#61: The Comedy of Errors (Friday, February 29)

This week was a Comedy of Errors. I recovered from a recent visit to the ER, only to be struck with flu-like symptoms, that ended up being a viral infection which I ironically caught from the emergency room. LOL. The bronchial infection could not have come at worse time, as 4 weeks ago, I'd signed up to participate in a company wide race with many of the super senior executives at my company. I decided to drop out of the race; but 3 people on my team dropped out before me, so there were no other replacements left to sub for me.

Not one to disappoint my team, I decided to compete anyway, even though my respiratory system wasn't the best. When we got to the track, it was a real track...not the tiny one like I'd practiced on at the Y. And we had to run around it 5 times. Our race was scheduled to start at 9:30, but since our company wanted only our teams to run together, we were pushed to last - i.e. running at 10:30 p.m. But our anchor man was positive and kept us motivated - until he pulled a muscle warming up and wasn't able to stand, let alone be the anchor for the team. We found a sub, completed the race at 11:15 (my team came in second), at which point I decided that instead of taking the company bus back to the office, I'd just jump on the subway.

I was bent on taking the subway; but super senior management insisted I get on the bus, as it would be faster. Ten minutes later on the West Side Highway, a tire blew out, splints are flying, the bus is full of smoke, and we're in the middle lane. The bus inched its way to the nearest exit, we got off and hailed a cab. My injured anchorman offered to drive me home, once he collected his things from the office. I decided it would be a good time to get my iced chocolate coffee from the refrigerator to rejuvenate me, seeing as how it was 12:30 in the morning. They had cleaned the refrigerator and tossed out my iced coffee AND my water bottle which it was in.

Needless to say, I'm writing this at 1:45 a.m. because now that I'm home, I'm wheezing and my chest is on fire, so I can't sleep. And to top it off, I can't call out tomorrow, because my back up is on vacation. LOL.

The Idea: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. You can choose to enjoy your life, even with the curve balls or you can choose to be miserable.

The Benefit: Why should you let a little setback thwart your enjoyment of life?

The Cost: Lemons are 5 for $1, but for you it's free. :)

#60: Fun People = Fun Times

One of the best ways to enjoy life is to have fun. What's one of the easiest ways to have fun? By surrounding yourself with fun people!

The Idea: Surround yourself with fun people. (It'll be a lot easier if you're a fun person to be around yourself, trust me.) How do you find these fun people, you ask? Simple. Just look for people who:
*Have good appetites. There is so much enjoyment in food, that you can't help but have a good time around someone who loves to eat.
*Are good storytellers. Anyone who can tell a good story can capture your attention (and imagination) for a long time.
*Have an offbeat sense of humor. Sarcasm and self-deprecation are big pluses, in my opinion. How can you not have fun around someone funny?
*Have interesting jobs. How many astronauts or skyscraper window washers do you know? I thought so.
*Make brave choices. Anyone who doesn't mind straying from the pack and standing up for what s/he believes in will always have your back, and probably knows a thing or two about going against the grain to have fun.

The Cost: Taking some time to meet a few good people.

The Benefit: Hanging out with fun people will increase your enjoyment of life.

#59: Take Time For Tea! (Friday, February 15)

My friends are always laughing at my love of tea. I carry teabags around in my purse, and drink at least 4 cups (unsweetened, of course!) Of green tea every day. Tea is really one of my life's enjoyments!

Interestingly enough, as I'm getting more involved in Japanese culture, I found out a little bit more about their tea ceremony. The Japanese Tea Ceremony signifies that evey human encounter is a singular occasion which can never recur again in exactly the same way. Imagine how much more we'd value our interactions if we thought about each of them like that!

The Idea: Take some time for tea. Instead of just considering it a beverage, use it as an opportunity to catch up with a friend, or just relax and savor the good things in your life.

The Cost: Not more than $10.

The Benefit: You will realize the importance of each moment of your life (or at least the ones spent drinking tea), and recognize that that moment will never occur again in the same way.

#58: Overdose on Art (Friday, February 8)

Art is one of the most beautiful things on this earth. Each person takes something different from it. And it's also one of the many ways to enjoy life.

The Idea: Take some time out for art therapy. Visit a gallery, a museum, or even paint something of your own.

The Cost: Varies, but most museums typically have free nights so check their website for details.

The Benefit: Overdosing on art can only improve your frame of mind and bring you joy.

Testimonial: I've been doing a lot of art therapy in the last few weeks: the Caribbean Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum in January; the Kori Newkirk Exhibit at the Studio Museum (where I discovered a Bklyn artist named Danny Simmons whose work really made me think); and the MoMA Design store where I got a cute green magnetic hedgehog to hold my paperclips.

Get your art on!

#57: Recognizing The True Value of Life (Friday, February 1)

In order to truly enjoy life, one has to recognize how fleeting it is, and seize the moment to do those things that are most important to them. A couple days ago, one of my favorite uncles unexpectedly died of a heart attack.

My uncle was our family's historian; he knew the births, deaths and marriages of everyone, and he was the person to call if you needed an address for an obscure aunt or cousin you hadn't spoken to in years. He was also a computer whiz; any problem with computers, he could solve it. And he made my aunt happy.

This past week, I've heard of a new mother losing her newborn and healthy baby to SIDS; and a man who had the best years of his life ahead of him had them taken away too soon. Work will always be there; and if it's not, you'll find another job. Don't let that be the excuse for not taking advantage of life.

Enjoy life to its fullest now. Life is fleeting and tomorrow is not promised.