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I’ve decided to resurrect the blog I started back in 2008. Five years ago! Five! We’d just moved to a new place: Hawaii. So far away from home and loved ones.
The blog started out as a way for loved ones to see what we’d been up to. To share part of our Hawaii adventure.
Over the next 3 years, it became much more. It was a friend, of sorts. When I didn’t have anyone to talk to, or struggled with a situation or a difficult or lonely period in my life, the blog was there. It allowed me to just write freely, which is something I never really knew I enjoyed. It gave me a place to work out issues, to share amazing experiences, and to document a part of my life that I never want to forget.
But, we’re not in Hawaii anymore. Haven’t been for almost 3 years now! And, the “new” amazing job I got 18 months ago, along with 3 busy children, has left me no time to nurture my blog. But I realized how much I missed the writing, the time I spent reflecting on events in my life. I want that back.
I decided to change it. To start fresh. I don’t want to forget those Hawaii memories, but we’re not “The Heffners in Hawaii” anymore.
So, here it is: “It’s My Life…”
Sort of reminds me of that Bon Jovi song that I love, which goes something like:
It’s my life, it’s now or never
I don’t want to live forever
I just want to live while I’m alive
I want to be present, to experience, and to live. Every day. As I reached 40 in 2011, I realized that the time for sitting around and dreaming is over. It’s time to start reaching out for what’s important to me. It’s time to focus on how to get what I want, and to just do it already.
But, alas, that blog name (and many others) are already taken. And then, at work yesterday, I heard the best line I’ve heard in a long, long time. From the copier rep at my school. He said, “People always think the grass is greener on the other side, but most of the time it’s just lighter brown.”
Amen, brother. Amen. And then it came to me. What a great name for a blog! J I’m not trying be negative. My grass is pretty green right now. But the name is catchy, yes? I thought it was.
Let’s start with this. I’ve seen many younger folks post “30 by 30” and “25 by 25” lists on their blogs lately. Bucket Lists, I suppose. Well, that’s a great idea but I am long past 25 and 30. However, I like the idea of listing the things I want to achieve or change, but I’m thinking of starting a little smaller.
How about “13 for ‘13”? (Get it – 13 for 2013?)
1. Lose 20 pounds. There’s no reason why I can’t. I started P90X three weeks ago. Six days a week. It kicks my butt just about every day. But I haven’t missed a day, and I “do my best and forget the rest” as the P90X guy says in almost every DVD. I also signed up for an 8K in Virginia Beach in March. I want 2013 to be a year of change for me. Physically, at least.
2. Go somewhere warm and scuba dive. I never dreamed in a million years how much I would miss the tranquility of the sea. If you remember, I was terrified to get certtified. Now I dream about being there. We were lucky enough to go to Honduras this past August, but I would seriously love to go on a dive trip every year.
3. Get IT certified. I have to get Microsoft certified by summer for my work, but I also want to take the CISSP (Computer security) test in 2013. I was a security professional for over 6 years. I have what it takes.
4. Put more faith and caring into Tiffany. People say it all the time – love yourself. Put yourself first. Take time to take care of yourself. Why have I waited so long to do this? And why is it so hard for me to do?
5. Complain less at home. I wish I had more help at home. Especially without me having to ask, and without the complaining that comes along when I do ask (which isn’t as often as you’d think.) But, as the mom I know that I have to just suck it up and do what needs to be done to keep our house and family clean, organized, clutter-free and in good shape, without waiting or help or asking for it repeatedly. Besides, housework is bound to burn off a few calories, right??
6. Get rid of junk in our house. We have way too much crap in the basement. Some of it is legit – holiday decorations, camping gear, military stuff. But some of it is unnecessary – toddler toys that I can’t bear to part with, hand-me-downs that are 9 years old or more and out of style. I vow to clear my house of a little clutter. It will take several sessions, though, to de-clutter it all. Baby steps, people.
7. Turn off the TV. I have actually started getting really good at this. I find that even shows I don’t care at all about can suck me in for an hour. An hour of my life wasted. So I just turn it off. And I don’t even miss it. There are like 4 shows that I like – 3 of them are on hiatus until September, and the other one is on past my bedtime (H50), so I DVR it for later. Besides that, the TV needs to be off more.
8. Do something for someone else. I am a Girl Scout leader, but that’s as much for me as it is for the scouts. I want to find a way to give back. Even in a small way, if that’s how it needs to be. A friend of mine at work says that every Sunday her family pays for another random family’s after-church lunch at whatever restaurant they happen to be eating. What a nice way to pay it forward. And it doesn’t have to end there. The possibilities are endless.
9. Blog at least 2-3 times a week…Even if no one reads it except for me.
10. Save at least $10,000. This is a no-brainer. To do fun things, to pay for college, to have fun with 3 kids, you need $ these days. And we buy a lot of crap we don’t really need, which is $ I could be saving! I vow to try to sock away as much $ as I can this year. $10,000 is the low end.
11. Exercise or walk 5 days a week. In Tennessee, I had a great friend (who is still a great friend) that would walk with me for an hour every night. It was therapeutic. It was FUN! My waist got a speck smaller. And I got to know someone who became a treasure in my life. I don’t have anyone to walk with right now, but I do have an iPod, and I have 2 working legs. Reason enough. Right now I’m committed to P90X until mid-March. But by then the weather will be warmer and it’ll get dark later, and it would be great to get back out there. And then I think when summer break starts, I may even consider doing P90X again. I am serious when I say I’m ready for a physical change.
12. Stop worrying about the crap that I can’t change. People keep saying to me that worrying doesn’t make the problems of tomorrow better, it makes today hurt more. They’re right. A lot is about to change in the Heffners’ lives in 2013. A PCS move, maybe a new job, another year of college, maybe some surgery. I gave my worries to God recently, and asked that he help me with them. I am amazed at the peace that I feel. I mean, I still think about those things that I know are coming. But for the first time in my life, ever, I don’t feel like they’re defining me. I don’t feel like they’re weighing me down. I know I will fail sometimes and let the worry in. But if I can keep it out even part of the time, then I’ve won. Right??
13. Tell the people in my house that I love them. Every.Day. I am not a touchy-feely person. I don’t need to hug someone every time they walk into the room. But I need to appreciate what I have. It will remind me daily of the blessings that I have, that I never dreamed of having – a successful husband and 3 awesome kids. I vow to tell them everyday that they’re loved and worth it and that I’m blessed to share space with them.
Sorry for the long post. I am excited to get started, I suppose. And glad to be back. I hope some of you are along for the ride with me.
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