Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Attitude... it truly is everything.

I've been going insane over what my first blog of this comp would be about.  I wanted to imagine it as a new start, a new chapter, however you want to look at it.  I thought it would reflect some great epiphany where I remind myself that where I've come from, where I've been... none of that matters unless I know where I am going. 
Today my mother-in-law hit a new chapter in her struggles with pancreatic cancer.  She is now "officially" stage IV thanks to [inevitable] metastisis.  Which brings me to my point. 
Are you living? Or dying? 
 Marilyn is absolutely going to die.  BUT.. SO ARE YOU! 
Attitude is everything. 
So here we sit.  We all have an inevitable fate... and we make choices that can contribute to when/where/how... but reality is.. we can only choose how we liveWe do not choose how we dieMarilyn, my mother-in-law, one of the most amazing women on the planet: SHE IS LIVING!  And her every breath challenges me to LIVE!!!  To breath!!  To enjoy every moment life has to offer.
To live until the moment I die.
This competition represents a new me.  I lost the old me when I realized that life has no guarantees.  I changed... became someone else.   I stopped LIVING.. and started resenting life.
So my new chapter begins.  Today... I will live the way I hope my children will live.  I will adopt habits that make me feel better about me.  I will do things that make waking up every morning worth the hassle.  I'm DONE feeling mediocre... I'm DONE living life like it's something owed to me.  I'm READY to be EXCEPTIONAL and to take advantage of this gift.   
Don't get caught up in that theory that "life is too short to skip on dessert".  Dessert never made you feel any better about who you are.  It never brought you to accomplish some great task.  It never taught you how powerful and strong you are... all it ever did [for me] is make me feel powerless, bloated, and inferior. 
The idea that nothing tastes as good as thin feels is TOTAL CRAP!!  But I guarantee NOTHING tastes as good as you feel when YOU are in control of you!! 
I'm taking back control! 
Watch out world. 

5 comments:

Robyn said...

Well put! I got a little teary eyed reading it!

Amy said...

Love this, very powerful! My new mantra will be to live the way I hope my children will. Thanks for sharing, Kari! I'm inspired!

Jessica B said...

Kari you are so amazing. No matter what is thrown in general direction you can spin it in a positive way and use the momentum it has to accomplish something. simply amazing...Marilynn is also an amazing woman for this reason and so many more. I can only hope that this infectious power that marilynn and you have spreads and continues to grow. I absolutely love you!

Angie said...

Love the post. I am so sorry to hear the latest on Marilyn's cancer journey. May God bless her with many fabulous days of living!

Rose said...

Karilynn,
I have to say that even though I've never struggled with weight, I deal as much as anyone with the ups and downs of emotional and physical life, and the struggle to live vibrantly. You are an utter inspiration!