March
2012
Dear Friends and
Family,
It's March
everyone! I don't know about you, but as for me, I really like this month
because it means the start of something new that I love: the start of spring! I
love me some winter, but there is just something so pretty and promising about
spring: a new season, new plants, new weather, and just new life all around. So
let's dive into this month!
So, since we are
on the topic of new, I will let you in on a little secret. Recently, I have
been challenged to start trying some new things in my life, to start taking
some small risks, to try out something different. I have always considered
myself to be a person who enjoys new experiences, so at first I wasn't sure
where this challenge was coming from. From my standpoint, I felt like I was
always trying new things all the time. However, after thinking about it for oh,
like five seconds, I realized that perhaps I had been fooling myself. I recognized
that I had become an extreme creature of habit without even knowing it. That
brain of mine tricked me! I thought I was Miss I Do New And Different Things
All The Time! but I was really Miss I Do The Exact Same Thing As Last Time.
For instance, I
always carry out my morning routine in the exact same way. I always washed my
face before I washed my hair and never after, and I always brushed my teeth
after putting in my contacts and never before. Never. I think that somehow I
was convinced that I was Indiana Jones in some ancient cursed temple, where I
had to tread on exactly the right stones and carry out every step in the
process to get the treasure in just the right way or else some spikes from the
ceiling or poisoned darts from the walls would shoot out and kill me or
something! Except, of course, this, just like all the rest of my crazy
imaginings, turned out not to be true. One day when I washed my face at the end
of my shower and not before, I discovered that...absolutely nothing happened. I
double checked the walls and ceiling for spikes and poison darts, but the only
thing that I discovered upon my inspection were the slightly grubby tiles that
have always been there. So, as cool as it is to think that you're Indiana Jones
in a forbidden temple, it's also nice to realize that you're not. It's nice to
realize sometimes that you are just in your safe yet slightly damp bathroom,
and that there are no Nazis or cursed spirits hunting you down, and the only
thing that could possibly threaten to kill you is your roommate if you make too
much noise getting ready in the morning. But even that I don't even really
worry about since, usually, she's pretty darn nice.
So, ever since I had
this epiphany, I have begun a quest to become the Try Something New Girl!
Granted, I haven't gone crazy or anything, and that's okay by me. I don't see
any cliff diving, or bungee jumping, or sky diving in my future as of now, but
sometimes you have to start small, right? So, now, instead of parking in the
same place every day, and sitting in the same row at church, and buying a lot
of the same food at the grocery store, I am all over the place. I am now finding
new routes home, trying new foods, new laundry detergents, closer and better
parking spots, new lip glosses, makeup, and body wash! Heck, I even tried the
carnitas at Chipotle and I never tried
nor thought I would try the carnitas at Chipotle. And you know what? It's
pretty darn good! I may even get it next time! I just don't know where the
madness will stop!
However, what I
do know is this: I think that I am actually liking this new stage of my life. I always thought I already had all of my
likes, favorites and preferences firmly in place, but now, I realize that it's
much more fun and exciting to find out if you like even more stuff than you did
before! Who says that there's a limit to the things you can like and enjoy? I don't know who says it, but I'm not
listening to them. And you may ask, but Joy, what if you try something new and
you don't like it? Good question readers, good question, and that has been
precisely the very question I have been asking myself most of this time...and
you know what, I discovered that not liking something new is perfectly fine
too! Remember, this is not Indiana Jones land, I promise you. So, as cool as
that might be (minus the cursed spirits and spikes and snakes), I realized that
even if you don't like something you try, nothing really bad happens. You just
check that off your list and go off in search of more new stuff. So yeah, that
will be me this March, trying new things all over Los Angeles.
Moreover, since
you, my lovely readers, are such an important part of my life, I wanted to try
something new with you guys too. I am realizing that as much as I write and
talk to you, I don't often get to hear back, and I would love to hear from you!
So, this is what I'm going to try, so work with me here. From now on, I am
going to include in my letter not only a bunch of my random thoughts and
ramblings, but also some questions to give you a chance to respond. Then after
you read it, and if you think you might actually want to share with me your
answers, then you can post the feedback here at the blog.
Plus, I just created, in the very midst of writing this letter, a brand new
email just for you guys to share with me, The Lowly Office Aid. Very
appropriately named, my new email is lowlyofficeaid@lsrealestate.net! I would love for
you guys to blow up my inbox with any feedback, questions, comments, and ideas,
or any random or awesome stuff you would like to share with me! I am excited to
be taking our relationship to the next level! I really appreciate all of you
who read this faithfully every month, and I can't wait to hear back from you. So now that my room is running out, I will
give you my questions for this month: What new things would you like to try? What are some things
that you would like me to try? What
things are you afraid to try? What do you refuse to change? What do like or
hate about trying new things?
Well, my friends,
we have reached the end so now, I must leave you, but don't worry, it's only
for a while. So in the mean time I leave you now with all of my best wishes for
a happy March, a great start to spring, and a whole month full of fun, new, and
exciting things!
Signing Off,
Joy Jasmine Ellis
The Lowly Office Aid
LS Real Estate
lowlyofficeaid@lsrealestate.net
