'It's Easy'

I've written on my other blog a bit about the impact The Beatles has had on my life. Like so many people my age, I was raised on the band's music, movies and ideals, and have come to regard John, Paul, George and Ringo almost as family members.

The music of The Beatles is comfortable and familiar. It's consoled me. It's encouraged me. It's entertained me. It's inspired me. The songs are sentimental, powerful, spiritual, universal, personal, optimistic, dangerous, sullen, silly. The songs hold within them a million stories, a unique memory for each listener, and because of those connections Beatles lyrics have become mottos and philosophies.

The greatest theme in Beatles' songs is love. The Cirque du Soleil tribute to the band is called "LOVE" because that word appears in Beatles' lyrics more than any other. Over the course of its short recording career, the band explored love in its many forms, from the personal to the universal, the romantic to the spiritual.

Aside from the fact that the band wrote such incredible music, maybe it's this focus on love that has kept the songs spinning for nearly five decades, and will keep them in heavy rotation for decades more.

"All You Need Is Love" is, for me, the pinnacle. It's such a beautiful and honest song, optimistic and introspective. It's a song I gave to my niece and nephew when they were born. It's a song that keeps teaching me lessons, and probably always will.

Saying "all you need is love" is a trite but absolutely true. The longer I live, the more I understand how powerful and essential love is, love for others and, as importantly, love for yourself. It multiplies and expands and, if you let, can envelop your whole world.

Though I know this to be true, it's so hard to live it, so hard to really take it in, let it take over. Those moments that I do, though, I feel invincible.

'Everly, Misery'

I've made my plans for New Year's Eve and started thinking about New Year's resolutions. Should I even bother? I did think for a bit about what I could reasonably commit to doing (or not doing) in 2013 that would have a positive impact on my life, make me feel accomplished or, at the very least, bring a little happiness this way.

My resolution for 2013 is I will see Morrissey in concert.

I know that buying tickets for Morrissey's makeup (and possible farewell) concert in March won't really get me anywhere closer to finding the solutions for all the problems that mash around in my head day and night. It will, however, be another possibly magical experience I can look back on from time to time.

Even if it's something as seemingly inconsequential as a concert, it's good to take advantage of opportunities and have new experiences whenever possible. I find Morrissey endlessly fascinating and it's a not-so-secret fantasy of mine to have an audience with this great man. The chances of that happening for me, a mere mortal, and carnivore at that, is slim to none, so being in a room with him, surrounded by a few thousand of the faithful feels like something I shouldn't pass up, so I won't.

(Side Note: OK, so I don't actually believe that concerts are inconsequential, sure, going to a concert isn't as high on the priority chain as going to work, taking care of your children, eating, sleeping and all that, but there have been moments when a show, or just the idea of a show, feels that important to me.)

I know I'll come up with some real resolutions over the next few weeks, imagining a more perfect version of myself who could exist in the new year, a time made up entirely of possibilities. To be her, I'll only need to make a few hundred tiny, and not-so-tiny, changes. If all that fails, if I fall back into back habits, or even pick up a few new ones, I can at least console myself at the concert.

'Never Stop Reading This!'

On Tuesday's episode of "New Girl," Jess and CeCe took a test to see how many eggs they had left and how much time they had to start families. Thank you, universe, for bringing up this topic yet again.

I pretty much said all I really need to say about all that two weeks ago, so, thankfully, another plot point in the episode struck a chord with me as well.

Nick has regularly been struggling with his quarter-life crisis on the show. In Tuesday's episode, pushed by the success his lifelong friend Winston has found at work, Nick decides he's going to finally write his zombie novel. Unfortunately, Nick isn't a finisher—he didn't finish law school and Winston's confident he won't finish the zombie novel either.

After a drunken visit to the zoo (Nick's attempt at a Hemmingway-esque adventure), he does pound out the zombie novel, which is terrible, and dedicates it to Winston, who does an incredible read for all the roommates.

Even though it's terrible, Nick's zombie novel is an accomplishment I can relate to. I'm more of an idea person than a follow-through person. I have millions of plots and schemes and, sadly, very little to show for any of it. Lately, though, I've made some progress.

On my other blog I started a project earlier this year where I would listen to every CD I own in order and, nearly eight months later, I'm nearly done. It only took me six months to get started, and at times seemed impossible that I would get through all 346 CDs, but I'm doing it.

At work, I pitched a somewhat involved feature story for our December issue that's currently in the production process. I found the people to interview, made the calls, did the research, gathered the art and wrote it, and it's pretty good.

These are very small victories, but victories nonetheless. Like Nick's zombie novel, I know seeing these projects through to the end won't magically make everything in my life perfect, but they're both setting me on a path where I know I can turn more ideas into reality.

'That's the Word, Tom's a Bird'

The end of the year lends itself to reflection. What did I do? What didn't I do? What should I have done? What would I do differently? I think it's always better to reflect on what you have rather than what you don't have, your achievements rather than your failings.

Thanksgiving is the holiday for taking that sunnier look at yourself. Regardless of how often I feel frustrated, unaccomplished, stymied, uninspired or lackluster in anyway, I know that my life is filled with an overwhelming amount of blessings.

For that, I'm truly grateful.

'It's All Part of God's Plan'

You know how when you buy a new car, you start seeing your car everywhere? Is it that there's suddenly more of that type of car out on the road, the increase somehow spurred on by your purchase decision, or is the same amount of that car in the world as always but it's just that you're noticing the make more?

I've had similar experiences with interests, thoughts, concerns and so forth, where a certain topic on my mind springs up all around me. Lately it's been the question of having children or not having children. Maybe it's the election, maybe it's my age, maybe it's just all a big coincidence, but the talk feels like it's everywhere.

On several occasions, I got sucked into the recent season finale of "Keeping up With the Kardashians," watching the three oldest sisters deal with their family planning issues—Kourtney gives birth to her second child, Kim considers freezing her eggs and Khloe learns why she hasn't gotten pregnant after more than two years of trying (and looks to gets very little sympathy from her family over the news).

Over the weekend, The Huffington Post featured a blog posting from Iman where she shared that her 34-year-old daughter, Zulekha Haywood (who wrote this great article for Glamour two years ago about being the plus-sized daughter of one of the most famously beautiful women in the world), is considering freezing her eggs, delaying motherhood until she's in a more stable position in her career, finances and everywhere else. (The first part of the article is really touching but it goes off in so many directions about health care reform and politics and such that the original point—a daughter discussing a life-altering decision with her mother—is muddied.)

The Style Network's Sunday "Sex and the City" marathon featured an episode from the final season where Carrie has the tough talk about the future with her new, older, super-glamorous, globe-trotting boyfriend Aleksandr. He had one child and didn't want more. She wasn't sure if she did want any but wasn't quite sure if she didn't want children either. He pointed out that she was 38 and probably should have had all this figured out since time definitely wasn't on her side.

Last night on "The Mindy Project," successful 32-year-old OB/GYN Mindy is getting an examination from another doctor in her practice. He asks her if she plans to have children and she responds that of course she is, four, and she's already picked out their "Gossip Girl"-esque names. He immediately sets about bursting her bubble, mapping out a future where it will be at least 12 years before she's in a stable enough relationship to even think about having kids, and, really, how realistic is having the first of four kids at 44?

I didn't get any clarity from these little messages making their way from the screen into my brain, but they're just a few more pushes telling me that even if I don't have a solution, I should at least be considering the question. Is this something that I want? Am I sure? And if I'm sure, what am I doing to make it happen?

I'm still at a bit of a loss on all three questions. I know that being an aunt has been one of the greatest gifts of my life and that being a mom would explode that feeling infinitely. But what if it doesn't happen? What if it's just not meant to be? What if I missed my chance? What if, for a million reasons, I can't? Will I be OK with that?

I'm not ready to throw in the towel and I'm also not brave enough to say that, yes, this is what I want. In the meantime, I'll keep filtering in all the articles and storylines and People magazine covers, and I'll continue to feel sympathy for Khloe Kardashian-Odom as she struggles with infertility for a national TV audience.

'If You Want to Master Something, Teach It'

When I first started thinking about this "What Is 35?" project, I did online searches to see if anyone else had done what I was planning to do. Though I didn't see anyone else interviewing people about their experiences of being 35, I did find one blog, "Starting My Life at 35", that was tackling many of the same issues swishing around in my brain.

In this blog, which its creator started three years ago and has maintained to the present, the creator talks about the big changes and risks she was planning to take in her life at the age of 35. Reading through her earliest posts, I admired how brave she was to not only admit that her life wasn't completely hitting her expectations but that she was also willing to lay out her goals before the universe, ready to take the feedback (anonymous, though it may be) if it didn't work or she didn't try.

I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish in my life this year and beyond. Some of it I'm still formulating and other bits I'm not ready to say out loud yet. One thing I've been contemplating for a few years and am now confident in saying yes to is taking yoga teachers training.

Last week I wrote a bit about my Kundalini yoga practice. Like so many disciplines, in yoga students have the opportunity to become teachers. Even at this point, I'm not sure if I want to be a yoga teacher but the idea of making an in-depth study into something I enjoy so much and feel so much benefit from is really appealing.

When my practice was at its strongest a few years ago, teachers training was a somewhat fuzzy concept to me. I knew people who were going through the program and thought it was an interesting option, but I didn't consider the following steps of what it would mean or take to participate myself.

As I've returned to my practice over the past few months, countless classmates and teachers have asked if I've taken teachers training. The first few times I said no, the subject was dropped, then one time a classmate confidently responded, "You will."

These many months, many asks and many confirmations later, I've decided to accept this challenge from the universe and am committing myself to taking teachers training in 2013. This will be a sizable commitment but I really feel I'm ready to give it my all now.

Bountiful, Blissful, Beautiful

In 2000, I decided it was time to turn my curiosity about yoga into a yoga practice and investigated the studios in my area. I didn't know about the different types of yoga so was completely open to any class I could find.

Of all the calls I made and e-mails I sent, I only heard back from one studio. I read its schedule and the description of its classes, which were designed to increase flexibility, improve energy flow and promote relaxation. It sounded perfect.

I took my first class in January. From the moment I stepped into the room and took my place on the carpet, I knew I'd made the right decision—that yoga studio and the Kundalini practice were for me.

I met Nelann through my yoga practice. She's one of my teachers and has been a great example to me of the benefits a dedicated practice can reap.

Since she turned 35, Nelann worked hard and retired after 38 years at Albertsons. She also started teaching Kundalini Yoga, which she reports "has changed my life in all aspects."

Your name Nelann G.

What year did you turn 35? 1985

Where were you living then? Arcadia, California

What were you doing then (working, going to school, raising kids, etc.)? I was working at Albertsons Inc. and interpreting for hearing impaired.

What big personal milestones happened when you were 35 (got married, bought a house, moved to a new city, started a new job, etc.)? Got a position at Centralia School District mainstreaming deaf children in regular classrooms. Very rewarding!

What major events happened in the world that year? I think the eruption of Mt Saint Helens.

What are your favorite memories of being 35? It was a good time in my life. Very happy.

What did you like best about yourself at that age? Life is beginning and feeling mature.

What did you like least about yourself at that age? My son was a teenager and it was a few crazy years.

What were the biggest lessons you learned at that age? Live life to the fullest. Family is very important.

What were the biggest misconceptions you had about being 35? My body was changing I had to get a hysterectomy and wanted to have a child. Sad.

What was the most surprising thing about being 35? No surprises.

If you could go back to that age knowing what you know now, what would you do differently? Really work hard at my relationship with husband.

What advice can you offer to other 35-year-old women? Be real and enjoy life to the fullest.