So I'm back in the land of Nether and 2011 is treating me fantastically well thus far. It was stupendous to be reunited with Mic and Margo and Lizzy and the Van Weels since I missed them all terribly. After being surrounded by the massive cats at D's, Margo seemed tinier to me but it's clear to me now that she's actually grown a lot, which almost pains me because I want her to stay my beautiful kitten forever.
This is shaping up to be an exciting month for me: It's Lizzy's birthday this weekend and our good friend Mayra is coming to visit with her husband Angel! It'll be great to have this reunion with all of us and our other friends, all dressed up and possibly drunk like old times! Getting dolled up with my friends is my favorite part and thanks to a shopping spree from my honey yesterday, I'll enjoy it even more #spoiled. Then on the 19th, Lizzy and I will go see Drizzy Drake in concert, with a guest appearance from J. Cole. We've had loads of fun at the other concerts we've gone to so we're both really pumped!
A couple weeks after that, I turn the DREADED 25. But it's all good because I'll be bringing in my birthday in Stockholm, Sweden! Mic and I have never been but we'll brave the cold and keep warm, preserving our sexy nonetheless. I've never been to that part of the world so I'm super mega turbo excited!
In other news, 2011 will be a continuation of the evolution of Darline through thought and reflection. I was given the book "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" as a gift and even after wafting through the first few pages, I'm already certain that it will become a staple in my development. I'm finding it so useful to me, I've decided to post excerpts from it on here as well because I think we can all benefit from it. The one below has stood stood out the most because it has to do with modesty and draws my attention to faults in my character:
Lesson #6- Let others have the glory.. "The ego is that part of us that wants to be seen, heard, respected, considered special, often at the expense of someone else. It's the part of us that interrupts someone else's story or impatiently waits her turn to speak so she can bring the conversation and attention back to herself... The next time someone tells you a story or shares an accomplishment with you, notice your tendency to say something about yourself in response."
I've always considered myself an active listener but I must admit that I am sometimes guilty of this. I always thought it stemmed from the desire to be able to identify with whoever's talking and let them know I can understand what they're going through, but perhaps it is my damn ego! I'm not much of an attention seeker in terms of my personality or demeanor (being inebriated doesn't count!) and when it's someone's day or moment I'm most comfortable falling back and giving them their shine; in fact I promote it and have even derailed efforts by others who don't understand this concept. Nonetheless, I'm going to make a more conscious effort to let others have their moment, especially in conversation because perhaps in trying to identify with someone, I'm actually hogging their moments and taking the attention away from them. There are so many people I know/used to know that should take heed to this lesson!
That's all for now my darlings.. I'm going to enjoy my last 24 days of being 24
EW.
