She needs to sort out her priorities.

~ Ron Weasley, from a scene in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone, depending on what side of the pond you’re on)

I generally don’t like to rant about other people on my little blog here (*insert sarcastic laugh*), but sometimes I just witness something that makes me weep and wonder what’s going on. However, when it’s a friend, it’s harder to do without hurting their feelings. Since I am by no means a confrontational person when it comes to my friends (sometimes I am, but it depends on the situation), I have to take a slightly different approach.

I have great respect for people who know where they’re going and how they’re going to get there, when it comes to their lives. Lord knows it’s taken me a while to get to where I am, with all of the obstacles that were thrown in my path. Generally speaking, things are amazing in my life right now. I have a wonderful husband who loves me despite my flaws and quirks (and I love him all the same as well). I have two wonderful supportive parents who, even though we may have our differences at times, stand behind my choices. I have 4 cats that might as well be my kids. I have amazing friends that I consider to be family. I have a growing business in an industry that I love with wonderful clients who appreciate the hard work I do for them. I just got accepted into Philadelphia University’s Interactive Design and Media program for the spring semester (provided that the Mayans were incorrect in their indirect predictions and we don’t have a zombie apocalypse).

My acceptance letter from PhilaU.

Like I said, generally, I have a good life. I have a plan. However, when I see someone who does not have a plan for their life, or they had a plan and faltered somewhere, I have to wonder what the hell happened. How could someone get so far off track that they can’t seem to catch a break enough to get back on? Or, how could they let themselves fall into such a deep rut?

Is it bad that I often find myself wondering that? I realize that it might sound as though I am gloating about having it good when others have it pretty bad. I am not trying to make it sound like this, honestly. I think this is my way of seeing if I can’t conjure up a way to help the people I know who are having these problems. I hate to see them having such a hard time with what life throws at them, but at the same time, it’s their own fault, and there’s likely nothing I can do to help. It’s kind of like a train wreck, and you can’t look away. You can only stare in horror from behind a piece of glass, hoping things will work out in the end.

Other times, I just want to go up to these people and give them a good shake while yelling, “YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR CHOICES, STOP COMPLAINING AND BLAMING OTHERS (AND THINGS) FOR YOUR DOWNFALLS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!”

One of these days, I will become the confrontational friend that everyone hates because I give them the kick in the ass to actually do something about their lives.

Soon.

And on an unrelated (but sort of related since it’s Harry Potter), here’s a license plate to make your day.

harry potter ron weasley hermione sorting priorities life things

This post, in the great words of Mr. Ronald Weasley…, was written by phillynikongal, and originally posted on esther fox [DOT] com. If you're reading this on a site other than esther fox [DOT] com, it has been taken and used without permission.

Forgiveness - What’s one thing do you need to forgive yourself for this year?

A Letter to my Body – by Esther Fox

Dear body,

I am sorry that I’ve treated you pretty crappy over the last twelve months.

We were doing really good, you and I. I took you to the gym every morning and we spent time doing circuits and planks. Ohhh, remember those planks? They felt so good didn’t they? Oh and, how about those pilate balls? Sometimes you would kvetch about being stretched over those for long periods of time, but we worked through it. Ab crunches and free weights, those felt amazing. And the results we were seeing were equally amazing.

In 2010, much to your dismay, I stopped feeding you soda, primarily Diet Coke. You complained for a bit, and tried to get me to go back to it, but I stuck with it for over a year. It’s a shame we took that trip this past May to Philly, and I let you have that Diet Coke. It was all downhill from there. In my defense, we haven’t been drinking nearly as much of it as we were before we stopped in 2010.

I know you liked those morning walks we’d have with my mom at the gym. You were especially excited when I bought that heart rate monitor, so that we could see exactly how many calories we were burning. But unfortunately, money got tight, and we had to give up my gym membership. I know it was a mistake, but it was something that couldn’t be helped.

Body, I am making a promise to you. In 2012, we’re going to go back to the gym. Sure, we may have to start over from the very beginning, but it’s just you, me and the heart rate monitor. Back to basics. No more soda. Healthier choices. Real food. Three meals a day. And most importantly, I promise to treat you to a little TLC every now and then. I know your skin is dry and crackly, but I will fix it with some lotion. And maybe even some bubble baths, if you’re good.

For now, let’s just finish off 2011 so we can get to 2012. I hope you can forgive me for what I’ve put you through, because I am so excited to see what’s in store for us!

Love always,

Esther

reverb11 resound11 day twenty-eight forgive weight loss body transformation

This post, #reverb11 and #resound11 day twenty eight – forgive, was written by phillynikongal, and originally posted on esther fox [DOT] com. If you're reading this on a site other than esther fox [DOT] com, it has been taken and used without permission.