2 Days ’til 40: 40 Favorite Posts from My 400 Days ’til 40 Journey

I must say that it was much easier to choose 40 photos than to choose 40 posts!  One of the fun things about this particular journey is that I allowed myself to write (or post photos) about whatever I felt on any particular day.  As a result, I have a wide array of followers who each connect in different ways to what I write – this has been amazing.  I imagine that in the future, as I become a bit more focused, I may have a less diverse group of readers, though I hope not!

Here is my top 40 list of posts, hopefully as eclectic as my readers are.  Some I chose because of the importance of the content, some because they make me laugh (yes, I realize that I have a weird sense of humor that others do not always appreciate) and some because I like the way the words flow.

 

7 Days ’til 40: Defining Love

Today I have decided to re-post my Valentine’s Day post from last year (373 Days ’til 40: Defining Love), as I believe this is such a critical concept that so many of us still need to grasp (with a few edits).

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17 Days ’til 40: Want a Job? Connect!!!

 

It is a fact. It is almost impossible today to find employment if you are not connected. Social networking and high visibility within social media sites is now necessary in order to make meaningful connections with future employers. This phenomenon will only continue to grow as our technology continues to expand in ways we cannot begin to predict or understand. Gone are the days (almost) of newspaper advertisements. Most companies place their “help wanted” ads on their websites. Other companies use online job boards to post their openings where a larger audience will view them. When I am looking for employees, I do both.

 

29 Days ’til 40: My Girls and Brussels Sprouts

We kids feared many things in those days – werewolves, dentists, North Koreans, Sunday School – but they all paled in comparison with Brussels sprouts.                ~ Dave Barry

 

30 Days ’til 40: THANK YOU, President Obama!!!

 

Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. ~ President Barack Obama

 

36 Days ’til 40: Helping or Crippling Our Children???

 

Helicopter parents….. I do not need to say anything else and I can assure you that there is a group of educators around the world moaning – just at the term.  We all know them, sometimes we are them, and we struggle with them all the time.  What is a helicopter parent?  A helicopter parent is a parent who is always on standby, ready to swoop in and catch their child before they fall.  At first glance, a helicopter parent is a fiercely devoted, highly loving adult – and this is true, but, sadly, their love can cripple their child, instead of empower their child.

 

42 Days ’til 40: Illusions of Control

 

Almost every person I know has a weatherman story.  You know it, don’t you?  The story of the weatherman who could not predict a sunny day even when they were out in the hot sun getting dehydrated.  This is how myself and my colleagues have felt this week.  We had a prediction for snow.  We did not have a gentle prediction, we had a strong declaration from all the local news sources that there was going to be a “major snow event” in our city.  Over 100 snowplows were on standby, as was my entire staff and our families.

 

43 Days ’til 40: Making Chores Fun

 

I LOVE it when my daughters teach me important lessons or remind me of lessons I have previously learned, but somehow “forgotten” as I go about my daily routine.  The photos I have included in this blog are visual representations of the lesson my older daughter reminded me of this week: Chores should be fun!  

 

57 Days ’til 40: Desperate for Winter Break Entertainment

We all have those days – those days when it is cold, miserable and wet outside, yet the kids need entertaining.  I had one of these days this week.  The challenge was exacerbated by the fact that our cleaner was coming, for six hours, and wanted us OUT of the house so that we would not be in her way (she is smart).  So, that left me, awful weather, and two kids desperately needing to be entertained (without breaking my pocket-book).  So, what was the solution?????  MALL HUNT!  Have you ever played??? 

 

72 Days ’til 40: STOP WASTING THIS MOMENT!!!

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. ~ Buddha

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness.  If you are attentive, you will see it. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Each of us is the best we can be when we are fully present, focused yet relaxed, curious yet non-judgmental, committed yet flexible. ~ John Kuypers

The point of power is always in the present moment. ~ Louise L. Hay