In the middle of cooking dinner for a party of six. On tonight's menu:
Sliced tomatoes and avocados drizzled in olive oil, salt and pepper
Sourdough baguette with french brie cheese.
Mixed green salad with a balsamic red wine vinaigrette.
Baked chicken with roasted potatoes and sauteed green beans with onions and garlic.
Vanilla ice cream and key lime sorbet with berries.
Wine is welcomed.
Seemingly endless days of work leads me to two days off. Napa Valley tomorrow to explore the vast wineries and then 20 miles on Wednesday to simply start the day.
My girlfriend was recently in town. As we picked up right where we left off and sipped on our sparkling wine to celebrate our few days together, the stories, memories and gossip seemed to simply roll off our tongues.
As I have written once before, being around GF helps to heighten my dreams and allow me to be much more aware of my aspirations. I came to this realization one morning in Vermont as we sat outside Speeder and Earl's on Church Street. We sat there coming up with our list of dreams and things that we will accomplish. As I sat there and thought about the possibilities, I realized and she helped me realize, that it is all very possible. A hostel in Europe, an American bakery in a foreign country, a nurse, a traveling nurse, and a journalist, among many other things. A list of seemingly random goals that could all very well be accomplished.
As we sat on the 39th floor of the Marriot in San Francisco, sipping on our cocktails and looking over the city, an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction came over me. Each step I take, homework assignment I complete, exam I schedule, dollar I earn and mile I run, my goals continue to grow and I persevere in touching upon my list of aspirations.
Barton calls me head strong...maybe you can also call it stubborn, but I don't think I have ever wanted to be good at so many things before in my life. I cook not only because I love it, but because I want to be good at it. I take classes and respect my professors because I want to be a good student, but also because I want to succeed. I want to be knowledgable in my field of study and once I enter into my profession, I want to be the best. I run because I love it, it is freeing and it keeps me in shape; I want to be a great marathon runner. I wait tables to earn the money I need to live and pay for school, but as I wait tables, I try to be the best server I can, I want to be respected and create an admirable reputation for myself.
I just want to do well, I want to prosper and I want to reach my goals and dreams. Life is too short to sit around, live in an unhappy situation of miserable circumstances and wait for something better to come along. If anyone really thinks that the best moments happen by waiting for them and not seizing new experiences or moments, then by my opinion, they are creating a lifeless existence. Why let other people determine your fate? Why let other people control the things you want to do or the things you want? Within this life there is only us, there is only you. I am not saying destroy people to get to the top, but I am saying seize the moment and do what you want to do. Follow your dreams, open up and allow yourself to realize the possibilities. Don't let someone else control your fate.
I want to be good at everything I do. Actually, I strive for excellence. For the A's, for the great meals, for the shorter marathon time, and for the punctual employee. These daily goals make me stronger and make me a better person. I am not invincible, but I strive for excellence and brilliance.
So as the night comes to an end and I will soon find myself happily closing my eyes, I can sleep well knowing that I have tried my best today. I will wake in the morning with a few hours to study and a morning run and then take the day to enjoy the company of close friends.
Strive for excellence, although some days it seems impossible and exhausting, days like those make the accomplishments that much more rewarding.
God Bless.
2 comments:
I am so proud of you. I think if someone reads this that doesn't know you..they would be inspired to work on their goals or at least think..hmmm maybe I should aspire to something..what could/would that be? And if only one person does that than you have touched them with your blog and what you do on a daily basis to challenge youself but also to live in the moment. You go girl!!
Strive for excellence. U hit the nail on the head. One of the things life is about.
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