Golden Birthday & Goals

I am 27 years old now.

We measure time in a steady rhythm, but it feels like the older I get the more it speeds up. Each year moves ahead more rapidly than the last. At least that's what my perception of time has been over my lifetime thus far.

I had a very nice birthday. I celebrated with my friends, and I am blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

Sometimes I get very sad about the state of humanity. Seeing all the pain people cause each other on both small and grand scales, I think, "Is this it?" After all our years of evolution and development as a self-aware species, this is where we are? There are people still struggling for basic necessities and people still dying of diseases even if we already have a cure. Still destroying, still hating, and often still petty.

The people I love are what redeems the world for me. Each one extra ordinary, but also extraordinary.

In just two short days I will see my sister again. I am so excited. Words can't express the joy of knowing I get to see my sister so soon. My boyfriend and I will be visiting her in Kentucky, and we will get to see and experience where she lives. I am also excited to be able to celebrate her birthday with her, and mine too. It's pretty cool that our birthdays are only a week apart.

September is over. I did not accomplish my zealous goals, but it was a good effort and learning experience.

I wrote for 56 hours in September. Not quite the 20 a week average I was going for, but considering only 6 months ago my writing was sporadic at best, this still feels like an accomplishment. Each day and week I am developing my writing habits and practice and getting to know what works best for me. I do feel that my writing time is becoming more productive. There are still times where I sit down to write and can't seem to get the words flowing, but it is happening less.

I ran a cumulative 15 miles. It's only half of the amount I was hoping to reach by the end of the first month. I pulled a muscle the very first week in September, so I had to take a week off of running completely. I am proud that I didn't just give up right away. It also reminded me how important it is to take care of myself by properly warming up and stretching before exercising. I am back up to where I can run a solid three miles at least, and each time I run a timed mile I am shaving 5 to 10 seconds off the time. I still have three more months to run a total of 100 miles before 2014.

I went to LA Fitness 10 times. I was only 2 away from my goal of 12. I don't think it qualifies me for my insurance reimbursement, but I still feel good about it. This last week of the month I went to the gym 5 days in a row because I was mad at myself for skipping so much early on in the month.

Overall, it was just nice to have goals to work towards. It helps keep my priorities in focus, and it keeps me growing as a person. In some ways it's also good to practice failing. I can be very hard on myself, but these three goals are specifically for me, and whether or not I achieve them really only affects me. Of course they are important to me, but they are a reminder that goals are often as much about the process and journey of trying to achieve them. The experience is what helps you grow rather than the end itself.

That's a good lesson for a Type A 'cross it off your to do list' personality like me. It is helping me to find balance between my creative side and my task master side.

I am 27, and this year is going to be special. I was determined to have a better year in 2013, and as it is winding down into winter, I feel it has been. Oddly. Even though dad died. I guess because life is unfair, but it's all relative to our perspectives. If I were looking at my life from the outside, from someone else's view, I would say that there are some parts that seem sad, or unfortunate. Yet, there are also many things in my life that are lucky and quite fortunate.

Being in the present is so important. There's no use in dwelling on the past because it can't be changed, but you also can't anticipate the future, because much of what happens to us is not within our immediate control. Shaping the future is a slow process because it requires shaping our own character. Wonderful things could happen to me or more tragic things, but how I react and handle them is what will define the life I live.