Cool things lately

Sole amazing shoe find: Black heels from Target - Who says you can't be a little sassy at work? (At least with your shoes!) These black pumps by Isaac Mizrahi prove that chic doesn't have to be expensive--and hot (these are higher than they look--and shiny black patent) doesn't have to be trashy.

Billionaire with a brain & heart: Warren Buffett - Okay, so he's not my normal type :) , but I think Warren Buffett is a cool guy for several reasons--he gives big (largest donation to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), he's smart, he's savvy when it comes to investments, and he's confident. At a time when many people are afraid about money, Buffett exemplified confidence by injecting over $5 billion into Goldman Sachs. This one simple act showed people that one of the world's smartest investors believes in a good company with strong fundamentals--he has faith that our economy will get better and that other investors will start to get rational about their investments instead of being driven by fear.

Starbucks drink: Salted caramel hot chocolate - Careful kids, this drink could be lethal. I know it sounds a little weird--but it's amazingly good. Just reserve it for special occasions--or pretend you don't care about nutrition facts.

Hanging with friends: Season of showers - In the past month or so, I've gone to some type of shower (baby, bridal, engagement) almost every week. It's been exciting to catch up with old friends, make new ones and celebrate some exciting occasions.

Crazy video clip: Opera singing by Wisit from "Top Design" - I don't really know how to explain this...except to say that it makes me laugh every time I watch its hypnotic weirdness.

Books: The Post-Secret series - Recently, I read through several Post-Secret books compiled by Frank Warren. Basically, he asked random people to submit their secrets--some of them are funny, some are really serious and some just make you think. But if you're like me and generally curious about people, it's worth checking out.

Music: Love Jackson Waters lately. Also check out new Brit import Adele--I like the song "Chasing Pavements."

Something I hope never to see at Champions Centre: "Renewed mind is the key" dance There are no words. :)

The truth about secrets

“My boyfriend thinks I love football. The truth? I don’t know the difference between a first down or a third down, the Raiders or the Patriots…and I don’t really care."

“I don't like my job. And I feel horrible even writing that when so many people would die to have what I have. It's a dream job...but it's not my dream."


"I'm in love with my best friend. I'm pretty sure she likes me, too, but she's into the whole 'the guy asks the girl out' kinda thing. I'm not afraid of commitment or even that our friendship will change. I'm afraid that she'd settle for me...that I may not be the kind of guy she deserves."


I stood in the middle of Hudson News at O'Hare reading secrets like this compiled in "Post Secret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives" by Frank Warren. I don't know the full backstory on the book, but it looks like the author may have just found some of the secrets--there was a mix of drawings on napkins, letters, e-mails. As I flipped through the pages, I felt like I was eavesdropping on other people's lives...but I was completely sucked in to the secrets of strangers.

Perhaps it was largely due to curiosity. But just flipping through that book, I thought about a few truths I know about secrets:

• We're more alike than we're different.
  
  What were most people's secrets about? Love. Family. Purpose. Friendship. Faith. As different as we are, most of us care most about the big things in our lives...and I think that's pretty cool.

• Writing a secret can be cathartic. But think carefully when you hit "send", "post" or mail that letter.
  
  I personally know that writing your thoughts can be empowering, rewarding, or even cathartic. Writing something down on paper or on screen makes your thoughts more real--they actually become tangible ink on paper, words on a screen. When you write, you are trying to make sense of your experience--capturing your ideas into words. However, I am also really glad that there are letters I haven't mailed, e-mails I haven't sent or blog posts I haven't published. I wonder how many of the contributors to Post Secret wish their secrets never saw the stands at Hudson News, Borders or your local library.

• If someone entrusts you with a secret, guard it carefully ...
  
  I just did a quick Bible search on the word "secret" and one of the references that stood out to me said, "A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret" (Proverbs 11:13). Learning to be quiet or stop a gossip train isn't easy for everyone. But by being a good listener and guarding the secrets of others, you become a trusted friend/family member and ally.

• ... But the truth always comes out.
  
  This was something my Dad used to tell us while we were growing up--mainly to help us end major family dramas--like cheating at Candyland (you know who you are, middle sister!). But I think he was definitely right. Ultimately, God knows everything about all of us, so there aren't really any secrets. And from what I've seen, secrets--like motives--often surface in the real world, too. I think by teaching us this, my Dad was teaching us to live honest lives of integrity--to be who we said we were. It's been a good lesson to learn.

• Some secrets shouldn't be secret.
  
  When I flipped through the Post Secret book, I was a bit surprised that some of the entries were secrets. People wrote such beautiful things about how much they loved a spouse, children, parents, etc.--and I can only hope that those secrets were shared with the people who were so appreciated, respected or loved.