It's the Final Countdown

Okay so last week I said I was giving up self-pity in 2009, but since there are technically a couple of weeks left in 2008, I have still been moping around a little bit, albeit more sheepishly and without expecting any sympathy. I update my Facebook status with some passive-aggressive complaint about mushy triceps and everyone just ignores me. I get it. You're tired of my bitching. And I'm tired of having to do it! Trust me, this hurts me more than it hurts you.

So, since I have begrudgingly taken everyone's advice and "taken it easy" at the gym for the past CENTURY, I'll spare you another helping of Heather's Hot and Cheesy Sob Story Casserole. Instead, I'll engage in what is all the rage at the end of the year - a countdown!

This week, the top five things I learned this year, in no particular order.

5. I've learned that I seriously need to chill. I think that goes without saying. But, the multitude of people who have told me in the past few months that I need to relax and not take things so seriously has grown to the point of creating a fan club and staging interventions. I'm pretty sure they have a newsletter. So, yeah. I'm probably not going to do this, as I have been unsuccessful for the past 32 years and don't expect to suddenly find my zen hidden under my pillow. The lesson has been learned, just ignored.

4. I've learned that setbacks are not the end of the world. It seems like the world is against me when I hurt my knee or get sick or have to travel and miss workouts, but so far, every single time there has been a setback, I've recovered from it and lived to tell the story. I'm goal-oriented, and most of my goals have time frames attached. So, it's really hard to deal when I get off schedule and fall behind. But, I just have to suck it up because it will happen again. And rest assured, I'll get all dramatic about it and act like I'm the only person who has ever had a bad day so you should probably practice your eye-rolling skills over the holidays.

3. I've learned that Zumba is better off without me. I went, I Zumbaed, and I lost a little bit of my soul in the process. I think the world is a better place if I reserve my dancing skills for the living room on Saturday night when the Powder Milk Biscuit song is on.

2. I've learned that even I need to rest. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I have a tendency to beat myself up over minor things like needing to eat, sleep, breathe, and otherwise function like a normal human being. It still annoys me that I don't yet have super-human strength (or a trust fund), but I'm not giving up hope. I've learned the hard way this year that I need to slow down and rest once in a while, and that was the hardest lesson of all. In the future, I am going to request that I be sedated during those times so I am not aware of the atrophy my body and life are undergoing while I am "resting".

1. I am finally doing what I love. For a really long time, I kept this goal a secret. I worked out and liked healthy stuff, but I never really embraced my passion for it and "came out" as a card-carrying health nut until recently. Over the past few years, the positive energy I have created and received have been so rewarding that I've been inspired to find more ways to use my time on earth to motivate people to live healthier lives. Thanks for being part of that.

That being said, I'm going to the gym. You're coming, right?