Michael Rezaee

Because of midterms and college applications I haven't been posting as many updates! But here we are!
As we are concluding these challenges, I can say I have met everyone on my street, and even people who just come here to walk their dog. I feel a lot more confident talking to strangers than I did before; breaking out of my mold of being an introverted person. My plants are still alive, thankfully, and I do see a lot more bees buzzing around the garden area, which is a sign that my plants are doing their job! Practice has become habit, I instinctively know when my 5 minutes are up in the shower, and it's time to get out, to add even more to this, my water bill has gone down immensely. I have continued with complimenting myself daily, seeing the good in myself, as opposed to criticizing myself to shreds; gotta say, you are your best friend, what you tell yourself definitely becomes reality. I told myself that I'm capable, reliable, and I get what I want...it's paying off, I'm definitely kicking some a$$. But my favorite part from these challenges is reconnecting with someone who you haven't spoke to by writing them a small note, appreciating their existence. I have seen so many emotional moments that I wouldn't have got if it weren't for this one challenge. ANYWAY I'm done rambling!!! Here's a summary of what I got out of this so far!
Conclusion:
- Saving more water through new habits
-Being active and tuning into the people around you, as opposed to tuning into yourself
-Live in the moment
-Find a love for gardening, because without plants the world would be empty....literally
-love YOU, YOU are who you come to life with, YOU are who you live with, YOU are who you sleep with, YOU will save yourself, YOU will be your hero, and in the end YOU will end with yourself...so appreciate yourself daily
-Hit up that friend of yours or person you have strayed away from and let them know you still love them even if the distance has become a bridge in your relationship 

Day 6 Update-

Hello everyone! So I have continued with my challenges, fell off the wagon with my sleep challenge a bit pulling an all-nighter for a mid-term! But things are back on track. Have to thank my housemates for bearing with my shower singing, as I still use a 3-5 minute song to time my water usage, and can't help but sing to it. My plants are growing beautifully, and the bees are buzzing; I'm sticking with my doctors healthy-foods recommendation, avoiding the sugars I love so much, and chewing this carrot I dread.

This week has shown me the power one person can have by being an active participant in their own life, initiating contact as opposed to expecting it.....

Meet my neighbors-
I have met 7 neighbors with common interests, and even signed up on a website nextdoor.com, so I can meet all my neighbors and see what's going on with my community; being a person who likes to keep to himself, it definitely has been a challenge to go out of my way to meet people, because usually I let people talk to me first. Today I noticed that as I was talking to one of my neighbors, another neighbor joined in the conversation, before I knew it we were having a full blown conversation about planning a mini house party and inviting our block so we all can get to know each other better! 

Happiness-
Seeing the good has always been a challenge for me; being hyper-critical about every aspect of myself. I'm beginning to see the positive influence of building yourself up versus tearing yourself down. By doing this I see a difference in the way I interact with people, how I set my boundaries, and stand my ground in terms of respect. I definitely value my existence in this world a lot more, and this challenge is probably one of my favorites, reminding myself that I am smart, loved, hard working, and worth it! In this challenge I have noticed I'm not the only one who needs compliments, a lot of people who I haven't talked to in a while came to tears as I said the value they have for me in my life, and what made them special. We live in a tough world, and it's good to remember everyone needs a compliment or to be shown appreciation!

Day 1 down, so far I've met one new neighbor who I never spoke to before, learned about their life, and realized we share a love of dogs and exercise! Brought my shower time down to 5 minutes, had to find a routine that works, wasn't easy. Bought 3 plants that support our local pollinators, and never knew gardening could be such a pain in the @$$. Got an extra hour of sleep, definitely could rock my hour in the pool, and felt a lot more charismatic about my day. Brought a childhood friend I haven't spoken to in 10 years to tears today with a simple hello and gratitude for being there for me like a sister when I was younger....what else.....oh! and I contacted my doctor to schedule an appointment regarding my health and how to improve it, today found out I need to stop giving in to my sweet tooth, and eat more vegetables. So far so good, lets see what tomorrow brings!