Category Archives: Juli’s Muse

Revitalize. Refresh. Renew.

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New Years.  2011 was a roller coaster ride.  Not only for myself, but oddly for everyone around me.  Many friends went through life-shifting events.  I thought it was quite strange that so many people had to make decisions that weren’t the typical blase´, “what should I do?”  type scenarios, but instead were dealing with hold on tight, holy shit, oh my gosh, WTF, or “I don’t know what to do” type situations.

I remember the end of 2010 well.  Sitting with a group of friends, we were all wondering what would 2011 bring.  There were ideas floating around.  Things to be expanded upon.  New projects being brought to the table, old projects that would finally take off.  Stagnant and dormant would idle and then take off in 2011.  2011 seemed like many possibilities to us.  Instead it turned into a hair-raising, knuckle-biting year.

As I sit here on the first day of 2012 with my shoulder angels, I’m in between feelings of positivity on one side and what does it all mean on the other.  I even went as far as finding out where the idea of resolutions began.  Master Google said it began with the Babylonians.  In my weird mood this helps justify my pondering about 2012 as opposed to me putting energy into another commercial, mass media, establishment movement that we brainwashed Americans are supposed to buy into.

Today I decided to give Facebook a visit to see what it’s been up to.  While weeding through the photoshopped articles and lives that we all love to follow I came upon something that whispered to how I was feeling.  A friend posted a simple, but resounding New Year’s Resolution:

Thinking that my New Years resolution will be to attempt to let go of expectations, take things as they come and enjoy life at face value. I’ve only kept one resolution I ever made on New Years: to floss every day.

Ditto.  I’ll fold that into my resolution-me.  Yup, that’s it.  Me.  I prefer not to create a laundry list of external things that I must do.  I’ve been there and done that.  A lot of times that laundry list inadvertently created benefits and opportunities for others, but left me just kind of… I’ve gotten that list confused, and sometimes put others in front of myself in a way that in the end didn’t benefit either party involved.  If I only think of me this year, and what’s best for me I believe I’ll be able to stay focused.  If it doesn’t enlighten me, if it doesn’t provide personal or spiritual growth, if it doesn’t enhance my career, if it doesn’t deepen a relationship, if it doesn’t make me happy or give me peace, then it doesn’t become a part of what I put my energy into.  This, I believe will allow me to accomplish any goal I set my eye towards.  I’ll let that happy feeling and my inner peace guide me in meeting my expectations.

You know I really do understand the flight attendant’s instructions on emergency preparedness.  Put the oxygen mask on myself first and then I’ll be capable of assisting others.

Whether your list of New Year’s Resolutions is long, or short my wish is that everyone will be given the opportunity to make all their desires become a reality.

Thank you 2011 for setting me up for 2012. I think I’m starting to get it.

 

Where in the World is…

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Does anyone recall the long time PBS show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?  Have you been following the 5 day adventure titled Where in the World is Matt Lauer?  As you read this post, as you see us hit your Facebook Wall or Twitter Feed, you might be wondering Where in the World…, or more appropriately for some where in the #ell has gogreenbabygo been.  It’s hard to break out again after a where in the H-E-double LL moment, but we’re giving it a shot.

Recently an article from BlogHer showed up on my Facebook Wall that mirrored exactly how I’d been feeling.  The title of the article is The Intimacy and the Cost of Blogging (check it out if you’d like).  I figured this was some kind of confirmation, a good intro when jumping back out there…

Anyhoo, just as ggbg began picking up steam the year before, the following things happened.

1. Long time friend and business owner who was our first retail vendor closed.

2. Life got in the way- sold our home, and moved.

3. Life changing moments and soul searching-been watching lots of Oprah’s Lifeclass.

4. And before all of this happened gogreenbabygo was in the process of redefining ourselves anyway.

So, where in the world have we been?  Where in the world have “I” been?

Neighborhood is everything in the Big Apple.  I miss you Clinton Hill, but hello Sunset Park.  Folks, welcome SPRIG, acronym for Sunset Park Revitalization and Improvement Group-put it on your radar.  Does Prospect Park Alliance sound familiar?  How about Fort Greene Park Conservancy and Central Park Conservancy?  Gear up for SPRIG, it’s the next best thing.  Website design and community engagement by yours truly, and my new friends and neighbors in Sunset Park.

 

 

 

 

Self-promoting is so faux pas, but I have to say I enjoyed sharing for my Seoul Sister who shares my namesake, Julie- Julie Young at Korean American Story.  Wanna get a glimpse of what makes me tick?  What makes me, me.  Here it is.  My Korean American Story.

 

 

 

 

As ggbg redefines our business model it will be less product focused.  Advocacy and community engagement will be the front runner.  So, while we are under construction please excuse all obscenities and eyesores.  Instead of working out all the kinks and then coming out, we’ll do our best to stay about and in the loop while hashing out all the details behind the scenes.  Thanks for your patience and willingness to tough it out with us!  Life happens for a reason, and we’re eager to see what the next life season brings.

 

Pondering Earth Day

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As Earth Day approached I found myself in a solemn state of mind.  Even though I have an event scheduled for Mothers Empowered in the month that celebrates Earth Day, I felt I was supposed to do something else, but I didn’t know what.  I felt I was obligated to say something really grandeur-after all, we’re a green company right?  I almost started to believe that because I wasn’t giving the impression of opulence I wasn’t measuring up.
As I spoke with my good friend, Dionne Grayman, founder of Mothers Empowered, about my convoluted feelings she offered up her advice.  While I understood and saw the bigger picture in the advice she gave, I still felt it wasn’t sufficient.

A few days go by and I’m still at a loss.  Then in the final minutes before Earth Day it came to me.  Small.  It’s okay to be small.  It’s okay to start small.  You don’t always have to measure the effectiveness of contribution by the size of the deed.  Many times change comes by doing small things.  While finishing up my content for the upcoming workshop it all came full circle.  I’d almost lost sight of what I try to teach other people and that is nothing is too small!

For Earth Day this is my suggestion to you.  To make Earth Day personal. Make it feel small by thinking of the big picture.   Where can you start? What fits your lifestyle and where you’re at in your life’s journey?  What can you do consistently and effectively?   Think about it.  Everyone has that little something they know they should do, or have been meaning to do.  Do these questions sound self-centered?  Do you have the misconception that you’re supposed to do something immense, or nothing at all?  Exactly!  Have you been following Oprah’s No Phone Zone campaign?  Precisely!  If every person did one thing, just one little thing it would make a difference.  More of a difference than nothing.
For Earth Day’s 40th Birthday I invite you to be a little selfish.  It could literally do a world of good!  Happy Earth Day everyone!