History.  I didn't take Calculus.  Nor would I take Econ because I feared I couldn't get an 'A'.  I did get 'A's in the classes I took, but in retrospect, a 'B' in Calculus, rather than no calculus at all given my chosen career, probably would have been a decent trade.

Enter the workforce.

When I got to New York, I wanted to succeed so badly, I had to square off with my perfectionism, muscling through the fear.

And I had to learn a few tricks.  Like breaking things down into small enough pieces that I wouldn't be overwhelmed.  Or telling myself to spend just spend 5 minutes putting everything together that I'd need, and then I could go do something else.

Even a decade ago, I probably wouldn't have participated in the Resolutionary Challenge because I  couldn't have gotten a 10 every day.  Now I'm happy to get the score I get (and it's never a 10) because I'm willing to take happier and healthier, over perfect or bust.

Courtesy:  Sarah Jane Studios

When I do send perfectionism packing (and when I can't quite, I pull out a few tricks to pretend as if I have), I try more new things, and I learn more.

I can model for my children how to cope with perfectionism.

I get more accomplished because I procrastinate less.

I stop something I've started when I realize it's not worth finishing.

I am willing to date dreams, knowing I don't have to marry them.

Most importantly, I can welcome in my world.

Happily. Exuberantly.

With arms outstretched.

If you didn't feel the need to be perfect at a 'thing', what would you try doing?

What dream would you like to date?

What are you currently working on that isn't worth finishing?

What tips do you have for outwitting perfectionism?

My husband who is trained as a scientist can break projects into very small, logical pieces -- he is a superb peer mentor.  How can some of the men in our lives -- fathers, brothers, sons, husbands, colleagues - mentor us?   

Related posts:
Living the dream.  Life's a breeze.  Not.
If you get defensive, you're getting close
What if Madeleine L'Engle hadn't dare to dream?
Getting back in the saddle of our possibilities
Mum's the word

Like flowers in springtime -- Resolutionary Challenge Week 3

Last fall I took a hiatus from blogging.  

There were a number of reasons that played into this decision.  One of them, which I didn't recognize at the time, had to do with the days getting shorter, the weather colder.

At night we sleep, and in that sleeping there is resolution and renewal, both physically and psychologically.

In the winter, we do something similar.  

Source:  istockphoto

But because we can't fully hibernate, living off our mental and physical reserves the way animals can, there needs to be some activity.  Activity in which we tend to and care for ourselves.  For me, my tending meant stop blogging, and participate in the Resolutionary Challenge.  

It will be different for you.  

We each tend to our selves differently.  The how isn't important.  

What matters is that we do.

And when we do, and the long winter is over, we will again burst forth with life. 

Like flowers in springtime.

What are some of the things that you are doing to nurture yourself this winter?

About the Atta G'I'rl + Resolutionary Giveaway

I did not lose myself all at once. I rubbed out my face over the years...the same way carvings on stone are worn down by water.  Amy Tan 

We needn't look far to observe that most very young girls have a strong sense of self or 'I'dentity -- they are connected not just to the world, but to themselves. My friend Rebecca has a daughter who brims with a sense of self; perhaps that's why I find her so winning.  

And why too I can't pull myself away from this Minerva Teichert painting.  

In their jubilant dancing, I see 'I'dentity bursting forth from women who are connected to themselves.

So many of the women that I know work tirelessly to connect to and care for others, to nurture and foster the 'I'dentity of husbands, boyfriends, children, parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, community.  We do so, in large measure, because of our deep connection to and love for God.  

I've observed, however, that we struggle to connect to ourselves.  I think we knew how to at some point, but have forgotten.   

The 'Atta Girl' is meant to help us to remember.

I do what I do each day because of who I am.  Because the good that I do is often difficult to recognize, and to name, it is sometimes hard for others, and even for me, to value my contribution.  As such, there is a grace and elegance to what I do and who I am which is, in fact, changing the world.

Or, in the words of Albert Einstein (shout out to Margaret Sieiro Garcia for flagging), "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."

 

Which brings me to the next Random Giveaway -- Every dreamer resolutionary who achieves a score of 70% or better for the two weeks ending January 25 will be eligible to receive a 10" x 7.5" framed print of the above Teichert painting.

P.S. as of 1/28 -- the winner is Kathy L.  Congratulations Kathy!

If you are still scratching your head about my reasoning behind the Atta G'I'rl, you may want to check out the below posts: 

Affirming our 'I'dentity

Throw down your pom-poms

Martha and Mary

Identity crisis

Thank heaven for little Rachels

When our loved ones ask 'what about me?'

Valuing what women do

Looking for the 'I' in the Twilight Series

***

Resolutionary Challenge -- January 12 Kick-off

On account of January being Get Organized Month, I thought I'd dust off the ad that Brandon Jameson, graphic designer extraordinaire, created for a national magazine in early 2008.

I can't think of a better way to kick-off a clutter-busting year than with the Resolutionary Challenge.

Can you?

 

 

For those that didn't see the prior post, the ground rules are:

1. Start date is Monday, January 12; we'll go for 12 weeks, and end on April 5.

2. Contribute $20 into the Resolutionary Challenge Fund by January 12.

3. A maximum of 10 points can be earned daily, 70 points weekly, 840 over 12 weeks.

4. Beginning January 12, record your points in an online spreadsheet to be circulated by Jan 12.

5. You are more than welcome to invite others.

6. There are two categories of winners:

• The three participants with the most points. 80% of the cash in the Challenge Fund will be divided among the three resolutionaries with the most points. For example, if there is $500 in the kitty, $400 will be allocated amongst the three players with the most points.
• All participants with more than 505 points, or 60% of the available points. Because the Resolutionary Challenge is partly about getting the most points, but mostly about process, any person who gets an average of 6 points or better per day, will have won, and will be eligible for a random giveaway which will be funded by the remaining 20% in the Challenge Fund.

6. Points are earned for the following activities: 

• Sleep 7 hrs/per night (Naps can take up the slack) 
  
• Drink 64 oz. water 
  
• Exercise 30 minutes
• Be ready to present myself to the world by 11am
• Eat 3 servings of fruit/2 servings of vegetables 
  
• Savor up to (1) small treat/per day 
  
• Take 15 minutes just for me (e.g. read a book for fun, for meditation, contemplation of the divine, take a walk, watch a TV show)
  
• Finish eating by 9pm 
  
• Pay an unsolicited compliment (This is the Wild Card for Week One)
• Say the below "Atta Girl" out loud.

I do what I do each day because of who I am.  Because the good that I do is often difficult to recognize, and to name, it is sometimes hard for others, and even for me, to value my contribution.  As such, there is a grace and elegance to what I do and who I am which is, in fact, changing the world.

Are you ready to be a resolutionary?

If you are, click on this PayPal button and pay the entry fee; it's going to show up as $25 ($20 + $5 for shipping. Because I couldn't fix the glitch, and everyone to date has put in $25 it just makes the pot bigger!  If you don't want to open a PayPal account, let me know -- we'll figure out an alternative arrangement.  In the meantime, here's the button:

 

Eight days until kick off...