Thanks for all the well wishes when I was sick. (I'm convinced it was "Pigeon Flu" due to the filthy feathered family that has burrowed it's way into my roof. Feathers are coming out of the ceiling fan, people!)Anyway, it really meant a lot. It made me think about how when I started this blog, my biggest goal was to GET OUT OF BED and here I was, super sick, stuck in bed.
But what was cool is... I didn't have any of those weird fears, like this time spent in bed sick was going to lead back to the time where I couldn't get out of bed due to, in six months, losing my job, breaking up with my boyfriend, a death in the family, having to move back home when my Mom got sick, freaking out about finances and growing a second ass due to my affinity for eating all things Frito-Lay during my malaise.
That made me think how far I've come: to someone, who just over a year ago who literally had to make a pact with myself to get out of bed during daylight hours, and as a way to slough off the blues, forced myself to do an adventure a week would jolt me back to living life the way I knew I wanted to. (Check out any of the entries that start with "Adventure Bowl" to read those.)
Now fast forward and everything I hoped test driving a Porsche or flying on a trapeze or posing as a bride for the free cake (!) or pool crashing would do for me, has done that and 1000x more. I lost 20 pounds, I gained an awesome job... like dream job status, I ended some (bad) friendships, I made some new fierce ones, I try new things all the time, I started some great volunteer work and most of all, I don't wear pajamas 'til 3pm anymore.
This is like, a life, I could have never seen a year ago for myself.
So I am going to continue doing what I've been doing, carving out time for me to surprise myself with something that ("cheesey" alert) gives back to my soul. It's weird, but I am telling you, if you go ride a ferris wheel today, you will be smiling for week.
Giving time to yourself, doing unexpected things - you will be shocked what it can do for you.
Fears will be overcome.
You will let go of things that don't matter.
You will laugh more which will attract good, fun, caring, loving people wanting to be around you.
You will stop complaining because the happier you are the less you complain. Also, the happier you are, the more you want to stay happy. So you become solution oriented. You fix problems as they come up because you don't want them to interfere with your happiness.
You get rid of things you don't need. Possessions don't make you happy, the life you create does.
You begin to see people more clearly. That's a hard one. But it will force your hand to see who can stay and who has to go.
You start to feel if you can do this (your little adventure of the week) maybe you can do anything. When you set goals and attain them, it pushes you on with confidence to make new, bigger goals.
So, what am I saying?
I'm saying, yes, I am still going to do my weekly adventures and I'm still going to write about them. It excites me (dork-ily) BEYOND WORDS, if this can be the change in a year with me, how much more can I change? (Exciting!) But right now, the biggest way to get back to myself is to take some time for myself. Time to write other projects I want to write, time to travel and do things that I haven't had space for because I have been so busy with the blog.
I'll keep checking back here. I always read comments and I promise to respond if you guys have questions or anything. And I promise, in the future, there will be a new blog, too. It has meant so much to me that so many of you have written me to say you relate to what I went through and have been inspired by my journey. Love, love, love you.
Okay, why aren't you running out to go ride a ferris wheel right now????
This post is dedicated to BEAUTIFUL READERS. You're the ones I like best.
