The CSI Project | Create, Share, Inspire: The CSI Project

Happy New Year from the CSI Project! There is nothing like a kid to remind you what life is all about. To help you feel like all you need are stuffed animals to join you at a tea party or a good ole’ fashioned game of Old Maid. For me, 2015 started off enjoying the simple things like a dance party. We have these often in the CSI house for many occasions. So, New Year’s Eve seemed like the perfect time to have a dance party with the CSI 8 year old Niece. I knew seeing her have a great time would make me happy but she taught me a few things I would have never guessed. Amidst, the dancing around the room to everything from The Chicken Dance, Macarena to the YMCA, I took some time to listen to the wisdom of an 8 year old. It was then, I learned some new lessons on how to live this new year. • Everybody likes Clapping. It is happy!- You know the Adams Family song. Da da da dun *snap* *snap*…….. When this song came on my niece realized she had a limitation. She cannot snap her fingers. Instead of giving up and asking for a new song, she just started clapping when I snapped. Then, she proclaimed, “I clap because everyone likes clapping. Clapping is happy!” She is right. We do love clapping. We love being rewarded for a job well done and by clapping that is how we show our appreciation. I realized that in the 2015, I need to show how appreciative I am of people more. I don’t mean stand up and start clapping for your waitress at a restaurant (even though that would be funny and odd) but there are many ways we can show our appreciation and gratitude. I would challenge each of us to show our appreciation and gratitude throughout the year. If you feel the need to clap for someone, DO it! Because just as my niece said, Clapping is happy! Make someone happy! • Just feel the Beat- When the dance party began, I made a comment that my niece is a good dancer. Must come from her aunt!!! Ha! She said, “Thank you. You know what you do, Aunt Dee? You just move when you feel the beat!” I think sometimes in life we get to caught up in the daily grind and chaos of it that we forget to just stop and enjoy it. We forget to “Feel the beat.” We forget to smile, laugh and make someone else around us smile and laugh. We get frustrated and maybe we hurt someone we love. These daily frustrations may never go away but we can change our attitude. We can react in a way that will help us get through them. There is nothing like wearing my headphones and listening to my ipod in the house as I do daily chores like loading the dish washer. Normally this is a mundane, annoying task. I mean, where do all of these dishes come from anyway. Right? But when I have music playing and only I can hear it, I can suddenly transform myself and enjoy that task. I simply “feel the beat” and move. Don’t forget to take some time in 2015 to feel the beat and move! • Dance like everyone is watching- As the dance party continued on I told my niece to “dance like no one is watching.” Pretty philosophical, I thought. But she took my advice and showed me a different perspective. She said, “No, Aunt Dee, dance like everyone is watching. Just be you!” Seriously, not only does she get her dance skills from me but I think her philosophical outlook on life is also from me. Yes, I am totally taking credit. It is my blog after all. Anywhoo, her words hit me. She is right just be yourself and never care who is watching. I doubt that I will just start dancing in the middle of an event but I do think that being happy and showing it, allows you to just be you! Unapologetically, you! The first time I realized this came when I was at an event for one of our CSI kids and it was boring and long. I can admit it. A middle school graduation was boring. It is just payback for all of the events I made my parents sit through. So, when the youngest CSI daughter said she wanted me to take her to the bathroom, I gladly did. When we got in there, she started dancing to a song in her head and I joined her. People were watching but in that moment, I was caught up in the joy of a child. Her giggles, her smile and the way she didn’t care who was watching. She was just being herself and enjoying life. That day I learned a lesson about life I hope I never forget. Enjoy the moments you are given even if it means people are watching. They may judge you. They may tease you but you are YOU! People will always notice what you do, how you live and who you choose to surround yourself with but as long as you are living “authentically” and just being yourself, you will feel joy, love, compassion and dance because everyone is watching! If the world is a stage, then always put on a good show! This new year, I hope you will love yourself more. When you love yourself, then you will have more to give others and enjoy the small moments even more. I hope you will feel the beat and move whether it is in your head or out loud. Dance through the tough times and find your strength from within. I hope you will in a sense “clap for others” because it is a happy way to show appreciation and gratitude. Show others what they mean to you even more in 2015. Now, carry on with the new year and have a dance party as often as you can! Always Sparkle! (crafting with glitter helps with this, by the way *wink, wink* And of course Always remember to Create, Share and Inspire!

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