Transparency

So.. Now that I know for sure that I've been/am being stalked.. I debated about deleting this blog. I knew that ___ had been stalking others' online activities for years because they've shared info they have learned about x,y,z,a,b,c,etc's life/endeavors/pitfalls/social media posts/news stories, etc. At the same time of hearing the gossip/reality news about others, I couldn't help but wonder if they were also stalking/following my online social media posts. I only thought about it fleetingly because I never post specifics about work issues in social media and the stalker is work-related. So.. when someone asked me a few days ago about something posted on this blog, I at first tensed up and silently thought about deleting this blog and making my twitter and Facebook profiles, etc. private. But before reacting I put more thought into it. What I post on this blog and on Twitter and Facebook, etc. are about my personal life. Meant to benefit connections with family and friends and fellow runners. I may occasionally add a status update that is totally vague about work stress, but I do not divulge specific work issues. My profession is a civil servant/project manager/protector of human health. I am currently managing a high profile project that has national attention. On the one hand, I am tempted to shut down all social media accounts to protect the privacy of my family. But on the other hand, I am tempted to keep them all open because I have nothing to hide.. My goal is transparency. If I shut it all down they will wonder what I am trying to hide.

I haven't blogged here regularly lately but am contemplating my next marathon in April 2015. This blog is totally about my running endeavors.. So I really don't freakin care if there are work-related stalkers. Hopefully it will give them incentive to get active (some already are) and give them fodder for small talk when I see them next and again and again :)

Groundhog Day - Round Hog transformation plan

What happens to a groundhog when it eats too much?
It becomes a round hog.

What have I done on groundhog day for the past several years? I've started a run streak.

I have become a "round hog" of sorts over the past year. I've let work, life, illness, weather, etc. become excuses for not exercising regularly. I've let extensive work travel and my daughter's need to bond over dining out become my excuse for eating too much. I've let all of the above become excuses for not taking the time to declutter my life and home. The result? I feel overwhelmed, stressed, unhappy, and unhealthy. I want to get back to being the best mommy possible for my teenage daughter.

I gave up on New Year's resolutions a few years back. Groundhog day has more meaning to me, so I plan to start living a healthier life today. Why the significance? My maternal grandmother would have been 99 today if she were still alive. In the movie "Groundhog Day", Phil Connors re-examines his life and priorities and becomes a much better person. This is my inspiration for Groundhog Day. He takes it a day at a time and improves gradually. And from what I've read from experts, people typically are more successful when they take baby steps rather than trying to change every bad habit all at once.

My plan?

#1 Start another run streak of course! I haven't run regularly in a long time, so I am going to start with a run/walk program.. everyday. Running has always provided me with much needed stress relief and happiness, particularly on trail runs.

#2: Laugh more and be a better mom. Recently both me and my ex-husband had to travel for work during the same time period. Our daughter spent a school night with a friend. She told me later that Ms. Polly made her lunch to take to school and it made her feel warm and special. I used to make her lunches when she was younger, but then she started liking school lunches. Who knew that simply packing a lunch for your child would not only nourish them, but make them feel warm, happy and loved? I started last week and wrote a note on the outside of the brown paper bag that I packed it in. As a high schooler, she was embarrassed at first but later admitted that I just might be the best mom :)

#3: Completely eliminate gluten and dairy from my diet; I feel so much better when I do. Yet I have still made excuses to eat it more often than I should, which has resulted in feeling ill, which contributed to weight gain and an excuse for not excercising.

#4: Declutter my home. It's nowhere near those insane images that you see on TV of hoarders, but clutter/disorganization of any sort causes stress for me. Rather than shut down and let it grow, I plan to take action each day to either throw away items or put them into a bag for donation.

#5: Plan (and take) a vacation. It's been years since we took a real vacation. My work load has been insane for the past 3 years and I've said that I cannot possibly take more than a few days off at a time because of a particular project that was assigned to me in October 2010. I've worked hard to make headway. Now that I know that people are drinking safe water, I think I am finally to a point where I can comfortably carve out a week or two to escape to a beach this summer.