I love walking outside. In college I would take walks at night after I got done with dinner or hanging with friends. Almost every night I would take a break from the studying, the writing just to go and walk and think through things. I would look around and often focus on the sky or the trees. My walks were part stress relief, part nature appreciation.
Sometimes these days for exercise instead of going to the gym I take walks to the park a mile from my house. It is a good distance for me to take a quick break from things. But when I was walking the other day I realized how different my walks are from how they once were. The main difference was the fact that when I walk now I look down. I suppose I could blame it on the time (twilight) when I walk. I want to make sure I don’t trip so I watch where my feet are going. However, I don’t only do this when the light wanes. I do it all the time.
Missing the Big Picture
Somehow I went from appreciating the vastness and beauty of the universe to watching my steps and thinking about putting one foot in front of the other. Somehow my world shrank. I have been missing the scenery that surrounds me. I haven’t noticed the neighbors rose bushes or the new leaves on the trees lining the road to the park. My vision shrank to the step by step process in hopes that I wouldn’t fall. I have been so focused on not failing and not falling that I have missed the bigger picture.
I wish this was only true for my walks, but I believe I have also missed the bigger picture elsewhere. About a month ago on Twitter I was chatting with Jonathan Fields of Career Renegade. After our initial interaction he said, “Was just reading your blog, wondering if it might be fruitful to think bigger picture.” At first I had no idea what he was talking about. I pushed a little further and asked what he meant. He replied “Life and work. Seems your writing is more lifestyle/wellness driven. May be interesting content to explore.”
This interaction drove me crazy. I didn’t want to keep pushing because at the time I felt defensive. “No way!” I thought. I’m not missing out on anything. I’m not missing some grander, bigger vision. I am a lifestyle/wellness blogger! That is what I write about! Duh! But a month has passed and the feeling still nags. I felt like I had been missing out on something. Like there was/is something right at the tips of my fingers that I just haven’t grabbed a hold of yet.
Figuring It Out
I thought perhaps my short sightedness was a symptom of my overall situation. Since I graduated last year I have been living day to day. I planned to only do certain things for short amounts of time. I planned to find a job in a certain amount of time. I planned to move out in a certain amount of time. But when none of things happened within my time frames – or at all – I had a problem. I had been setting these short time frames so I could make it through one, then another, then another. Now a year later I don’t have a bigger and better job and I have a problem with looking at life in short chunks instead of looking the bigger picture of how I want my whole life to unfold.
While perusing Jonathan’s blog I found some great advice for this: “Well, here’s a thought, stop hunting for a job and start hunting for a life! One, where you’re not waiting around, hoping and praying someone else finds value in who you are and what you do. One, where you maintain substantial control over your career, regardless of whether you work for yourself or someone else.” In a sense I have been sitting around and waiting for the bigger picture to fall on my lap. That isn’t going to happen. And instead of searching for a job like I have been, I am instead going to look for the kind of life I want. The kind of life where I can be healthy and happy and whole.
Which leads me to the bigger picture for myself and this blog. It is less about weight loss, although we will always be weight watchers up in here (some of us have to be). My life is more than just weight loss and so is yours. So this blog will start to reflect that a little more. The exploration of healthiness, happiness, and life will continue and expand in ways that I am not entirely sure of yet. (If you have any advice, please chime in on the comments!) I know that I have started working on some cool projects to help teach a little bit of what I’ve learned so far. Look for some new and exciting things coming up soon!
I am hoping to continue sharing my journey with all you in order to show everyone how wonderful and BIG life can be. I truly LOVE life. It is such a precious, beautiful thing. But sometimes we can let fear, confusion, and other emotions make us forget this. We get tricked into thinking small and forget that taking risks makes life worth living. I did. But you don’t need to. Don’t fall for the step by step, focus on the short term shuffle to just get through things. Think bigger. Think bolder. Think about your whole life and what you want it to look like. Now, let’s do it!!
{ 5 comments }
Jonathan has some interesting insights. I agree that being open to all that life has to offer is enriching and rewarding. You GO!
Cammy@TippyToeDiet’s last blog post..Makeover Monday: Road Trip!
That is so true! I definitely realized how everything intertwines when no matter what I did with my diet, I couldn’t lose weight because it was more than calories in calories out, it was the whole picture (stress from my job, planning the wedding) I’m excited to learn more about you!
MackAttack’s last blog post..Hoping to avoid a spoiler
You have a great site, full of good informative stuff. I really beleive that healthy eating begins with learning and re-training. I am also into health and weight loss.
Mm, it’s one thing to dream big, it’s another to actually do something about those dreams.
Good luck with your stuff :) I look forward to reading about it.
FLG’s last blog post..Happy Late Mother’s Day
wow. this post really strikes a chord with me. I always do that. Plan short term, just get past one thing and hope I make it to the next. you’ve given me a lot think about missus!
wildfluffysheep’s last blog post..Back to business….
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