First Week of Feb...off to a great 'New Things' start!!

I have officially begun my second month of trying something new everyday.  The first week has been a hoot.  When I first decided to begin the journey of trying something new everyday, I thought the hardest thing would be thinking of something new to do each day.  What I am learning is when you put an intention out into the universe, the universe has a funny way of sending you what you need.  I really haven't had to find new things to try this week.  New things seem to find me.  How about that?!  :)

Feb. 1-5, 2011......NEW THINGS I HAVE TRIED!!

- I had an audition for a national TV commercial.  My Mom is in town visiting me from Illinois.  So, she came along to the audition with me and waited in the waiting room.  While she was waiting in the waiting room, the casting director walked by, looked at my Mom, and asked her to audition for the commercial too.  HA!  I LOVED it!!  We got to audition together.  I have been on many commercial auditions, but this was my first time auditioning with my Mom!!  Talk about something 'new'!  It was soooo incredible to share what I do as an actress with my Mother first hand.  She did a great job.  As we left the building she started jumping up and down and yelling "Yahoo"!!!  My Mother was experiencing the rush an actor gets after a great audition.  I asked my Mom, 'Now do you understand why actors keep at it?'  My Mom answered, 'Oh, yes I do!'.
Now this was a new thing that I could not have planned and I adored every moment of it.

-I love my Mom's visits.  She is my Mom and best friend all rolled into one.  Since my Mom and I will be 2,000 miles apart on my birthday next month.  My Mom decided to surprise me with an early birthday dinner.  My Mother took me to dinner at a Polish restaurant in Santa Monica that I have never  been to before.  My family is from Poland.  I am so fortunate to have known my Grandparents who immigrated here to America from Poland.  I grew up hearing the language, listening to stories of the 'old country', and eating lots of delicious homemade Polish foods.  The Polish restaurant in Santa Monica served a lot of the same foods my Busia (Grandma) use to make.  AND....the servers sang Happy Birthday to me in Polish.  That was new.  I have never had Happy Birthday sung to me in Polish before.  It was the best birthday dinner ever and another great 'new' experience.
Dziekuja Matka (Thank you, Mom)

                                 "Mom and I remember and honoring where we came from"

-I took a ride on the Ferris Wheel on the Santa Monica pier.  I have seen that big ol thing many times, but this week I bought a ticket and went for a ride.  WOW....talk about a view!  From the top of the Ferris Wheel you can see the entire Santa Monica Bay from Palos Verdes all the way to Malibu.  The sun was perfectly dancing off the waves of the gorgeous Pacific Ocean.  Life sure is full of beautiful blessings, if we only choose to see them.

-I ate Popped Potato Chips.  The are not fried or baked.  These potato chips are heated under pressure until they pop.  They are low in fat and super tasty.  I was quite impressed.  Thanks once again, Trader Joes.

-Another new thing I tried this week was looking at myself in the mirror in a 'new' way.  Usually when I look at myself in the mirror, my eyes go straight to what I think is wrong with my body.  For example.....I am a six foot tall woman.  Yep, that is a lot of body.  But, when I look in the mirror my eye goes straight to that inch of fat under my belly button.  There is another five feet-eleven inches of me that I could be looking at, but do I?  NO!!!  I stare at that one inch of fat under my belly button until I am so obsessed by it that I feel like I weigh 100 pounds more then I do!!  WTF??!!!  Talk about self-abuse.  This week I tried something new.  Every time I looked in the mirror, I had to find five things about my body that I liked.  Sadly, that was easier said then done.  The first couple days I could barely find two things about my body that I liked.  On the third day, I forced myself to stand in front of the mirror until I could name five things about my body that I liked.  A tear did roll down my cheek when I realized how long it took me to find those five things.  God has blessed me with a healthy strong body.  I have a choice.  I can honor it with gratitude, love, and respect  or I can judge it with hate, insecurity, and shallow jealousy.  I think I'll take the love and gratitude choice.  So, from one New Year's Resolution, another is born.  Everyday this year, I will look in the mirror and name five good things about my body.  If I have to say the same darn five things over and over again each day, so be it.  No more body-bashing for me.  Lets face it, when I am 80 years old, I am going to look back at this body I have today and say.....Can I have that one back??  :)