Live Everything...

"Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."

~~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Beer Belly Career Blues

"Beer Belly Career Blues" -- That's the title of this week's CareerMoments newsletter from Pilot Workplace Advisors. The newsletter, which really does just take a moment to read, says:

Your physical health and your career health are more closely related than you may think. Among middle managers in one study (Roberts and Friend) workers with career momentum were over 50% more inclined to engage in healthy life habits than those who reported that their careers had stalled. Maybe an unhealthy lifestyle could be your first tip off that your career is floundering. Maybe getting fit can help get your career back on track. It sure can’t hurt! Take great care of yourself- and your career.

I don't know about the beer belly part, but I sincerely believe that this study's findings have merit. Over the past several years, as I tried to make the jump to fulltime writership, I was very bad to my body. I often felt like I would never be able to advance in my career (which for me, meant quitting my job). I had little time, motivation, or energy to exercise or practice healthy habits. Of course, part of that is due to the fact that these things have always been hard for me. Plus, I was spending WAY too much time at a desk -- 8 hours at work and then more time in the evenings for writing.

I went picnicking and hiking with Allyson yesterday and seriously felt the pain of several sedentary years. I'm so sore today that I cringe walking down steps.

But I feel like I have a new lease on life now. Being my own boss is great so far. (Okay, so it's only been two days, but still!) I plan to use this big life change to treat my body right. It's amazing how much more energy and pep I have just in the past few days. And a pair of aching thighs is just a reminder to be better to myself.

[Okay, funny aside: I initially typed that last sentence to read, "And a pair of aching things is just a reminder to be better to myself." Ha!]

For more fun picnic photos, vist Ally's blog.

Comments!

Aha! I wondered why no one had commented on here for so long. I just realized that Blogger was requiring me to approve all new comments, but I wasn't receiving the notification emails. So for all of you commentators -- check old posts for your comments. And thank you! I was feeling sad that nobody cared enough about my big announcements to say anything.

You like me, you really like me...

All I gotta say is...

...that it's 1:30am Sunday night (or Monday morning, if you like), and I'm not in bed and I'm not even worried about it.

I didn't have to wash clothes for work tomorrow.

I didn't have to work all weekend to finish the article that's due at 5:00 on Monday. (Although, judging by the current state of the article, perhaps I should have worked all weekend. But the point is, there is still time.)

I'm a night owl and now I don't even have to try to hide it and wrestle it into submission. It's 1:30 in the morning and I'm still up doing work because that's what I chose to do, darn it. And there will be no early-morning-alarm and working-for-someone-else to bother me. (But there is that pesky article... which may drag me out of bed earlier than I'd like, but still...)

So all I'm sayin' is, I quit my job and now I'm my own job.

I'm just sayin'.

hee-hee!

The Evolution of Dance

For a good time, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg.