Posts Tagged ‘Milestones’
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Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
April 4th marks the one year anniversary of my last day employment at the job that sucked the light right out of me.
After quitting, I took a small business/entrepreneurship class. (You know, cause I had nothing to do for the first time in 7 years.) As part of the 10-week curriculum, they asked each student to create a “visual representation” of their career goals. Most people pulled together a makeshift vision board made up of newspaper and magazine clippings. I decided to paint something:
I very rarely paint – maybe twice in the past 10 or so years. In fact, I completely forgot I did this one. I found it when I was sorting through a pile of paperwork to be recycled. There it was, shoved in a 3-ring binder from the class.
I can remember telling people that I wanted to blog for a living. People would say something along the lines of, “Blogging? What is that? Is that some new exercise? Is that a hobby? No really, what do you want to do?” Even I was a doubter.
12 months later, here I am. It’s crazy. Maybe I haven’t accomplished all of the things that I set out to, but I am well on my way.
Here’s to dreaming.
Tags: blogging, happiness, Milestones
Posted in Daily, Milestones | 19 Comments »
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
Last week I received an email from Helene, a U.S. Correspondent for Le Point Magazine (the French version of Newsweek). She is writing a feature article about weight issues in America and thought that based on the CNN article I might be a good representative of “Fat America.” Although as she put it, “there’s no shortage of people to interview…”
If you are just a tad bit curious (like I would be) here are some of the questions (as best I can remember) that were asked:
- How does being obese make you feel?
- Do you consider yourself an activist for the equal rights of fat people?
- What do you think of the show, The Biggest Loser?
- Do you think TBL gives people permission to be overweight?
- How do you feel about people being penalized for being overweight?
- Do you want to remain anonymous? She asked me this more than once.
All I can say is that the interview was completely bizarre and comical at the same time. I have a feeling that the article may lean towards perpetuating the stereotypical fat American and how we all sit on our asses and watch television and eat McDonald’s freedom fries all day long. I mean, it’s not that I haven’t done those things, but in general I don’t really eat fast food and my clunky television doesn’t pick up broadcast stations, so I might have been a big fat letdown of an interviewee. I got fat from eating really good food.
If anything, this experience has made me realize that I am starting not to care what people think anymore (in a good way). I mean, it’s never easy hearing someone call you ‘obese’ but I don’t let being overweight define who I am anymore. That’s pretty liberating. I am not ashamed of saying that I’ve been hard on my body or that I know that I’m not the healthiest version of myself … it’s just something that happened as a result of not making myself a priority. I don’t believe that’s a concept that’s uniquely American – I think pretty much anyone anywhere can relate to that notion.
PS. The article should drop tomorrow. It’ll be in French, so I’ll have to hope that Helene will be as well rounded as most good journalists I’ve encountered are. If not, c’est la vie, right?
PPS. In case you are wondering how I answered the questions: (more…)
Tags: le point, Milestones
Posted in Daily, Weight Loss | 11 Comments »
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
At the beginning of each year I write down an enormous list of New Year’s resolutions that is so beastly that I get depressed at the end of the year when I only cross out the two or three things that I actually accomplished. This year, I think I am going to take Nataly Kogan’s advice and start making my “resolutions” more positive, manageable and realistic. Nataly used to be a resolution list maker like me, but is now reformed and has stopped:
“Trying to fix something that I am pretty sure is not fixable … I am fairly certain that I will never have a flat stomach so after 33 years of life I’ve stopped making this a goal.”
At the end of each year Nataly also takes an inventory of things that she is thankful for or feels proud about. I think this is a fine plan. Here’s my go at it.
28 Things In 2008
- Made a resolution to change.
- Started earning more than I ever have in my entire life.
- Quit that job because it made me terribly unhappy.
- Took some time off.
- Began a journey of self-discovery that didn’t involve religion, a guru or psychedelic drugs.
- Survived the emotional spin cycle from a suicide attempt of a person who is close to our family.
- Took a job because I was scared about the future but then quit that job in less than 90 days because I realized that ordinary is no longer palatable.
- Stopped feeling bad or guilty about making mistakes.
- Got diagnosed with hypertension and prescribed medication for it. Told the doctor that I would rather make lifestyle changes before taking pharmaceuticals. Actually started making those lifestyle changes.
- Took some more time off.
- Started blogging because I needed a creative outlet. Kept blogging because I love it.
- Pleasantly surprised when people started reading my blog. As of this moment I’ve had 4,645 unique visitors, 6,489 visits and 11,983 pageviews since October 3rd. Woohoo!
- Started saying “yes” to people, situations, things, experiences.
- Learned how to communicate better with my daughter.
- Cried with my daughter when we saw our President get elected.
- Protested Proposition 8 along side my kid.
- Took a picture of myself and tried looking at it without being critical of all the flaws.
- Took more pictures of myself and now feel somewhat endeared to seeing the changes in my face as I become happier.
- Actually got hired to participate in a video blogging panel with other kick ass bloggers.
- Was proud that I actually accepted the video blogging assignment given that #17 was so hard.
- Realized that I accept myself as I am right now, this very second.
- Realized that life doesn’t stop and wait for you to be the perfect weight. It just keeps going and can pass you by if you wait till things are perfect.
- Began to “pray” about things in a nonreligious sort of way.
- Started a new gratitude practice. Which by the way, THANK YOU FOR READING MY BLOG. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
- Started seeing exercise as a lifesaver instead of something just negative and awful.
- Believes that I can fall in love for all the right reasons this time.
- Believes that my dreams can actually come true.
- Realizes that I am the one that I’ve been waiting for.
Tags: gratitude, Midthirties Crisis, Milestones, nataly kogan, work it mom
Posted in Daily | 9 Comments »
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