15 - A Challenge to You

Well it’s been a long time since I wrote a blog entry, almost five months!  Life has been busy to say the least.  I plowed through my last semester of grad school and now have my MBA!  It’s been a month since I graduated and it’s so nice to have all this time back.  I got so efficient at all those day-to-day activities that I can really feel the extra time I now have.  So what have I been doing?  More house projects including painting and landscaping.  Some people view those kinds of things as chores but I love them.  I’ve also got a jam-packed leisure travel schedule this year.  Anissa and I already went to Arizona in April with my sister Aileen and brother-in-law Matt.  We just got back from Disney and Siesta Key 2 days ago – it was so fun to watch our nephews experience 5 days of Disney fun!  Next up are New Orleans and Charleston, SC!

So with my new-found time I’ve been reflecting on things quite a bit and also have been reading more.  Anissa bought me a book called “The Timekeeper” written by my favorite author, Mitch Albom.  I highly recommend it to anybody.  His books are quick reads and always have great messages.  This book describes the journey of the man who created time-keeping and highlights through 3 present-day characters how his actions at the beginning of creation have impacted humans today.  At one point the book reads, “Soon man will count all his days, and then smaller segments of the day, and then smaller still – until the counting consumes him, and the wonder of the world he has been given is lost.”  This line really spoke to me, especially because of all the time I now had to reflect on life.  It reminded me of the blog entry I wrote on February 10, 2014 (here).  I felt sad that I have and still continue to be so consumed by time, including schedules and routine, that I do miss the bigger picture quite often.

The quote from the book also made me think about the last song Anissa and I chose to be played at our wedding reception.  It was “Rewind” by Rascal Flatts.  I still love this song, but I started thinking about the lyrics a little more closely. 

Wish I could reach up and reset that sun
Reverse these wheels go back and re-pick you up
Went by so fast oh so sweet
Make me wanna remake a memory
Wish I had me a time machine

Oh I float the moon back up in the sky
Put a cork back into that sweet red wine
Put your midnight hair back up
So you can let it fall one more time
Untouch your skin
Unkiss your lips and kiss 'em again
So good so right this is one night I'm wishing I could rewind

We loved the idea of a wedding day and night that could be so magical we’d never want it to end.  And it definitely was the most special day of our lives.  Of course it felt like it flew by.  But when we go back and remember all the special moments of that day we are so happy.  So why are we so obsessed with counting time, and freezing special moments? 

Next my mind went to a quote I read once. 

Yes, it may be a little cheesy.  But I think it’s a great way to frame those special moments in your life.  Not after they’ve happened, but before they happen.  Teach yourself to experience moments in your life fully and appreciate them as they happen.  Remember to pause and look around and realize the beauty in life. 

So why did I label this blog “15 – A Challenge to You”?  I had read somewhere once that smiling uses fewer muscles than frowning.  Apparently this is a big controversy and some people argue the opposite.  Nevertheless, I am challenging myself as well as any of you readers out there to consciously “smile because it happened” at least 1 time each day for 15 straight days.  Join me on trying to reframe my outlook and worry less about time.

Okay, that’s all from this glass-half-full guy!

5 - A Big Return

Another month has flown by.  With Christmas, New Year’s Day, managing budget mayhem at work, and starting back to school 3 nights a week it’s been a whirlwind.  But I’ve also made a big return to running as well.  My wife, Anissa, is signed up to run the Cincinnati Flying Pig full marathon in early May.  I’ve been doing my best to keep up with her on training.  She really wants me to run the marathon with her, but I’ve been concerned I don’t have the time to put in the required training.  I know how long it takes to do all the miles every week, on top of constantly washing workout clothes, recovering from the really long runs, and making sure I take the time to cook meals throughout the week to keep the right fuel in my body.  However, I’ve managed to find some balance with it all.  We are eating much better during the week, we do our long runs early on Sunday morning, and a few nights a week I going to the gym after I get home from class around 9:30pm to sneak in my shorter runs.  It makes for a very long day (especially since I get to work around 7-7:30am to compensate for leaving early for class).  But the last 4 weeks have been very rewarding.  We’ve run 89 miles in 4 weeks, including our longest yet which was 11 miles this morning.  As I hindsight these weeks, I am very happy and proud.  Anissa and I have come a long way with cooking more at home, and we are FINALLY back into a solid workout routine.  As I reflected on the past month, I decided I could make the jump.  I can find the balance.  And I will do the marathon with her.  So look out world, I will be running my 5^th marathon on May 3^rd in Cincinnati with my wife by my side.  I’m a happy and very lucky guy!