TheLoop21.com

By: Cassye D. Cook (Add to your loop)
Mon, 01/04/2010 - 01:00

Let the new year be a year of firsts.

Year 2010 is here! It’s not just a new year, it’s the beginning of a whole new decade. The start of the year can be so exciting because we are often preparing to build upon the work of the previous year and meeting new challenges. However, getting back to the reality of our daily grind can be a dreaded thought. But this time around I have determined that to keep the monotony of life at bay there may be some different activities that prolong the holiday afterglow just a little while longer.

The following list of 10 activities is just a start. Bring on 2010!

1. Read a memoir of a truly interesting figure in history. True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy or Brother West: Living and Loving out Loud by Dr. Cornell West both come to mind.
2. Discover music that goes beyond the popular world of Beyonce, Rihanna and Jay-Z. N’Dambi is likely best known as Eryka Badu’s back singer but, her Pink Elephant CD is certainly a sleeper hit.
3. Check out a restaurant with cuisine you have never been bold enough to try before or find a cafe that only serves local ingredients.
4. Attend an artist lecture at your local museum. They often are free and you can get some unique perspectives from those beautifully creative types.
5. Sharpen your mind. Neuroscientists deeper understanding of the human brain have discovered that our mental abilities, such as memory, attention, creativity, and problem solving, can be improved at any age with the right kind of brain exercise. Lumosity.com is a fun and straight forward Web site dedicated to brain games and brain training.
6. Take one of those weird sounding exercise classes that has managed to merge one form of exercise with another, like Yogaerobics or BalaBoxing. It may end up not being for you but you can get two for one – some exercise and a hilarious story.
7. Discover a new film. I’m Through with White Girls (The Inevitable Undoing of Jay Brooks) is a great indie film that goes far beyond its provocative title.
8. Attend a parade in your city. Once upon at time, I was one of those kids marching in the parade and it was always exciting to see the crowds on the street. Parades are seriously a lot of fun for the spectators as well.
9. Find a Paintball Park and Field, add 15 friends and you got a new stress reliever.
10. Buy a good cookbook featuring your favorite cuisine, then make every dish in the book. For every fifth meal invite your friends over to experience the adventure.

Cassye D. Cook is a servant leader, now thinker, change agent and the Immediate Past President of the National Urban League Young Professionals. Cassye earned a B.A. in Business Administration/Marketing from Clark Atlanta University and a J.D. from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Cassye lives in Houston, Texas.