A Jump Start

Here I am coming upon change. A situation that will give me a fresh start. No one knows me. I don't have a reputation. I could decide to change things about me and no one would know. It is kind of refreshing. I used to feel bad for people that grew up in the same area their whole lives. The reputation they built would always be with them. Mine will vanish in five days.

This morning I woke up at 4:30. It is now 5:53. I couldn't sleep because I was thinking of all the things I would like to change in my life.

1. I don't want to drink soda.
2. I want to eat healthy.
3. I want to be a little more ladylike and a little less crass.
4. I want to consistently read scripture.
5. I want to gain a stronger testimony.
6. I want to exercise.
7. Talk less and listen more.

These are all person goals that I have not been able to muster up the motivation for lately. Moving to a new place where I will have more time to focus will be the perfect opportunity for me to change. This has been my mentality for the last four months. However, in the last four months I have only worked out 6 times, I have been more crass than normal, I have been more inconsistent with scriptures, and I drink soda almost daily. As for the healthy eating... well lets just say I've gained 9 pounds in the last four months!!

Last night, after a conversation with friends, I realized that there is no need to wait. In fact, waiting is the easy way out. So I'm giving myself a jump start. I'm starting today. Bye Bye soda!! Hello to eating more healthy. Time to apologize for crass words. It's 6:08 so there is still time to exercise and read scriptures. Here I go. I already feel better. I feel better this very minute :).

Are You Passionate?

Do you know what your passion is? Have you found out who you are or what you really want to do? I haven't. Sometimes I hear of a passion that someone else has and I try it out for a while, but it isn't really mine so I give it back like a shirt I borrowed from a girlfriend. I followed after my sister for a while. I ran. I never truly liked it. I used to think that songwriting was my passion, but when there's no one to share the songs with it takes the fun out of it. Sometimes I still write, but more in journal form (definitely not for entertainment purposes). I once wrote a song and submitted it to the American Idol Songwriting Competition. Of course it didn't go anywhere. It wasn't a total waste of the ten dollar submission fee. I did complete a song, recorded it and all. My husband, unlike me, has so many passions that he has a hard time choosing one. Not to mention so many talents that he is needed by everyone. How would that be... Probably a little stressful. Maybe I have a passion, but it changes so frequently that I peg it as a passing fad. Maybe being busy is my passion. I really hate boredom or empty blocks of time. I love people! Maybe people are my passion. Maybe I'll find my passion in Taiwan. The search is on!!

The man in this photo is the first person I spoke to in Taiwan. I only knew three phrases in Mandarin. He spoke to me in spite of my inadequate language skills. I didn't understand a lick, but he was very pleasant. Maybe my passion will be learning a new language...