Hey! First, here’s
my Friday Fitness pic. (Yes, that is a PokeWalker clipped to the side of my
cap. Be jealous.)
Sorry about the
lack of an update Wednesday! This week has been pretty hectic. I recently
applied for what seems like a pretty sweet job, and I’ve also been busy with
friends, family, and various summer activities. In fact, as soon as I’m done
typing this, I have an art show to visit, and my potential employers will be
there, so I’m hoping to go make a good impression.
I’ve been doing
this blog for over a month now, and I’m definitely glad I’ve stuck with it.
However, I feel like I’m ready to take it in a slightly different direction. I
like writing, but I prefer writing short stories and working on my novel,
honestly. I really enjoy making art with my tablet—it’s just that MS Paint is a
nightmare to use. So, I’m not sure if I should just keep chugging and see what
happens, or take a break until I can afford to buy a new computer that can run
my art programs. Once my equipment is updated, I would love to focus solely on artwork and comics.
On a similar note,
I’m a bit divided on my YouTube project. I love singing and playing the piano,
and even though learning to play guitar is difficult, I’m having a good time.
It was very refreshing to upload my first video and get so much positive
feedback (and even a request!) from both friends and strangers. It’s just that
making those videos takes forever.
Partially it’s because I’m a perfectionist, but even if I cut the number of takes
in half, the process of recording, editing, and
uploading the video basically takes a whole day. I just don’t know if I like
that, you know? I bet I could streamline the process a bit, but I’ll have to
figure it out.
I guess right now
I’m at a sort of “checkpoint” in life. I’m evaluating a few goals and projects
and seeing what should go and what should stay. I know for a fact that if I get
this job, I’ll have to cut something, simply because I’m applying for a
full-time position and most of my hobbies are pretty time-consuming and
intensive. If I don’t get the job, I suppose I won’t have to worry, but
honestly, I’m ready to see some income, and I’m even more ready to buy a Mac.
If getting this job and taking a hiatus from the blog is what it takes to save
up the money for a new laptop, then I will do it in a heartbeat.
Wow. Today’s post
is offering nothing particularly helpful, funny, or inspiring to y’all. Oh,
well. I’m a bit scatterbrained at the moment, and like I said, this week has
been hectic. About the only goal that seems to be going the way I wanted/hoped
is the fitness goal: I added 200 more sit-ups to my workout today.
Anyway, that’s all
I have for today. I’m going to spend the next week or two soul-searching and
assessing my goals, so if my blog posts seem weirder than usual, that’s why.
Talk to you Monday.
Hello, ducklings.
Today is a Friday, so of course I will be posting a Friday Fitness Goal pic.
Here I am, in all my awkward shirtless glory.
To be honest, I’m
having mixed feelings about my workout. It’s been a month—I’ve been working
out/running steadily; I think I took a three-day-hiatus but that was my only
lapse—and outwardly, I see hardly any signs of progress, at least from these
pictures. Perhaps there is a tightening and flattening in the abdominal region,
but knowing me that very well could be wishful thinking.
However, I am
happy to say that I have been running my daily 5K faster and a few days ago, I
added 100 more sit-ups and a few more push-ups to my workout. So, even if I don’t
have the body of Adonis yet, I know for sure that I am getting stronger and
fitter. It’s just taking longer than expected.
I had really
thought that a month would show more significant difference. I’m no fitness
expert, so I could be dead wrong, but I hoped that after even three weeks,
there would be more noticeable changes. I have a very lean body type and the
metabolism of a freaking hummingbird, so it could be that I just take longer to
develop muscle, but I am not sure. My diet could have something to do with it—I’m
vegetarian, after all—but I take protein supplements and generally eat well.
Plus, I feel absolutely fine, and I haven’t even had little ills like the
occasional cold. In terms of how I feel,
everything is splendid. It’s just…I wanted to look better, you know?
It’s not hard to
see that women and girls are constantly being bombarded with images and media
that portray the “ideal female look.” They are told by TV, radio, magazines,
Internet, etc. that a woman should look this way, smell this way, dress this
way, blah blah blah. However, it is important to note that men are not let off
the hook, either. Just walk into an Abercrombie & Fitch store (or any other
store like it, essentially). Look at the male models in commercials for shaving
cream, razors, shampoo, soap, and of course
fitness machinery. Just as women are commanded by mass media to look a certain
way, so are men. And men are told to look like Greek gods. We might be able to
get away with having little muscle mass if our faces are pretty enough, but the
“ideal male look” generally involves shapely pectorals, bulging biceps, and the
ever-present perfectly symmetrical six-pack.
Am I a conformist
for striving to meet this standard, at least partially? Am I a hypocrite for
telling others to do whatever makes them happy (provided they don’t harm people),
yet spending two hours each day working out and running? Am I a fool for trying
to achieve this look?
I’m not sure. I
could be completely blind to my own idiocy (and it wouldn’t be the first time,
unfortunately). But here’s the thing: I like being healthy. I like looking
good. I love running. Sit-ups,
push-ups, wall-sits, and planks may not be quite as invigorating, but I do
absolutely love to run. My workout doesn’t make me sick or unhappy. My life
doesn’t revolve around my fitness or self-image. I am not involved with
steroids or any kind of detrimental supplement. Maybe I’m a moron for trying to
look the way society tells me I should look, but what if I like that look?
Ultimately I think
you have to do what makes you happy. If you are trying to achieve a certain
look because it will make you happy,
and you are putting your own happiness before the happiness of others, then I
think you’re probably on the right track. Things start getting murky when you
try to achieve a certain look (or anything else, for that matter) in order to
appease other people.
And with that last
nugget, I’m out! Enjoy your weekend!
Hello, angel
faces. Today I’m going to share with you my perspective on goals right now.
Basically, I want to do everything. I want to be a published author and
illustrator. I want to design t-shirts. I want to be a model. I want to sing
and play instruments. I want to teach. I want to be an actor. I want to travel
the world. I want to learn to speak a different language (or two, or three). I want
to do a ton of stuff—so much stuff
that I wonder if I have time to do it all before I die.
Put simply, I want
to be a Renaissance Man.
According to
dictionary.com, a Renaissance Man is “A person with many talents or interests,
esp. in the humanities.” That is a pretty apt description of who I am—and more
importantly, who I will be. See, right now I feel like I have maybe two talents
and a whole boatload of interests…but with time and effort, I would like to
have many talents. That’s why I’m practicing
guitar and piano every day. That’s why I complete a lesson of American Sign
Language every night. Ultimately, that’s why I’m even writing this blog.
If you’re like me,
you probably have a ridiculous amount of goals. But…occasionally…you might feel
worn out. You might get tired, or you might think, “this will take way too much
time/this will never happen/I can’t do it.” When I am in that kind of rut, here
is something that helps me.
I picture what I
call my Highest Self: the version of me that has become the Renaissance Man.
This version of me is smart, strong, fit, and capable. He has traveled the
world and acquired knowledge and wisdom from his journeys. He has many friends
and he has become a role model for others. He has many artistic talents. He
uses his knowledge and artistry to help make the world a more beautiful place,
and to assist others however and whenever he can.
My Highest Self is
a long ways away, and I have a whole lot
of work to do before I can be anything like him. But when I get to feeling
down, I just picture that person in my head and think, “if I want to become
him, then I can’t give up now.” I don’t know if that will help you, but it definitely
helps me.
Maybe, the next
time you’re in rut, think of your Highest Self, and ask, “how will I become
that person?”
Before I go, here
is the obligatory Friday Fitness Pic. I can’t say I’m seeing a lot of progress
yet, but in this for the long haul. Talk to you guys Monday! Have a good
weekend!
