Today's fortune: December 29, 2011

Today's fortune: You are vigorous in words and action.

This blog has been all about words and action, and how the words printed on fortune cookie messages have led me to some pretty vigorous and crazy adventures in 2011.

And two days away from the finish line, I can't think of a better time to take a look back at some of those actions. Consider this the "Greatest Hits" of My Daily Fortune.

January 1: Investigate new possibilities with friends. Now is the time!

For the first fortune of the year, I vowed to make a new friend every week. I don't know if I've stuck to that schedule exactly, but I've definitely made more than 52 friends during the calendar year. I'm pretty proud of this accomplishment.

January 6: Do something unusual tomorrow.

Because of this fortune, I took an action that will stick with me - literally - for the rest of my life. I got a tattoo. For a recap of the experience, click here.

January 12: A short stranger will soon enter your life with blessings to share.

One of the most bizarre fortunes of the year led me to a rather bizarre action. Since I was specifically looking for short strangers, I went to a public place - specifically, a bookstore - to see what kind of wisdom could be gained from the shorties I found.

In other words, I stalked short people.

January 27: The rainbow's treasures will soon be coming to you.

That day, the rainbow led us to a little Toto-like dog we named Cookie. We were planning to keep the little bugger, but he drove our cats crazy, so instead we found him a good home. The new owner re-named him Barney, and he's being treated like a prince in his new home.

February 8: Appreciate the caring people who surround you.

Once again I turned to strangers (and people I know) to fulfill a fortune. I spent the day passing out compliments and appreciating everyone I came across - co-workers, relatives, the clerk at a drive-through window, the cashier at Wal-Mart. I know my efforts made a difference.

February 17: An interesting musical opportunity is in your near future.

With this fortune, I began introducing my readers to the vast slate of music that has shaped my life. This was one of the first.

April 10: You will bring sunshine into someone's life.

I took a break from writing that day so my wife could write about how much sunshine I bring into her life. Guess what? She's a better writer than I am.

April 25: Next week your luck color will be green.

The entire next week, which I dubbed "Green Week," was centered around the color. Search for "Green Week" in the search box above for more details.

May 17: Your health is important. Eat your vegetables!

Inspired by "Green Week," and also my vegeratian wife, I created "Vegetarian Week." I didn't eat a single piece of meat for the entire week. And you know what? It was a cake walk. I wouldn't want to become a vegetarian permanently, but for several days in a row I have no problem living meatless.

August 14: There's a good chance of a romantic encounter soon.

For this fortune, I wrote the post in the style of a romance novel. I even made a cover, which I thought was awesome.

August 17: Relax and enjoy yourself.

In order to relax my over-stressed voice, I decided to take a weekend-long vow of silence. This is by far the hardest thing I've had to do for this project. Not talking is easy, but knowing you can't talk is nearly impossible.

September 22: A carrot a day, may keep cancer away.

I've never particularly liked carrots, but I do what the fortunes tell me. For one solid month, I ate a carrot every single day. Yep. It sucked.

December 22: If you continually give, you will continually have.

Last week, I spent the day giving, and the rewards I received are even more valuable. We sponsored a dog for adoption at a local pet shelter, paid for someone's food in line behind us at a restaurant, and donated to a local food pantry, among other things.

*****

Those are just the highlights. I can't even remember all the vigorous actions I've taken this year. But I know I've had fun. And I know I'm ready for the next chapter in my life to begin.