AHHHHH!

Well, here's a First.  I haven't blogged in five days.

Why?  Well, it's been a little nuts to tell you the truth.

As you might know by now (because I keep whining about it), I've completely wrenched my back and I'm living on a diet of advil and tylenol all day long.

This past week my daughter was in the hospital for five days with some mysterious stomach fever scarey thing.

NOT THE WAY I WANTED TO START THE YEAR!

But it's just another reminder that we never know what's going to happen next. We never know how long we'll feel good and healthy. We never know when we are going to trip on a piece of furniture and have doctors tell you that there's  nothing to do but live with the pain for two weeks.  (Okay, I know. Whining again.) 

Good news. Alexa is feeling much better. So much better she's bugging me about my lack of blogging.

Bottom line on all this is Carpe Diem people! Seize the Day!  All we know is we have this minute, this hour, this day if we're lucky.  

What are you going to do with it?

Me?  I must be feeling a little better because I started to make plans to learn Italian over lunch. Why? Because I love the sound of learning Italian over lunch.  Because I'm going to say yes to just about anything that semi interests me. 

Alright, this is probably enough of the mad ravings of a woman taking way too many over the counter pain killers.

So, I ask again. What are you going to do that's different in 2011????

Do Something Outrageous to Start the Year

Stuck? In a rut? Worried that the new year will be just like the old year?

Do something a little outrageous, outside your comfort zone.  Sign up for a Polar Bear Plunge. Take a risk. Say Yes to an invitation when you'd normally say NO.

Promise yourself tomorrow you'll do something you've never done before. Not sure you'll follow through? Tell your friends. Tell me. Post on the Share Your Firsts page. I'll give you a little friendly push.

Need ideas? Scroll through the archives of One Year of Firsts 2010. Something will strike you. Go for it.  Try a First. If you do, tomorrow will never be the same old thing. 

Kevin Eubanks Interview on Reinventing Your Life

Welcome to the 2011 edition of One Year of Firsts.

Every day of 2010 I tried to do something new for the First time. It was somewhat of a stunt born out of shear frustration, but it changed my life.

Over the last year I’ve compared notes and talked to so many people about change and reinvention. They’ve all inspired me and now I hope they inspire you as we start the New Year together.

Musician Kevin Eubanks spent 18 years on the Tonight Show. He has a fabulous new CD called Zen Food.

I was so fortunate to get to know him a little bit while he spent time on the 10! Show this past week and he has thought a lot about the importance of making changes in your life. He sweetly agreed to let me interview him for this blog.

We were in a car on the way to lunch. Listen to what Kevin says:



I agree with so much of what Kevin believes and it’s clear he’s on a new positive adventure in his career.

The truth is it doesn’t matter whether you’re famous and achieved great success. We all need to keep learning and growing.

Kevin says you can’t force change, but I would disagree somewhat.

I believe you can open the window to change every day. You don’t have to know exactly where you’re heading, but by trying new things, ( Firsts ), you can get out of whatever box you’re in and start a process that will help you refresh and reinvent your life. What do you think of Kevin’s philosophy on changing and reinventing your life?

Click the Share Your First tab at the top of the page. Tell me what you think.
   Tomorrow: A Challenge to start the New Year

Day 365 of Firsts:Look Back on an Incredible Year

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.  ~Victor Frankl

It's hard to believe this day has finally come. I made it.  I can truly say I've lived an entire year of Firsts every day.  And so many of you have helped me. I want to say thank you to every single one of you who has followed this blog, helped me and supported me or just offered some words of encouragement along the way.

What began as a whimsical, crazy challenge to get out of a rut has rewarded me with amazing new experiences, challenges, friends, jobs, skills and a refreshed and reinvented life. It's true. My life has dramatically changed this year and this blog set me on the path to make that happen. 

I didn't know exactly where I was going when I started this adventure jumping into the Atlantic Ocean last New Years Day. I just knew something had to change.

What I've learned is that I had to change. I had to get out of my comfort zone every day and explore, learn, push myself, teach, say yes to things that made me a little scared but excited. 

Some Firsts were just small and silly. Still, each experience allowed me to eventually tackle big things with confidence and knowledge that failure was okay but not trying something I wanted  to do was unacceptable.

So what's changed?

I have a new job at the moment. I'm hosting the 10! Show on NBC 10.  It's a huge change from investigative reporting but I'm so happy every day when I wake up to go to work. I never would have guessed this would have happened a year ago but reinventing your life can take you to unexpected and wonderful places.

I taught my first college journalism course at Drexel University and I know that I want teaching to be in my future.  That means this next year I've got to knuckle down and continue working on my Masters degree. 

I've leaped into new technology. I've embraced social media, learned to edit my own video, adore my IPad and find any news I need online. Well, it's a start.

I spoke at the Pennsylvania Governor's Conference about how to reinvent your life.  I hope that I'll be able to continue to help motivate others to get "unstuck" in their lives. 

Which leads me to my plan for 2011. This last year has been about my journey. I hope this next year is about yours.

Tomorrow I'll launch a new version of this blog.  I hope you'll share your firsts, your tips, your videos and pictures as you reinvent your life.

I'll be sharing stories of people I've been talking to, some famous, most just every day folks who've found a way to take a leap and change their lives in some meaningful way. 

I'm hoping you'll find inspiration here and that you'll help inspire others. 

In the meantime, here's a look back on some of the highlights of One Year of Firsts from 2010.  

Happy New Year !

Day 364 of Firsts:Le Bec Fin,Eubanks & Summers

If a man love the labour of any trade apart from any question of success or fame , the gods have called him. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

It has been a wild week on the 10! Show co-hosting with Marc Summers, (producer Dinner Impossible,  Double Dare) and Kevin Eubanks who has a new CD out  called Zen Food.

Executive Producer Mina Sabet , Kevin, Marc and I were all invited by Chef Georges Perrier to dine at his world famous restaurant Le Bec Fin.  I can't tell you how wonderfully surreal the whole thing was.  I'd never been to Le Bec Fin. I've never eaten real gold in my food (seriously!). I've never eaten so many lovely snails.

Kevin sweetly signed autographs. Marc told great stories.  Chef Perrier wined and dined us and I just kept pinching myself. Is this real???  

Well, here's the video. The food was so beautiful I had to keep taking pictures of it.

C'est magnifique!

Day 363 of Firsts: Chiropractor in the House? Yes.

From the bitterness of disease man learns the sweetness of health.  ~Catalan Proverb

Sometimes when you need help it just leaps out in front of you.  For the last two days everyone's been telling me I need to see a chiropractor about my wrenched back.

But I'd never been to a chiropractor; didn't think I knew a chiropractor. Ha.  Jeffrey Cheskin was in the 10! Show audience today with his two adorable little girls. Sure enough he's a chiropractor who comes highly recommended by one of our photographers.   Thank goodness.

Well, he worked a little magic. Feel a little better. You can see what happened in the video. What a weird feeling...kind of Oww...than AHHH. 

Day 362 of Firsts: Double Dare Contest & Reunion

It may be that all games are silly.  But then, so are humans.  ~Robert Lynd

Marc Summers who used to host Nickel0deon's popular Double Dare game show is co-hosting the 10 Show with me this week.

We thought it would be fun to reunite him with his side kick Harvey. Add Kevin Eubanks of Tonight Show fame and Ace of Cakes Duff Goldman and you got yourself a game.  Well, we thought so.

Watch our version of Double Dare.  I don't know why I didn't see that cake coming for my face!