Fun Ways to Survive Winter and Even Thrive

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Last updated on April 2nd, 2012 at 12:23 pm

I love the enchanted world after a fresh snowfall: the rounded shapes and smooth lines, roofs, car, bushes and trees blanketed in white, no sharp edges left.

Everything is softened, made new again.

I still feel like a young girl when I go sledding, shrieking my fool head off as I laugh my way down the slopes, inevitably falling off the sled. The last time I went sledding with my 22-year-old sister, we broke the sled and lay there on the slopes howling with laughter, in parkas, hats and wet jeans, as the busted sled skittered down the slope past us.

I like skiing, the cold air turning my cheeks pink, zooming down the slopes as fast as this novice skier can go. I still love a good snowball fight, the unabashed silliness of it.

Warm Me Up!
And yet – snow means cold. I enjoy the cold – in small doses.

After too much time in the cold, my body wants to warm up again. I love temperate climates.

So, according to my body thermometer, 2010 is off to a great start. I’m spending it in warm places, escaping the cold… at least for now.

In a week, I’ll be back in New York. But much of December was spent in sunny Argentina, enjoying 80+ degree weather. Now, I’m on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

In a few days, I’ll be in San Diego.

I have to say, life is good. I have always wanted to live a flexible life that includes a lot of travel, fun times with family and friends, and a healthy balance of life and work.

I have achieved this.

Many Dreams Yet To Live…
Of course, I am only just getting started on living other dreams – such as writing and publishing my first book. I got out of the rhythm of my writing schedule during the holiday season, and am just now getting back on track.

I still have a long way to go to transform my first 65 pages into a complete manuscript. I plan to write 8-10 pages a week to be sure to meet my February deadline of 100 pages completed.

Keeping Spirits Up During Dark Days!
And I’ll find ways to keep my spirit up in the winter cold and darkness back in New York. For me this year, that will include dancing more, meditation and yoga, spending time with good friends, and being sure to sometimes escape!

I realize that I’m lucky and that flying away is not always an option for everyone. Yet I do feel that there are always ways to focus on the joy, no matter where we are, and to do things that make us feel better.

Doing anything that makes you laugh – watching a funny movie, spending time with a hilarious friend, reading some David Sedaris – can be a great cure for winter blues. So can a glass of wine in front of a warm fireplace, snuggling with your sweetie, curling up under a blanket with a favorite book on a cold night.

What strategies do you use to keep your spirits up during the cold season? What brightens your spirits when the days are long and dark?

And, as we get started on the New Year, another very important question to ask ourselves is – How do you measure success?

What Does Success Mean to You?
Success to me includes a life full of travel, adventures, family and friends, and fulfilling work, and I’m living that. It means different things to different people, however. What does it mean to you?

I love this quote from Albert Camus and leave you with this: “In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”

Here’s to thriving all year round!

Lisa

(Lisa has launched her dream by signing up for Ellen Sussman’s “Memoir-in-a-Year” class, speaking her story out loud at a Take Back the Night rally, and committing to a regular writing schedule – 50 pages completed by December 5th, when she also turned in her first book chapter! Being invited to join 8womendream.com was a dream come true, and she looks forward to chronicling her writing process. Lisa is currently bi-coastal with her home in historic Troy, New York and her heart in San Francisco.  Lisa’s post day is Tuesday).

DREAM GOAL:  NOVEMBER 01, 2010 COMPLETED MEMOIR