One of my life's greatest luxuries is the opportunities to help others. To "reach out and touch." To, as this meme says, teach, encourage, instruct, etc. 

Some of us might not do this because we feel like we're more in "learning mode" than in "teaching mode." Or, said another way, we don't feel like we know enough to teach. And of course there is always more to learn, even if you have a P.h.D. 

But there is almost always something we know, some bit of knowledge or experience or wisdom that someone else might need to know. And if we don't reach out to offer that experience both people lose the opportunity to grow. The only way it can work is if one person openly admits that he or she has something he/she needs help with and someone else offers to provide that help. Like the Ric Ocasek (yes, the singer from the 80s band The Cars) suggests, if you don't ask for help, not only will you not get the help you need, but you'll also rob the giver of the chance to be helpful. 

Why this subject for today? Because yesterday I signed up to be a Mentor for a program here in Aspen. I've done a lot of teaching and training and public speaking but this is the first official mentorship I've participated in. I'm looking forward to it. 

Yesterday I met a new friend for lunch in a nearby town. Covering about a dozen topics, the list included the benefits in being single vs. being married. The whole "grass is always greener" discussion. I've always asserted that "The other side of relationship is freedom." So when I found this meme I thought it was a good one to discuss in today's post. 

When you're single, you have the freedom to choose what you do, who you see, what to eat, how to spend your free time, and so much more. 

It was refreshing talking with my (married) friend who understood and appreciated the freedom that comes with singledom. So many people – married or single – try to get you paired-up, like your life is half empty without a partner. 

We also talked about the whole "half-empty" analogy, within a different context. Yet another example of how society tries to get us to think that having a glass half-empty is a bad thing. Like we must be depressed without a full glass and should lament that we either didn't get our full share or we must be missing that first portion of the drink when there's still more left. 

Yet I assert (and my friend agreed) that half-empty is a GOOD thing! That a certain amount of angst is CRUCIAL for a happy, or at least a fulfilling, life. It's the basis of all creativity and innovation. If you've already heard the perfect song, why would you listen to anything else? If you have a favorite book, why wouldn't you read it over and over again instead of looking for another author? If you were thrilled with your cassette tapes, why would you consider an MP3 player? If the world was content (or, perhaps a better word would be complacent) with things as they are, they'd never strive for more. For different. For new. For better. 

When people ask me to define myself, I tailor my response to fit the audience, vacillating between saying I'm a writer, a marketer, an inventor or an innovator. The other day a friend called me a "creative mastermind." Yeah. I'll take that. 

And even though the lyrics are talking about something completely different, I can't resist…

I was talking with a friend the other day who suggested that she might not be as happy living here because she probably wouldn't be as interested in the groups I'm drawn to. Makes sense, of course. My rebuttal is that there are as many different groups here as there are diverse interests. You just have to find the ones that "fit" you.

Who are you? Who is your tribe? For many of us, especially those who stay put in the same location for many years, stay connected to the people we've known forever. Even if the only thing you have in common with them is a shared history. 

But one of the exciting things about moving somewhere new is that you can seek out your tribe. You can look for the people and causes and events that resonate with your vibe. For me, it's a wide variety. Guess it must be the Gemini in me. 

So in addition to becoming active in the writing and screenwriting communities here, I also felt drawn to check out the entrepreneur group here. What a delightful surprise to see the meeting so crowded! And in the off-season! I instantly volunteered to become more active. My goal isn't to get help with my businesses. I'm more motivated to help and mentor the others. Looking forward to it. 

While I do have an appreciation for the finer things in life, I'd rather find a good bargain than be one of those people who need to have the "best" of everything. And I most certainly don't need the "latest model." I honestly couldn't care less about impressing the Smiths or keeping up with the Joneses.

With a history of volatile income, from a decent salary to homelessness and food stamps, I've experienced the ups and downs (and can't) afford. 

When your finances are severely strapped, you experience what I call "the plight of the poor." You have no choice to either get the cheapest item which inevitably breaks, costing you so much more. Or you put off "preventive" expenses (like dentistry, automotive and medical issues) entirely, resulting in financial disasters.

So I had to make a choice when looking for ski boots. Do I get the less expensive boots, saving a lot of money upfront? Or do I go for it, getting the best? 

To me, the best is the one with custom orthotics that will be the most comfortable, allowing me to ski for longer and more days per week. The best is the one that will last longer so I don't have to replace them as quickly. The best is a convenient retailer who will guarantee fit and promise endless adjustments or replacement if needed. 

So when I found a "locals-only" sale at that retailer I went for it. Oh yeah, and they're cool-looking too. 

I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

We have 61 days left in the year. Sixty-one days to accomplish the New Year's Resolutions we pledged ten months ago. 

I'm saying this a little tongue-in-cheek, because I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions per se. I do think the new year is a great time to reflect on the past year and project your anticipations of the next 365 days. What did you accomplish? What was a surprise, good or "bad?" How did your "oh, wow" moments compare to the "oh, crap" ones?

What a difference a year makes. Or perhaps just 365 days. 

There was a part of me that wished I'd started this blog in January, mainly because it would feel clean. Defined. 

But then that's not what life is about, is it? Life isn't "clean." It's complicated and messy and miraculous and mysterious. 

I personally believe everything happens for a reason. Heck, I literally "wrote the book" on things happening for a reason – and what the reasons are. (My book Five Reasons Why Bad Things Happen: How to Turn Tragedies Into Triumph.) The reasons are complicated (hence a 300+ page book), but suffice it to say that some are predetermined, some we consciously create and some are influenced by outside forces. More on that later.

Let's get back to the 61 days. What will you do to "catch up" to where you thought you'd be by the end of the year? And perhaps more importantly, how will you treat yourself if you fail? If you succeed? Is there a difference?

And here's a song that I'm listening to right now. I love discovering new artists!

A lot of people, me included, want to know what's going to happen in the future. They (okay, I) might study Astrology or go to a psychic to get a peek into what's next. 

Being Halloween season, last night I almost went to an event where they had psychic readings for $20. I didn't end up going, but it does make you wonder what he/she might have said was "in the stars" for me. What my future will look like. 

And I live in an economy that's largely based on predicting the weather. The snow, to be more exact. In pretty much everywhere else, snow can negatively impact – even debilitate – an economy. But here people are getting anxious because we don't have enough snow.

In late October. 

I'm looking forward to the ski season. Even more now that my heart seems to be cooperating enough to allow me to hit the slopes as soon as they're open. I'm also looking forward to the beauty the snow brings. The light. The reflection. And the energy. 

There's no snow predicted in the upcoming week. But if there's anything I've learned from living here, the weather isn't predictable. 

In the meantime, I did look up the weather predictions for the season. Pretty much like life. Somewhere between 88 to 112 of "normal." 

Que sera sera.

If you've followed my tales of travails about trails (sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm a writer, after all), you know the distress I've felt by not being able to do real hiking. Instead of being able to climb and hike, I've been limited to flat terrain. 

It's fine. Like most disappointments in life, I've adjusted and found things to enjoy at ground level. Yet when I looked up (literally and metaphorically), I felt a yearning to rise. To go higher. 

On the one-month anniversary of my cardioversion "shock" treatment, I mustered up the courage to try to climb Smuggler's Mountain again. 

I hadn't done it since the day before I went to the emergency room with fluid in my lungs. Yes. It was this trail that "done me in" as they say. 

So to set this goal was a bit scary. Like any good goal should. 

Yet I did it. 

And for good measure, I did it again the next day. 

Last night I did something I would have never considered doing when I was in Atlanta. Not because this kind of event didn't happen. But more because here it was THE happening. 

I went to the school talent show. There were kids from third grade to 12th grade performing. Some were fun-loving acts to make people laugh and others were talents that had been well cultivated over years of practice. And some were natural, instinctive talents. There were singers, musicians, comedians and dancers, and it was loads of fun. 

Not having been a parent, going to the show was a novelty for me. And not knowing any of the kids or families I could be objective. Good or bad, it was loads of fun! 

When I first moved here, I kept noticing these birds I'd never seen before. At first, they look like a crow. But when they take flight, you see the magnificence in their design. 

According to some sources, the Magpie is one of the most intelligent birds in the world. (See video below).

As a huge devotee of Darwin, it could be argued that this magnificence could be a result of "natural selection." But somehow I think it's something (or someone) else. 

So let's talk about "intelligent design." When I discussed wildflowers, I suggested, "someone is having fun upstairs." I feel the same about the magpie – or Maggie, as I call them. This bird is a spectacular example of "intelligent design." There was thought put into this use of color and geometry. 

So today I challenge you. Go out into nature and look for something suggesting Intelligent Design. And report back to me here or on my Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/365DaysinAspen/

It's interesting when the weather fits your mood. When the heaviness of the clouds mimick the heaviness in your heart and the skies seem to be weeping for you. 

Living in paradise makes you less equipped to handle the dark days. But they come anyway. And they're (usually) necessary. Important, even. 

One of the biggest challenges I have in my life is handling disappointment. I get excited about a project, about it's potential (usually it's ability to really make a difference in people's lives) and then poof! it's gone. Over. Finito. 

Back to the drawing board. Pick up your bootstraps. Gray skies are gonna clear up. All that crap. 

My mother's mantra was "Don't get your hopes up." Hidden within that message was an expectation of failure. Of lowering expectations to a manageable level, perhaps. Or probably more like a not-so-subtle message not to try at all.  

It's safer not to try. Not to take a risk. So go the easy route. 

On this gray, rainy day, I'll have to ponder that message. As I say in my Reasons Why book: "Face it, Feel it, Free it."