So Much To Say, So Much To Say…

Ahh, the eternal lyrics of the Dave Matthews Band. It is funny, I have felt more inspired to post lately, so here goes nothing. As a quick disclaimer, this post will probably have many trains of thought, so look out. Ok, shall we begin? Oh yes, let us rock and/or roll.

First, I just watched the first, post-writer’s strike episode of The Office. I absolutely loved this episode. I will say that it was probably the most awkward 22 minutes of television I have seen in awhile, but I loved it. This episode focused on a dinner party and Michael and Jan’s house. I was laughing out loud many times. Please check out www.nbc.com for the full episode, it is worth your time.

Next on the list is my weight-loss. As of my first post on this site (Feb. 11th) I had lost 40 pounds. After fighting a brief plateau, I have now lost a total of 51 pounds since August 2007. I feel good, really good actually. I am at a place where my pants are struggling to stay up and my cache of dress clothes from my former job, do not fit anymore. More importantly, my soul, heart, mind, and body seem to be in alignment. I am a blessed individual. Having all of those elements within me, on the same page, makes life amazing. Some people have asked me what I have done to shed the pounds. I am honored to have the chance to share. The first piece was getting pissed. That is somewhat crass, but it is the truth. I got sick of how I looked and I made a conscious decision to break up with with pizza, cookies, and other crap that I was using to cope with elements of my life. Basically, I have a decent diet, I keep my soul fulfilled, and I work out a lot. I have taken up running, which has really become a fun element of my life.

I watched The Mist the other day. Whew, what an ending, somewhat out of the blue. I enjoyed the film. I would recommend it as a nice Saturday or Sunday afternoon film to lay around and watch. I also highly recommend the film, Music Within. This movie covers a guy who went to Vietnam, came back deaf (from a nearby explosion), was told he would not receive the G.I. Bill because of his disability and then went on to champion the cause of disabled and veterans. Great film, solid acting, and a nice writing.

Sunday, if all goes as planned, I will be getting my first tattoo. As some of you know, this has been an interesting journey. One that, hopefully will conclude this weekend with a stellar bit of work.

As I close, I am going to include some pictures to map my progress through the weight-loss journey. One is from September 2007, one for January, and the other is very recent.

Thanks for reading, blogging is somewhat cathartic for me.

Are We Afraid of Our Dreams?

Greetings Friends!

This is my first post of April. Sometimes I wish that my blogs could be written straight from my head. Going with the head to blog scenario, I would say I post everyday. Alas, that is not the case and my fingers have not graced the keys in awhile. I plan to touch base on my last post, hit up on some new thoughts, and then close with some music suggestions.

In regards to my last post, my little sis wanted me to elaborate a bit. In regards to nurturing my heart and not catering to poor heart choices, the topic of self-worth really comes to the surface. I feel, at 28, I finally have an idea of what my self-worth equals. I am not implying that I have previously suffered from low self-worth. Instead, I feel as though I have never had an actual internal definition. I know that I am an all-star. I know that I am blessed, have an excellent family, been fortunate to have learned (and continue to do so) from many life-mistakes, have excellent friends, and have the world by the tail. I know these things to be true and have known for a long-time. I strive everyday to live to a higher level, strong, and blessed in my faith. Anyway, that was a long paragraph to basically say, that I know my self-worth and I will not let others define that for me.

Ok, onto the title of this blog. Are we afraid of our dreams? I imagine that some of you reading this may be thinking, “is this about dreams while you are sleeping?” Nope, this blog is not about those dreams. I am talking about life dreams, those things that you get goose bumps about when they come to mind. Recently, I have had some dreams of mine begin to take shape. I am so very thankful for God’s blessings on these dreams, my family’s support, and the counsel and kind words of friends, in making these things come to fruition. Now the funny thing is this. I have had a few moments recently, staring my dreams in the face where I have become afraid. I get this panicky feeling in my belly and questions, fear, and doubt begin to cloud my mind/heart. I have realized that when your dreams begin to take shape, that can be scary. You know what though? One of the main goals of our lives should be to experience joy (thanks for always reminding me of this Mom) and having a dream take shape is something to be joyous about.

I am going to rock the world, that is all I can say. As Jay Z says, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” Let me repeat, I am going to rock the world. I am working hard everyday to be the strongest person I can be. As a Christian, son, brother, friend, employee, music fan, etc., I have lots of work to do, but I am excited.

Alright, some music to pay attention to, and, for your amusement, a television show to check-out. Ok, music, I have been jamming lately to Dire Straits. These guys never get old to me. Mark Knopfler was/is their lead singer. His solo work is strong as well. I recommend the song Sailing to Philadelphia as sung with James Taylor. Mark’s web page is http://www.markknopfler.com

I will admit that I was a little late getting to this show, but nonetheless, it is stellar. I highly recommend CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother.” I may have dismissed this show previously. I can only claim a dislike of CBS shows. This show is funny, has excellent writing, and has plenty of heart. You can access some full-episodes at www.cbs.com

Alright, that is all I have for right now. Please stay tuned as I work with Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to get a program made for making blogs straight from your mellon to the computer.

Thanks for reading