Dear Friday, Welcome!  As always, I enjoy having you visit!  Dear Burn Notice, I’m a tad obsessed with you, it’s all I’ve been watching.  Dear friends, if you haven’t watched Vegucated or Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, I encourage you to! They’re both available on Netflix!  Dear Mom, Happy Mother’s Day!! I’m excited to spend some time with you and the siblings this weekend!  Dear Use-to-be, Want-to-be, Expected-to-be mothers, I’m sending you a Happy Mother’s Day wish as well!  Whatever your story, whatever your pain, whatever your excitement, I’m praying for you!  Dear Triathlon Training, I’m kicking your tail right now.  It’s rough, but I’m doing good and I’m excited about the race! 15 Days left!  Dear MS Bloggers, you should check out Mississippi Women Bloggers.  Signing up is FREE!  Dear Patty, OH, my excitement is overwhelming to see you this weekend! I have missed my beautiful best friend! 

It genuinely amazes me that we as humans are constantly changing!  We develop, we grow, we change.  Sometimes this can be for the bad, but hopefully, you find yourself changing for the good.  Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I’ve changed and I’m pleased to say that I definitely see a lot of changes for the good.  Let me share…

 

I use to be very picky and although I still stick to my guns about certain things, I’ve branched out a lot more.  I now am happy to experiment with vegan and vegetarian alternatives.  I try to eat more vegetables, where as before, I could care less to get the proper amount.  I force myself to eat because it’s healthy for me, not because I like it.

 

Pizza (use to only eat Pepperoni, now I prefer supreme)

Sushi (didn’t like it)

Carrots (still a struggle, but I can eat them cooked now)

Chinese (hated it! Until I lived with my Disney roommates)

Vegan (soy milk and Cheeses)

 

Along with the Chinese, I refused to read/watch Harry Potter or Twilight and now I love them both and am obsessed! Another thing my Disney Roommates blessed me with!

 

 

 

I didn’t grow up working out.  My parents didn’t teach me how to do that or why it was important.  It wasn’t until I went through a breakup years ago that I started running.  I did it for me.  I did it because I needed something.  I instantly changed.  It became important to me to work out and be healthy.  Not because I wanted to be skinny, but because I want to live a long life and I want to be happy.  I still struggle with this because I’m not a naturally athletic person, but it’s something that I strive for now!  I had also never swam for exercise and then I finally had the opportunity to learn and even though it’s not my favorite way to get in a workout, I’m glad to know that I can.

I have now done a few 5K’s, an 8K, a 10K and I’ve done 2 Half-Marathon’s with another Half scheduled in November!  I never thought this would be me!

 



My very first 5K: July 2009

 

 

I, of course, still struggle with this, but I think that this has been my motivation and motto for the year 2013.  I realize that life is short and I want to make the most of it!  I NEVER, EVER, EVER would have considered signing up for a triathlon years ago, much less signing up for it only 25 days before the race, but here I am… signed up for a triathlon!  It’s insane… and I feel like a coo-coo person, but I’ve changed, and I think it’s for the better – not only because it’s exercise and healthy for me, but because it causes me to step out of my comfort zone, it’s making me do something that scares the crap out of me, but I know afterwards, I’ll be happy that I did it!  I know that when I hit the water, my heart is going to be racing!  I love that I’ve claimed this phrase “Living life to the fullest” for the year 2013, it’s really encouraging me to step out and be courageous!  I love the new and exciting things I’m finding myself doing and the dreams I’m forming based on this idea.

 

I use to love watching murder and mystery shows, and to be honest, I still love them, but I’ve forced myself to change.  I now try to watch more light hearted shows because I know the affects it has on me.  I have nightmares, I fear for my life, and I don’t think that’s a healthy way to live.  I think other people can watch those shows and be fine, but I’ve slowly weeded them out of my life so that I can watch shows like How I Met Your Mother and Parks & Rec because they’re funny and fun and I don’t find myself having a minor stroke with them!

 

 

 

 

 

I’m constantly growing spiritually.  Sure, I fail and fall countless times, but as I read more of my bible and pray more, I find myself growing more than I’m falling.  I find myself reading scripture passages in a different way based on the struggles I’m facing in my life.  This is something I pray will constantly be changing and evolving!  I know God has so much to teach me!