Summer Goals

Recently, I read a blog post by a good friend of mine that detailed her summer goals.  Being a native-born Floridian, and having been out of school for about two years now, I find it difficult to distinguish between seasons. Maybe because Florida doesn't have any. And maybe because it has recently become irrelevant with the sunshine and beach breezes relegated to just outside of my office walls and windows!

I decided to capture a few of my very own summer goals. For me, this means "short term" goals. Or, "goals before law school," which is a short 2 1/2 months away.

1) WORK HARD
My work ethic has been at varying highs and lows depending on whether I was preoccupied by law school applications, studying for the LSAT, hearing from law schools or making plans as to which school/state I would live in for at least the next three years. Now, I have my plans, my end date and nothing substantial to slow me down! This is the final sprint through the finish line. I couldn't see it before, but now, it's just ahead. Full speed ahead! (This goal includes utilizing my entire allowed OT to make that last extra dollar or two before being without an income for some time...)

2) ARTLYFE.ORG
This is the domain name I have for my new website that I am dedicating to my theory that art should not be separate from life, but that the two are one in the same. I am an artist going to law school. I am a legal assistant and an artist. But I am an artist. There is only one community- not the art community, but the community at large. The two should not be mutually exclusive. I would like to build a business/ legal practice around this same arts inclusion, if possible. I am very passionate about this idea, but the website is still only a work in progress. But it's a start.

3) BREATHE
This is less of a goal, more of a mantra. Of course we breathe without willing ourselves to do so. Lately, I've been forgetting to do it little by little, and find myself sucking in huge, gasping breaths to fill my whole chest. I haven't had as much actual anxiety attacks as before, but the daunting expenses- bills, loans, budgeting- take over my brain if ever it's at rest. I'm working on trying to approach these next few years in graduate school on a year by year basis- since that's how loans are fashioned anyway. I'll be okay. I won't have the money I've had to buy the things I see and "can't live without," but I'll be fine. This is a nice, welcome change. It's the next necessary step to getting me to where I want to be- which is so far only a hypothetical outline of high ceiling lofts, large over sized easels and canvases, Spanish tiling, natural light and warm colors. I'll get there.

4) BE BLESSED
It's what we are naturally, but what we forget to acknowledge daily.

Be blessed. We already are, we just need to start acting like it.