"You are talking to a changed woman, I am going to start exercising, and I am going to start eating right. Nothing brought this about, I just want to change, I just want to look good."
Dear Jennifer,
Isn't it funny how the same struggles one has, many others have as well? It was so funny to me that you would write this, growing up I always thought you were so skinny and even though you had health issues, you always looked good. I think it is because you constantly wore a smile on your face, even when you weren't feeling so well.
I wanted to journal this today, because on Day 2 my new thing consisted of Mind Mapping. You see, I took this challenge to change one thing in my life everyday and try something new. I want to leave this world knowing that I did as much as I could on my amazing journey called life. (On a budget of course, I do have a family to raise!) I needed ideas so I took to google.
Good ol' google. Searches like: Things to try before you die, 100 Things to do In life, 100 things to do on a budget, 100 things to do when you really want to change your life but absolutely don't have the budget to fly anywhere...
It was kind of sad when I got to the last search as my daughter was playing saxophone during this time, and bless her, but her "C" sounds like a dying moose and the "A" sounds like a cat that is trying to find its food. It all fit when I saw everyone else's bucket lists. So I wished I could fly away during that time and retire my daughter's saxophone at the same time. I heard mild screams of frustrations behind her closed door as the moose was dying for the 10th time. However, after searching for ear plugs, (Thank god Patrick worked in a club.) I found mind mapping in my endeavors.
Now for us teachers, this is the same thing as a bubble map, only much prettier. I don't know what it is about being a teacher and wanting to have an organized map, but its pretty awesome. You start in the middle with an idea and then go with it, it almost looks like a brain when you are done.
Jenny, just like you, I have focused on weight, all my freaking life. I'm tired of being consciously aware of what goes in my mouth and what doesn't, i'm tired of hating exercise, honestly, I'm tired of being miserable. When you passed away you were very thin, but that is not what people remember you by. I think the importance of being healthy as opposed to focusing on weight is more important. Health hits your mental, physical, and emotional well being.
But, (Don't tell my mom I started a sentence with a conjunction, I'm a math teacher, not an English teacher.) instead of "HEALTH" in the middle, I wrote "Happy" and here is what my mind mapping starts. You have the idea of happy, and it spreads. What makes you happy? I discussed my 7 habits, as at our school we focus on the 7 habits and I try to carry it home with me. I focused on my family, health, mental health, and having fun. I noticed after doing this, I wrote "Have Fun" and "goals" twice. Must be some importance there.
I also went ahead and wrote my personal mission statement. I didn't draw enough pictures, apparently, and I have to study this better, you want to use as much color and pictures as you can. I used my handy dandy google, and googled how to do mind mapping. There are some great resources, and too many to list on here.
So, Jenny, fellow followers, that was day 2 of learning something new. It is a start for me to figure out how to try new things but continue to stay happy, you will notice "blog ideas" is in there somewhere.
Day 3 will be interesting, as my mom asked me to try something I've never done before. I'm nervous but I am going to do it. I'll write about it tomorrow.
As for today, please make it a gift and love the heck out of it.
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