Monday, May 4, 2015

Coincidences that are making me happy

Are there coincidences in life or do we just notice things and call them coincidences? Maybe you call them cowinkydinks if the spirit leads you down a silly path. I'm noticing coincidences between creating and losing weight.

What the heck do these seemingly unrelated endeavors have in common? One thing is that both make me happy. I feel better when I create and I feel better physically with some of my excessive weight gone. I have always thought of myself as a happy person. I accepted how I felt both emotionally and physically as ok, good and normal.

Since taking monthly classes and working, if not harder at least more often, toward creating art on paper or from the points of knitting needles, I have realized how much I enjoy the process. If someone oohs and aahs over the end product, that is well appreciated but the process and my own oohing or uh-oh at the end is what keeps me going and makes me happy. Even the big Uh-Ohs can make you happy if you learn from them, even if the lesson is that you hate working with XXX (product or medium) and will never do that again.

Since re-joining Weight Watchers last June, I have lost 65 pounds to date. I don't think it is boasting to say that I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far, but more important, I am so happy with how I feel physically. I didn't realize before that my previous normal wasn't written in stone.

I don't think my creations will land me in a museum or newsstand, and losing weight won't make me a model or turn any clocks back 30 years, but that isn't my goal. I am the best I can be today and enjoying it. Learning what works, what needs more practice or attention, and what just plain doesn't work for me is an ongoing process.

No matter how long we may live on this earth, life is too short. Don't be afraid to try because someone might not like your creation. Don't be afraid to try because you might not be as successful as you think you should be. Don't be afraid to try because you might create a holy-cow-that-is-an-ugly-mess or might gain instead of lose at a Weight Watcher weigh in.

Encourage yourself, do it and be happy.

* Published also on this date on my weight loss blog: My long and winding road

1 comment:

Amy Jaye said...

Coincidences, indeed!

When you mentioned the DIA trip, that led me to thinking about my poster boy- the Thinker. Which then helped me settle on my monthly mantra, which inspired you to comment...

And now I have your blog feed! I can't wait to read through your old posts.

Perfect. Hooray for coincidences. And congratulations on 65 pounds! That's worth a brag or two or sixty five.

-Instructor Amy (who often does sound like Charlie Brown's teacher...) VanillaArts.com