Great Expectations

ex - pec - ta- tion

Noun

1. A strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.

2. A belief that someone will or should achieve something. 

Expectations. We all have them. Whether we want to admit it, we do. We have expectations for ourselves, for others, for our jobs, for what we will get out of life...you name it, and most likely there are some sort of expectations associated with it. Sometimes our expectations come to fruition and we get what we expected. Other times, that's not the case. When expectations are not met (in any sense), it leads to disappointment. Disappointment in ourselves, in others, in our lives. And disappointment is not fun. We start to question things...what we could have done differently...what we could have expected differently. We have all been there and it's not fun.

I've come to realize lately that I am a person of high expectations. I expect a lot out of myself, a lot out of life, and a lot out of others. Now, I know that in order for these expectations to come to light that it usually involves work. I can't expect to become a faster runner if I don't put the work into it and actually get out there and run. I can't expect to meet Mr. Right if I am not willing to put myself out there and meet some eligible guys. I get all that. And when our expectations of ourselves are not met, well, we can usually just blame ourselves. We didn't put the work into it to get what we expected. We all know how that works. And even in life with a lot of the things we expect, we have to be willing to put some elbow grease in and put some work into it. Again, we get that. While we may not be able to control a lot of things, there are some things we can control.

One thing that has really been brought to my attention is that while I hold high expectations for myself, I also tend to hold others to high expectations. And unlike having high expectations for myself where I can control the outcome (usually), when it comes to having high expectations for others, there is almost nothing I can do to control what happens. When I am disappointed by people, I can quickly pinpoint that my expectations of the other person were not met. I'm talking about expectations like following through on their word, doing things like I would have done them (ridiculous, I know), handling things a certain way, reacting a certain way, etc. Over the past few months, I guess I have learned that I need to stop expecting so much from others and learn to accept people for who they are, where they are, and what they have to give. I certainly don't think I can live up to the expectations others have of me if I don't know what they are so why do I think others can live up to my expectations if they don't even know they are there?

So, today, I am going to try to let go of expectations. Expectations of myself. Expectations of life. Expectations of others. I am going accept people for who they are, what they are, where they are, and what they have to give. And I think in the long run, I will be able to better accept myself...who I am, where I am, and what I am. Yes, it's going to take some work and it will probably take a lot of little reminders on my part, but I know it will be worth it. 

Saying Goodbye...

This afternoon, my family had to say goodbye to Britches, our 14 year old Golden Retriever. It's the part of being a pet owner that just stinks. It sucks, really. You love them wholeheartedly and they honestly take a piece of your heart when they pass away. I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Britches is running around in doggie heaven...happy to see her sister Buttons, ripping the covers off of tennis balls, swimming in the pool, and digging her famous trenches in the dirt. She was a great dog and companion and won't soon be forgotten. 

Britches in April 2012

Saying Goodbye is one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite childhood movies, The Muppets Take Manhattan...it really puts my thoughts and feelings into words.
Saying Goodbyeby Jeff Moss

Saying goodbye, going awaySeems like goodbye's such a hard thing to sayTouching a hand, wondering whyIt's time for saying goodbye
Saying goodbye, why is it sad?Makes us remember the good times we've hadMuch more to say, foolish to tryIt's time for saying goodbye
Dont want to leave, but we both knowSometimes it's better to goSomehow I know we'll meet againNot sure quite where, and I don't know just whenYou're in my heart, so until thenIt's time for saying goodbye
Somehow I know we'll meet againNot sure quite where, and I don't know just whenYou're in my hearty, so until thenWanna smile, wanna crySaying goodbyeLa la la la la la la laIt's time for saying goodbye

A Year of Running

The January 2013 issue of Runner's World magazine has a great article on tackling the new year and running. 

The article begins with this...

"A year has 365 glorious days. Why take them on with just one so-big-it-fails resolution? 

Better to break down your goals into 12 easy-to-implement steps like the ones on the following pages. 

Take them month-by-month or choose a few that appeal to you, and run with them. 

Either way, you'll end up with a stronger, healthier, faster you all year long."

Then on the following 12 pages, it focuses on a different topic each month. I love this idea. Instead of trying to become faster, gain endurance, try to tone up, lose weight, and so on all at once, they break the year down and give you one thing to work on during the month. I am going to focus on each month's goal and hopefully, blog about it at the beginning and end of the month. And as the intro said...I'll be stronger, healthier, and faster!

January : Plan Your Race Year

February: Commit to Cooking

March: Build an Injury-Proof Body

April : Spring-Clean Your Gear

May: Sneak in Speed

June: Strengthen Your Brain

July: Overcome Aches and Pains

August: Rediscover Your Mojo

September: Master the Long Run

October: Go Gadget Free

November: Stay Fit through The Holidays

December: Share the Love

January's focus is on planning your race year. I already know of a few races I want to do...one for CHOA in April, some of the 5-K's I did last year, the Peachtree, and the Savannah Rock'n'Roll half in November. Since I haven't been running lately due to my surgery (and honestly, I just needed to take a break for a bit), I think planning out my race year will help me get back into the swing of things. I know that if I don't sign myself up for races, that i won't run as much or be as committed. This year, I am going to focus on 5 and 10-K's. I love half-marathons...but for me, the training is grueling and I think I need to just work on the shorter distances for a while. I think my only half in 2013 will be in Savannah. I would LOVE to do a marathon relay and the Atlanta Marathon in Oct/Nov has the relay option. So, I will report back at the end of the month with what races I am planning on doing...and while I can't sign up for all of them at once because they are $$$...I can at least put them on the calendar!

Happy Running, my friends!!

2013 Goals

So it's 9 days until 2013 and I'm just now sitting down to write about the new year. Hey, better late than never. I've spent some time thinking about the new year...what I want to accomplish, where I want to go, where I'd like to be this time next year. Like most people, I have set resolutions in the past...and have promptly kicked them right out the window long before January was even over. This year instead of setting ridiculous resolutions, I have decided to set goals for myself...goals that will make me a better person in the end. 

Here are my goals for the year...

-Focus on getting stronger....not skinnier. 

-Run more...walk less.

-Cherish and nurture the relationships with my family and friends. 

-Make 2 new recipes each month. 

  (Just for the record...I've already accomplished that for Jan...homemade waffles & breakfast sandwiches)

While those may not seem like huge goals, there are little things I can do everyday to help me accomplish them. They're goals that are totally doable and aren't too specific..well, except for the last one. They are goals that I can accomplish. Yes, it will take some work. But that's what goals are for...to make you work a little harder, to make you push yourself out of your comfortable zone, and to make you realize that you can do what you set your mind to! When we set goals that are completely unattainable, we are setting ourselves up for failure...which turns into negative self talk, pity parties, and generally feeling like crap about yourself  Why in the world would we want to do that? My challenge to you is to think about where you want to be when 2014 rolls around and what steps you can take to get there. Set yourself up for success...not failure...and make sure you have fun along the way! Here's to 2013...a year full of happiness, health, and knocking our goals out of the park!

~ 2012 ~ 2013 ~

A farewell to 2012...

What a year!! 2012 was an amazing year. I learned everyday, loved immensely, laughed heartily, and lived like there was no tomorrow. Or at least, I tried to.

Without getting too nostalgic (which if we're honest, we all do this time of the year), here's a quick recap of 2012. I saw a fellow blogger do something similar to this and it seemed like a creative way to recap the year.

Favorite Trip: Trip to NYC in October for Randy & Cristina's wedding!

Favorite Memory: Weddings!! Jen & Nate's...and...Randy & Cristina's

Favorite Book Read: There are 2...

             

Favorite Song: This is hard...I'm such a music lover. Here are a few of my faves from the year....

"I Won't Give Up"
Jason Mraz

"Crazy/U Drive Me Crazy"
Glee

"Some Nights"

Fun

I was going write a lot more...but blogger has a mind of it's own tonight. 

Maybe I'll revisit this topic later!