Day 365: The Top Ten Hits of 365

To recap, in no particular order, here are my reflections on the year that was. Many, many thanks to those of you who followed the blog, for your comments and support. Although I did this for myself, it was really nice to know there were people following along or dropping by from time to time.

Adieu. Be well. Be happy. Be you.

1. I am happiest when I focus without
2. People following and commenting on my posts made happy
3. I have neither a more nor a less positive outlook on things today than I had a year ago
4. The great satisfaction this project has brought is having done it at all
5. I am looking forward to ending this project and will miss it when it is gone
6. I forgive myself for forgetting to post some days
7. I am happy to have this written record of a year in my life
8. Hebrew is my native tongue
9. My greatest coping mechanism is a sense of humor.
10. Planning in things that make me happy makes me happy.

Day 364: The way forward

People have been asking if I will continue the blog after Day 365 and the answer is no. Looking ahead, my plan is to focus more energy without and less within. I'm happiest when I do. And see. And move. Still, I have enjoyed having a project and 365 days is an ideal time span for me. Long enough to feel like a real commitment and short enough to feel do-able.

There are shelves of unread books, a list of undone projects, files of untried recipes, stacks of unsung songs...the possibilities are endless. When one door closes, another opens nearby.

Day 363: Neither here nor there

The natural question on everyone's mind is whether the experiment worked. Do I have a more positive outlook on life today than I had a year ago? The answer? Nyes. That is, yes and no. As I wasn't a particularly negative person to begin with, I'm not sure that there was all that much room for improvement. So in my case, I think this project was (as I wrote yesterday) all about the doing. I liked having a focal point every day. And I like having a stored history of those focal points now.

So, no regrets. :-)

Day 362: Commitment

In retrospect, the best part of this project is having done it at all. It gave a focal point to each day that was both easy to achieve and important to do. It also inspired at least two other people of whom I am aware to start 365 day projects of their own, with one more on the cusp.

Sometimes it's in the doing. Early on I realized that my entries did not have to be profound. That writing an entry was at least as important as its content. That insight served me well here and in other aspects of my life as well.

Day 361: The best laid plans

Five: Planning in things that make me happy makes me happy. When the plans finally come around, I'm not always keen on following through. I've learned to trust the inner planner though and believe wholeheartedly that she knows I will be so happy if I just follow her plans.

That's how I wound up driving to a farm in the country today with two friends and my Sweeties to see the cows being set free to graze after a long winter cooped up in the barn. Trust me, I had no desire to climb out of bed when the alarm went off early, early, early this morning. But I trust the planner so off I went. It turned out to be such a relaxing, different way to spend the day. We made a picnic of it and the cows delivered with quite a bit of hopping around, munching on grass, butting heads and mooing to their hearts' content. As a bonus, the Sweeties got to see an ambulance helicopter that landed in the field to airlift a someone who was having trouble breathing to the hospital.

My bonus was a Sweetie spontaneously plopping himself down in my lap. He then asked for an apple, leaned back against me, ate and chatted with me for a good 20 minutes or so. Heaven.

Yup, the planner knows what she's doing!

Day 360: Cloudy with a chance of Canasta

After a week of glorious summer weather, the clouds are back, but not in my way. A perfect afternoon for a Canasta klatch who'll be arriving shortly. Coffee's on!

When I think about my final words for this project, inevitably the critic in me pipes up with "But you didn't post every day!" Actually, that is a voice I chose to ignore throughout this journey which in and of itself made me happy. So there, is number 6 in my countdown.

Ah, the klatch is here...with scrumptious snacks! Later...

Day 359: LOL!

My best defense against anxiety, fear and general down-in-the-dumpness? Joking. It's what got me through medical and dental procedures and many a loooong business meeting. Every once in a while, I lose my sense of humor and this year has shown me how much better off I am when I find it.

So, here's a cute one:

"Did you hear about the person who got the whole left of his body cut off?"

"Yeah, but he's all right now."

Day 358: Going, going, gone

Day 365 is like a beacon that's finally within sight, guiding me to the conclusion of this year-long experiment. It blinks oh so steadily as I make my way, one day at a time toward the inevitable end. A day I long for, bringing this chapter to a close. A day I dread as I suspect I will also miss this daily obligation.

And so it goes. Longing. And dread. Two sides of a thin coin.