My friend Jessie jumped out of a plane. She did it on purpose, and she loved it. I had the extreme pleasure of hearing her retell her experience, with vivid detail. She is an extraordinary story teller. I know other people who have jumped out of planes. On purpose. I’ve never understood what compels them to do this. I’m a chicken. A fraidy cat. A wuss. Whatever. I don’t jump out of airplanes. At least I never have before, and I honestly don’t anticipate partaking in that particular activity any time in the future, but you just never know.
Here’s the thing about Jessie’s story that really made me stop and think: she was scared, really scared, but she did it. Not only did she do it, but she put on a brave face (for the handsome photographer that she was paying to capture the event) and then she actually enjoyed it. Loved it, in fact. Hmmmm. Maybe there’s something to this. Let me see if I’ve got this:
Rock Star Jessie
1. Set a big, but attainable goal
2. Alert the media (ok, friends and other supporters)
3. Show up
4. Allow yourself to be scared
5. Do it anyway
6. Smile big
7. Enjoy the experience
There is definitely a life lesson here. I’ve got some big goals, many of them are posted on the 47 for 47 challenge page. I’m alerting the media (via this blog and other outlets) and I’m showing up. I’m frequently scared (sometimes of failure, but also of success), but I’m putting on my smile, and mustering through it. I just need to learn to enjoy the experience. I’m still not jumping out of any planes, though. At least not on purpose.
Can I get a woot woot?! Mama, of Reinvention of Mama, has given me a shout out with a Sunshine Award. This one is for bloggers who, “Positively and Creatively Inspire Others in the Blogosphere.” Wow, I like the sound of that! Thanks, Mama.
Blogging awards are fun, and a great way to find and follow blogs you may not have seen before. That being said, not all bloggers have the time or inclination to accept awards, and in my opinion that’s fine. They are not meant to be a burden!
If you do choose to accept, the rules for this award are:
1) Use the Sunshine Award logo in the post. 2) Link to whoever nominated you. 3) Write ten pieces of information about yourself. 4) Nominate ten fellow bloggers “who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.” 5) Leave a comment on the nominees’ blogs to tell them of the award.
Ten pieces of information about me:
I just signed up for NaNoWriMo and I’m scared! The goal is 50,000 words in 30 days. Gulp. If you’re doing it, let’s be writing buddies!
I’m probably more excited than I ought to be about my new MacBook, just for blogging and writing. It’s actually five years old, but new to me.
When people get my name wrong they always call me Wendy.
I’ve been slacking off on exercise and it feels bad. Ew.
I like my belly dance DVD but it’s really difficult for me. Practice, practice, practice.
The State Fair simultaneously intrigues me and creeps me out.
I’m an adoptee who knows virtually nothing about the circumstances of my existence. Most days I don’t think about this, but deep down I find it somewhat unsettling and deeply unjust. I have no problem with the fact that it happened. It’s the secrets and lies that bother me.
I wish my sweet tooth had a dial on it so I could turn it down, or even off at times. The more sweets I eat, the more I crave them, and I usually cave in to the craving.
I’m still trying to figure out why some blog posts get lots of traffic and reactions and others get very little. What’s the secret?
I’m messier than I would like to be and I wish there was a little cleaning fairy who would stop by my house once in a while. She/he could also stop by my classroom now and then, too.
Ten bloggers “who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere”:
I knew this day was coming. As I kept writing and hitting the publish key, I kept getting closer to this milestone. To me, it’s pretty momentous. One hundred posts on BulgingButtons. Wow. I have to admit I’m kind of stoked. One hundred posts represents a certain level of dedication and follow through. You see, I have a bit of a history of starting things and then dropping them. Almost always things that are, or should be, good for me. Now the things that haven’t worked for me, like wrong-fit boyfriends or lame jobs, well, those I hung onto for too long. But the “good” stuff? Ballet lessons, gym memberships, weight loss programs… well, they all fell by the wayside before too long. I figured the blogging itch might be another example of this pattern, but since nothing was really riding on it, I decided that it was ok.
When I started messing around with this blog (and really, that’s exactly what it was, a mess) I gave myself permission to do it or not do it. I figured if it clicked, great, but if it didn’t that would be fine too. Well, those days are gone! I’m hooked. Blogging no longer feels like an afterthought or a pastime that self-absorbed homemakers with too much time and too little to keep them connected to reality indulge in. Insulting? Absolutely. But c’mon, you’ve seen some of those blogs! I find myself wanting to shake them and shout, “Lighten up, let a few dust bunnies settle, and play with your kids on the (not so recently mopped) floor once in a while.”
True confession time. I’m sort of jealous of many of those bloggers. Their blogs have huge followings, awesome content (most of the time), and lots going on. They are obviously well thought out and include all sorts of bells and whistles that I can only wonder at. Some of them make a living at blogging and others have launched books and other businesses as a result of their blogs. Holy cow!
I may not be in the big leagues yet (or ever) but I’ve come a long way in a short time. I have a loyal group of readers who readily offer observations and encouragement, my writing has been seen on every continent but Antarctica, and I’m becoming a better writer. All of these are side benefits of BulgingButtons that I never anticipated. I just wanted a forum to write about making positive changes in my life. I had no idea that this forum would contribute to those changes. I figured if I poured out my heart and soul about my battle of the bulge, maybe I would have more success with it. The whole accountability thing was appealing, but I wanted to do it incognito, since I really didn’t want some kid in my class telling me about how he read my blog and shares my love of Oreos and my aversion to steamed broccoli. Little did I know that I would be writing more about life and less about veggies and sit-ups. Well, that’s not entirely true. I never expected to write about sit-ups. I haven’t done a sit-up in over two decades.
After one hundred posts here I am, still battling the bulge. I’m still making lots of bad choices (cheddar bay biscuit, anyone?) and a few good ones. I’m still chugging away like the little engine that could, and I’m still writing about it for all the world to read.
In honor of my hundredth post I salute you, dear readers, whether this is your first visit or your ninety-first. Thanks for reading, commenting, sharing, and sticking with me. I may still be a fat girl, but with all of you along for the ride, I’m a fat girl on a mission!
BulgingButtons 