Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Who am I?

Have you ever really asked yourself that question and given an immediate, confident answer? I mean seriously, ask yourself who am I, and see what comes immediately to your mind. And be specific; none of this who do I want to be, just who am I. I try to ask myself this question at least weekly, to see if I like the answer, or if it changes.

So, who am I today? Today I'm a friend, and a pushy, ambitious worker who won't be shoved into the background. An interesting answer for me today. You might not think so, but the fact that friend came up first is suprising. It's not that I don't like friends, or that they are unimportant to me, it's just that usually, work so dominates my mind that friends get pushed back into the recesses of my mind. So why is today different. Well a couple of things really. First, I need friends. I love my wife, and I love my job, but without friends, I smother my wife with attention, and dive too deeply into work. Second, a friend of Jill's from college recently moved into the Twin Cities area. Last night we hung out with him and it was funny to see the reaction he had on both Jill and I. While he wasn't my friend, I could see the effect of having another friend had on Jill. She was joking and playful, which then led me to be more playful with her and her friend, and in general we all had a really good time. We didn't do anything special, but it was fun none-the-less.

On another note, I think it's really important people to show their friends how important they are to each other. Sometimes it's just really nice to know that your friends really appreciate who you are.

OK, so the gushy stuff out of the way, the weight loss train is now pulling into the station. Fueled by a stricter adhearence to the diet and continued exercise, I've managed to lose almost 20 lbs now. I've still got a good distance to go if I want to give a big F-you to my Dr. who looked at me like I was obese and told me to cut my carbs, but I'm on a roll now. My body is ready to roll with the downward trend, and as long as I don't fall of a cliff, I should be all set to hit my mark. As for Jill, she has started a new work out program that I have high hopes for. It seems to be easy for her right now, which makes me think that it will work for her. If that seems strange to you, think about it like this. It seems easy, but she can do it without really hurting herself, and that will mean that she can do it for longer, and THAT will lead to fantastic results. I'm very proud of her for keeping at it. I know it can be disheartening to be trying for a long time and not hit your goals, but this time I think she's got it. Keep your hopes up everyone.

OK, enough about me, how is everyone else doing out there? I know it's the holiday season, but just remember to relax and take a few breaths. Nothing is so important as your sanity. Whether you're rushing to get some shopping done, or you're busting ass at work, take a few moments and breathe. You'll be far better company, and much better at what ever task you are trying to accomplish if you're not in a panic mode.

3 comments:

Bugaboo said...

That's so nice to hear that a new friend moved to the area. Why does it seem harder to make new friends the older we get? (At least for me it does.) Glad to hear you both had a good time and . . .
You're weight loss story is down right inspiring! My Dr. just told me I gained 6 lbs. since my last visit, so I really need to start eating healthier and working out more. Keep it up, sounds like you're doing awesome!

Jill said...

That and I am really lazy, so if it isn't easy, I won't do it. Period.

I think that you can be a good friend. But you have to learn the balance of good friends and acquaintences. Not everyone will be your closest friend. That's just the way it is.

kborn said...

Yay diet working! F-u doctor who doesn't ask me what i eat just cut carbs. :-) Jill's program has got me thinking about working out again. THINKING about it...and well, I'm so freaking sick and misearble right now I can barely walk the stairs w/o dying! But, good for you, keep it up! Just remember that some carbs are still good!!! Your body uses carbs first for energy and if you don't have any carbs in your diet, your body goes into crazy storage mode.

I'm done now. I just really like my bagel bread and french fries. I balance that out by eating less ketchup, more protein and beans! Yay beans!

Really, I'm done now. I hope our paths will cross at Christmas, but all our families demand attention from us, so just keep me in the loop if you get some free time. I'm going to try to get together with Paul and Em on the eve of the 23rd in Grafton...we'll see how that goes! You're welcome to join us if you get to town in time.