Be Dope! (The Ebony List)

I was going to title this entry “Goodbye July” but being as though we have quite a few hours left in this beautiful day, I think it would be a bit premature. Earlier this month I made a checklist of things that I wanted to do for myself over this past month. I was to have all items completed by the end the July. Welp… perhaps I was a bit too ambitious when making that list. At least, that was my first thought. As the days passed and I could see August swiftly approaching, I was reminded of my uncompleted list.

I failed to complete my list. Ugh! How am I going to get these things checked off before August? I was really excited about reporting a fully checked list to my readers. Shit, I was really excited about making my checks all the way to completion for myself. Damn it! I failed!

A little hard on myself huh? lol Over a list? It just seemed so much bigger than the fact that it was a list. It was more about the time a finished list would have allowed me to spent with… just me. I mean, that was the whole idea right? #selfcare #metime Grrrr… Let’s check this list out.

• Go on a picnic (Does going to the beach w/ my kids and my niece count? I mean I was sitting on the sand and there was a cooler, food & drinks.)
• Do some charity work (I’m guess that feeding my kids won’t count, huh? Ohhh calm down! Joke! kinda…)
• Get a massage (um… I lotioned myself everyday… a couple times a day?)
• Go to the movies (I did take the kids to see Jurassic Park which I was also very excited about seeing.)
• Go to the gun range* (grrr…)
• Take a hot air ballon ride* (I’ve watched them soar through the sky as other people road on them almost daily. They actually depart near my house. grrr…)
• Visit a natural spring (It rained… A LOT this month. lol count?)
• Surprise 3 people with a package in the mail (No surprises. I did make an Ebay sale and ordered a few things from Amazon for my boys.)
• Run in the rain (I DID! I DID! LOL It wasn’t at all intentional though. I had to get in and out my truck. lol)
• Do something kind for 3 strangers (I stayed with a little boy who was wondering the Walmart parking lot by himself until his grandfather came out of Walmart. This was actually supposed to be an entry, but never got to it. Maybe later. I donated to some kids from a church that were raising money to feed other children. Honestly I am pretty good with doing kind things for strangers, so I am sure I completed this one early on. It doesn’t take much for this.)
• Take train ride (Grrr…)
• Cook an international meal (lol nope, but I ate a few.)
• Get a tattoo (I did not. Mainly because I was undecided on what to get. However, I did get two new piercings!)
• Complete a book (Grr… I didn’t. ugh! Instead I purchased two more new books.)

Now what? Do I create another list for the month of August? Do I carry this one over until I have completed it? Maybe I just let the whole list thing go, realizing that there may continue to be more red notations beside my items than green. NOPE! This is how I see it. Everything on that list is something that I really want and will do. However, every item may not get done within that particular month. I created the above list as a tool to assist me in my desire to live intentionally.  I intend (I WILL) to do ALL of the things that I am able to do in effort to bring a smile to my face and provide personal fulfillment within this short life of mine. So as for a monthly list… Maybe I will scratch that. How about just a list? How about I just call that list an “Ebony List?” Sure I could stick with the coined “bucket list” but… I don’t want to. lol I will continue to add to this list just as I will check off of this list. My favorite number is 3. I will make sure I am checking off AT LEAST 3 of the items on my “Ebony List” every month. The goal is to check off as many as possible, but I will commit to (AT A MINIMUM) three checks! NO LESS! And… you guys can help hold me accountable.

My takeaway:

Lists are used everyday to make sure that we are completing daily tasks by priority.  These lists are used both professionally and domestically. Meetings, report deadlines, grocery lists, school events and other important items are placed on our “to-do lists.” Just as we prioritize and set goals for work and home, it is just as equally important to prioritize ourselves. When we leave ourselves out of these lists, we often times never get to the “ME.” Instead, we are just again…existing and not even for ourselves. For everyone around us. My “Ebony List” will encourage and remind me to LIVE intentionally for myself. It’s all a part of self care. It is not enough to just be a great mommy or daddy. Being a great employee or a great student is something to be proud of and I encourage you to be great at all you do.  Just don’t forget about yourself in the process. Being great to yourself is DOPE …yeah. You can be all of the above mentioned and more. Just make sure you make the time to be DOPE. GO!

 

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