And here it is.

[audraeverafter]

A Prologue.

I decided to go with a "111 Things To Do in 2011" list. With a little bit of a twist --- I am only putting things on this list that will make me happy. I am not putting things that I "need" to do, or "resolutions" of things that I "should" do. I am only putting things that will bring more happiness and joy into my life, or things that I know will lighten my soul and free my heart. Things that align with my intentions for the year. It is a journey of continual growth.

So here, we go, one hundred and eleven joyously amazing things to do in 2011.

Three (Inter-related) Intentions.

• Loka samasta sukhino bhavantu. May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the words, thoughts, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and freedom for all. My intention is to dive deeply into this blessing, always returning to that question -- is this contributing to the happiness and freedom for all? Is this lunchtime gossip contributing to happiness and freedom? This milkshake that I feed myself? The way I spend my money? How is this freeing me? Others? Is there some way that my life can contribute even more? How can I serve? How can I love?

• Be, as Amy Ippoliti says, a powerhouse of love. An explosion of pure love, a love muffin, a totally fierce and compassionate lovebug. I want to be a tsunami this year, and leave dozens of ripples and waves of love, of joy, of laughter in my wake. I want to marvel at the millions of incarnations of the Universe that we cross paths with each day. I want to fall in love with each and every one of them. When faced with the choice, to live in love or live in fear, I want to choose love. Over and over and over, I will choose love.  

• Commit to life, and commit fiercely, fully. Commit to experiencing the high's and low's, both, without seeking to numb myself with technology, with food, with television shows and arguments. Commit to taking changes, trying new experiences, and just jumping in completely. Our lives can be gone in a flash, and there will be so many opportunities lost. I am choosing to live, to live fully, to dive in, to love my life, to be passionately in love with the angst and the laughter. I am remembering the light and life of the 2 year old, before society's condition sets in... The wonder, the awe, the pure luscious love for everything around you. It is an amazing experience, to be human, and I am blessed in so many ways. I will say yes! to life this year, to all the crazy manifestations of the universe that I get to encounter. 

The List.

1. Spend a few minutes each morning  & evening at our altar: praying, meditating, just checking in.
2. Move to Virginia.
3. Chug more water.
4. Read Marianne Williamson's "A Course in Weight Loss."
5. Dive more deeply into yoga through completing an Anusara Immersion.
6. Do more thrift store shopping when it comes to "going out" or "going to work" clothes.
7. Go swimming in the lake & jump off the dock.
8. Spend more time in silence.
9. Yoga. Every day. Even if it's just ten minutes, fifteen minutes. Every day.
10. Give compliments. Lots of them. Genuine ones. To others, to myself. 
11. Cuddle my cats more.
12. Explore different communities of faith in Virginia -- Ekoji, UU Churches, etc...
13. Take Dan to a real, Southern-style high school football game.
14. Continue to study and practice the Anusara Yoga method.
15. Walk more.
16. Greens! Greens! Green smoothies! Green juices! Salads! Greens!
17. Graduate from Yoga Teacher Training! And celebrate with loved ones.
18. Make our own ice cream with only the finest ingredients. 
19. Play on swing sets and slides. 
20. Make fresh juice. Often.
21. Volunteer with Meals on Wheels, a Soup Kitchen, or some other organization.
22. Walk on the beach more.
23. Declutter my closet and my desk.
24. Have a Disney Princess Movie Marathon with Sara, Stephanie, and Madaline.
25. Listen to my body's wisdom, especially about food. 
26. Have lazy morning Sunday brunches with Dan.
27. Join PostCrossing again, and keep up with it!
28. Attend a Children's Yoga teacher training.
29. Take Aaliyah to the Children's Museum.
30. Get my bicycle repaired or save up for a new bicycle.
31. Have a Christmas in July party with a White Elephant Gift Exchange. 
32. Attempt the Complaint-Free World Challenge. Again.
33. Master handstand and headstand at the wall; play with them away from the wall.
34. Have brunch at Pure Food & Wine.
35. Go to Babycakes.
36. Apply for 501(c)(3) status with Autism: No Limits.
37. Take more computer breaks!
38. Honor my body's need for sleep & a regular bedtime. 
39. Spend a day or two or three hiking with Stephanie.
40. Buy myself flowers, or plants, and find a way for my cat not to eat them.
41. Dress up for Halloween.
42. Light sparklers on the 4th of July.
43. Hold pajama dance parties with an invitation for one: me!
44. Speak with Ram Dass in a 1:1 "Heart to Heart' Skype conversation. 
45. Cry when I feel like crying, laugh when I feel like laughing.
46. Go to an improv comedy show.
47. Ride my bicycle to get groceries, run errands, or just to go for a spin.
48. Take more pictures.
49. See the new Winnie the Pooh movie, perhaps even taking Aaliyah along.
50. Take Aaliyah to Kings Dominion and/or the state fair.
51. Get a tattoo on the inside of my wrist.
52. Play with watercolors, drawing pencils, and art journals.
53. Work my way through the books on my bookshelves before purchasing more.
54. Learn to do a magic trick.
55. Spend more time with my grandparents.
56. Host a slumber party, and not the dirty kind. 
57. Attend a workshop or personal retreat at Yogaville, the ashram in Virginia.
58. Volunteer at an animal sanctuary or animal rescue organization.
59. Tell people thank you more often.
60. Have my own artwork framed for hanging.
61. Prana energy movement exercise, more more more!
62. Visit Luray Caverns.
63. Pray more.
64. Linger over an early breakfast & hot chocolate on the deck while the sun rises. 
65. Host monthly yoga brunches with family and friends.
66. Read an excerpt of Meditations from the Mat during the day.
67. Assist my mom to apply for an art show, as per her Christmas gift. 
68. Go bowling. And play awesome arcade games at the bowling alley.
69. Visit Jen at least once!
70. Shop at more farm stands and farmer's markets.
71. Spend more time 1:1 with Dan, without any technology in the room.
72. Clean up a park or a beach. Or both!
73. Practice centering myself through breathing or prana movement throughout the day.
74. Paint my toenails & fingernails a rainbow of bright colors.
75. Find or create a meet-up group or two that I enjoy attending in Virginia.
76. Visit the library more.
77. Make eye contact more, including with waitresses, cashiers, etc.
78. Cook more. Eat out less.
79. Play with different structures designs for spaces & classes at Autism: No Limits.
80. Explore my home state, and the wonders that I ignored in my teenage angst. 
81. Give gratitude and write in my gratitude journal. 
82. Treat myself to monthly massages, pedicures, or some other self-spa treatment. 
83. See a movie at The Byrd.
84. Sit on the floor more, and in chairs less. 
85. Explore different sensory & play therapy workshops. 
86. Finish Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita.
87. Spend time just staring at the stars.
88. Complete a 1000-piece puzzle.
89. Appreciate my sister's attempts to support children with special needs.
90. Attend another retreat or wilderness trip with the Zen Mountain Monastery. 
91. Spend an afternoon at a "U-Pick" farm, exploring what's available each season.
92. Save my pennies to attend either a YJ Conference, Wanderlust Fest, or Bhakti Fest.
93. Rent an OBX beach house for at least a weekend.
94. Go camping. Often. 
95. Spring Cleaning Weekend -- What can I give to those who need it more?
96. See another Cirque du Soleil show. 
97. Go to Mountain Lake with my sister.
98. Add another auto-deduct charity -- I currently do Unicef and Invisible Children.
99. Have a karaoke party with a tiny rented room and some of my best friends.
100. Decorate the house (or apartment) for the winter holidays.
101. Host a grand opening weekend at the Autism: No Limits studios. (Postponed to 2012.)
102. Spend more time with Sara. 
103. Roll in the grass on a summer day.
104. Journal nightly.
105. Find a yoga studio that feels like home in the Metro-Richmond area.
106. Be more aware of my time online and how that time does/not align with my intention.
107. Take more bubble baths.
108. Be regular about updating my blog.
109. Twirl through a summer rain, and jump in all the puddles.
110. Explore the 2011 intentions through an end-year art project, journal or meme.
111. Set an intention, and perhaps write a list, for 2012.