Lessons Learned in 2009

So, I haven't learned a ton over the last 365 days, but I have learned a few things, and I thought I would share them with you...

Lesson #1 - Doing something for 14 days does not make it a habit.
If doing something for 14 days turned that thing into a habit, I would currently be a very thin, caffeine-free author. Instead, I am a somewhat thin, coffee-drinking, sometimes-writer with a guilt complex. Seriously. I really did try to stick to Jillian's 30-day shred, but once I hit 14 days, I was completely exhausted from doing mountain climbers and jump-twists and remembered that those last 5 lbs. really aren't that important to me...I also remembered how much I like a cup of coffee with thick, sugary cream and decided that 14 days was enough to go without. I suppose it's the writing that has me feeling a little guilty, but that's the nice thing about writing...you can always pick up where you left off...today for example.

Lesson #2 - Winning Isn't Everything...Neccessarily
Last year I lost half of my cheerleading squad to graduation, the half that was really, really talented. When I had try-outs this year I had a slight panic attack, not a big one, just a slight one...but still. And then there was cheerleading camp. If I'm being honest, I will tell you that I cried myself to sleep every night. Now I know that some of you reading this are cheerleading parents and I want you to know that I'm definitely not talking about your daughter...probably. Anyway when the season officially started I was sure that I would have a meltdown, but Chris gently reminded me to get over myself and change my focus - I think he said something like, "this is Middle School, get a grip." But anyway, it worked, and I realized that maybe, somewhere along the way I had lost sight of what was important. That winning and talent weren't everything, but having fun and trying hard were good too...sort of. So anyway, we decided to have fun; to laugh more, to take time out to talk about, well, girl-stuff, and to serve others instead of focusing on ourselves...and then, all of a sudden, the funniest thing happened...my cheerleaders became, well, awesome. The more I let go of my expectations of them, the harder they worked and the stronger they grew. Somehow, this group of girls that had given me panic attacks, worked their rear ends off enough to win a regional championship....now, if I can just remember all of this throughout the second half of the season...

Lesson #3 - No matter how much traveling is involved, it's completely worth it to be with friends.
In early December I headed to Chicago to spend a long weekend with some of my absolute best girlfriends in the whole wide world. This is a trip that involved 5 hours on a plane for me, 5 hours in a car for Krista and Danelle (seriously, 5 hours to Chicago, you know that wasn't planned) 3 hours on a train for Monica, 10 hours of walking through the 15 degree streets of Chi town, an accidental 2 hour train ride into, through, and back through Chicago, 1 hour on the bus, and a 30 minute car ride in the wrong direction to get me to the airport before spending our respective times in planes, trains and automobiles to get home. Regardless, this was without question the best girl weekend of my life. I have never laughed as hard, danced as much (and that is saying a lot), and relaxed as well as I did with my girls. We drooled over Jacob and Caribou Coffee, laughed about almost ending up at a bowling alley with the desk clerk, and chilled out while watching Dan in Real Life from the middle to the end and then from the beginning to the middle. What I realized is that best friends are best friends, no matter the distance. There are no other girls I would have enjoyed that weekend with so much, and despite the traveling, both in the right direction and the wrong, wouldn't change one single thing...except for maybe that last lemon drop.

Lesson #4 - If a 465 lb. man can run a marathon...well, you finish the sentence.
This year I watched Danny on The Biggest Loser run a marathon and lose 1/2 of himself. It was amazing! I cried ridiculously as his partner Liz helped him cross the finish line, and I realized that if he could believe in the need to change his life enough to lose over 200 lbs, the only excuse I had for not doing what I believed in was, well...not wanting to get off of my ass. Seriously. I mean, ok, he had Jillian screaming in his ear and $250,000 on the line, but still, even $250,000 can't motivate some people when the going gets tough, and to tell you the truth I'm probably one of them. Regardless, I'm going to try. I mean, I'm not going to lose any weight, seriously, I'm way too lazy for that. And I probably won't eat well or give up coffee, or take time to relax, or exercise...but maybe I'll finish writing a book, or finally pay off my student loan, or run a 5k...actually, scratch that, I don't really want to run a 5K...In the end, it's all about what you really believe in...that and having people to pull you across the finish line, and I'm just lucky enough to have those people cheering me on.

With lots of love and dreams for a blessed 2010...

Florida Chick