Had a little hiatus..it was a crazy busy week, but alas, I maintained the principles of Jon-A-Fest, so here we go.
Day 5: Re-claim. To bring back to a preferable manner of living; to claim again.
I'm writing this a few days after the actual day, but alas, its funny how everything works out. As I sat on the couch in my man lair, surrounded by 7 hungry kids eating chicken nuggets and spilling ketchup on the floor, I overheard them talking about what they want to be when they grow up. Included in this mix: an athlete, a dancer, a comedian, a car washer and a chef. Quite the eclectic bunch, but alas, it got me to thinking about my dream.
Day 5: Re-claim. To bring back to a preferable manner of living; to claim again.
I'm writing this a few days after the actual day, but alas, its funny how everything works out. As I sat on the couch in my man lair, surrounded by 7 hungry kids eating chicken nuggets and spilling ketchup on the floor, I overheard them talking about what they want to be when they grow up. Included in this mix: an athlete, a dancer, a comedian, a car washer and a chef. Quite the eclectic bunch, but alas, it got me to thinking about my dream.
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
like a heavy load.
Practical Application: Dreams fall into one of three categories--realized, forsaken and deferred. As Langston Hughes so asks above, what happens to the dream that is deferred? While he lists many possibilities, as I thought of reclaiming my dream on Day 5 of Jon-A-fest, my mind drifted to the numerous dreams and desires that permeated my thoughts over the years, one in particular. Seemingly taking forever to realize, I believe (or hope???) that this dream rests in the category--like my student loans--of deferment rather than forsaken. Many dreams have been fleeting--being a backup singer in a go-go band, becoming the 5th Wiggle, appearing on Dancing with the Stars only to bring back the Disco era, dating and divorcing Jennifer Lopez--yet one sits on my soul like the old Oprah on a chair and it weighs me down. I watched The Shawshank Redemption--for the 23rd time--Tuesday night--and one phrase stuck with me--"get busy living, or get busy dying." Thus on this day, not only did I reclaim my dream, I claimed the victory.
Day 6: Reconcile: has many meanings, but I'm going with this one: to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent
The general premise of the first 15 days of Jon-A-fest centers around the idea of self-awareness and self-discipline in an effort to move forward in a positive way. Day six's theme deals with one of the more important aspects, and in my view, overrated, aspects of life--our finances. Economic status reaches into so many areas of our lives--what we can and cannot possess, our self-esteem, our relationships and our ability to eat at fine establishments such as Long John Silver's. The last few years in this nation's history suggests the saliency of financial health. So I asked myself--I am in Jillian Michaels shape, or do I need emergency surgery?
Practical Application: Simple. I took out the bills, looked at accounts--some with glee others with trepidation--and went over my excel spreadsheet that details the 978 bills and $12 currently in my bank account. Shoot, even Jamison has more money than me. Reconciliation requires dealing with the truth, regardless of how much it may hurt. The approximately 20 minutes or so spent reconciling our family finances--and its not like I don't stay on top of them--if you don't manage your finances frequently you may need to do more than reconcile (maybe you can holla at Montel)--reinforced my comfort with where we are at while also reaffirmed that in some areas there is work to do. Taking action to reconcile proved worthwhile, now I know I can afford to spend a little more money on reclaiming one of my long forgotten dreams!
The general premise of the first 15 days of Jon-A-fest centers around the idea of self-awareness and self-discipline in an effort to move forward in a positive way. Day six's theme deals with one of the more important aspects, and in my view, overrated, aspects of life--our finances. Economic status reaches into so many areas of our lives--what we can and cannot possess, our self-esteem, our relationships and our ability to eat at fine establishments such as Long John Silver's. The last few years in this nation's history suggests the saliency of financial health. So I asked myself--I am in Jillian Michaels shape, or do I need emergency surgery?
Practical Application: Simple. I took out the bills, looked at accounts--some with glee others with trepidation--and went over my excel spreadsheet that details the 978 bills and $12 currently in my bank account. Shoot, even Jamison has more money than me. Reconciliation requires dealing with the truth, regardless of how much it may hurt. The approximately 20 minutes or so spent reconciling our family finances--and its not like I don't stay on top of them--if you don't manage your finances frequently you may need to do more than reconcile (maybe you can holla at Montel)--reinforced my comfort with where we are at while also reaffirmed that in some areas there is work to do. Taking action to reconcile proved worthwhile, now I know I can afford to spend a little more money on reclaiming one of my long forgotten dreams!
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