In February, I stopped my personal blogging to focus on writing a book. If I had to categorize it, I’d say it’s a self-improvement book. I’m enjoying the process and am currently working on Chapter 8. At my good gal pal Sue James’ suggestion, I’m publicizing an excerpt for my past and future readers. This is a nugget from Chapter 1 that gets at the core of what I’m trying to accomplish. Enjoy! 🙂
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER ONE
….And because I enjoy talking out loud to resolve problems. I decided to blog about nearing the 1/2 century marker. In August 2012, I started a blog called 500Daysto50.com. I basically wrote about the every day life of an aging, overweight spinster.
I always loved the season that Jerry and George on “Seinfeld” were pitching their TV show called “Jerry.” Their pitch was describing the show as being ‘about absolutely nothing.‘ That was my blog! I talked about nothing of consequence. It was just life happenings over a year and a half. I rattled on about peri-menopausal gushing and chin hair. I worked through grief from the deaths of a college buddy and a brother-in-law. I made a list of things to do, did them and wrote about it. I shaved my head, took up yoga, and got stoned. I mused about the past intertwined with the future. I took a 500 day inventory of my life. And at some point during that 500 day evaluation, my life started. It’s like why Frankie told Grace she should blog…
You become your own personal therapist. And when you really commit to the process, you find yourself saying exactly what you need to hear.
Lily Tomlin is so right! Or rather, the writers of FRANKIE & GRACE are dead on! Blogging is therapy. For me, I can’t even pinpoint the actual epiphany day in the 500 days of blogging. I just stopped waiting and started living. I realized I didn’t need some mystical man to rescue me or complete me. I stopped hating myself for being fat. I started loving my body as this hearty vessel that has taken care of me despite all my ongoing resentment. I let go of illusions of success. I embraced my imperfections. I became unstuck. And the transformational epiphany I had was sheer profundity.
It’s like when Glenda told Dorothy she could have gone home whenever she wanted. And Dorothy was all like ‘WTF, witch?’
Yet, it’s true. It’s within us to be where we want to be. We just need to want to be where our life is TODAY. It’s about not only learning from all the yesterdays, it’s letting them go. The past is passed. Tomorrow is uncertain. Today is what we have. We can’t keep putting off starting our life with ‘I’ll do it tomorrow‘ or even ‘I’ll do it right tomorrow.’ Today is yesterday’s tomorrow. It’s time to do IT. Tomorrow may never come. We need to live now. And even though we’ll make mistakes, we need to start living. And here’s the best part, we already know how to be happier. We just need to remember these important life nuggets that we already know.
*Breathe!
*Have faith
*Keep it simple
*The best thing to have is fun
*Always say ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I forgive you’
*I need to move to get anywhere
*Drama is best experienced on the stage.
…. These are all chapter titles in the book. And there is more to come.