"Rest" Day

WARNING: This post has almost nothing to do with fitness or weight loss, but you might find it enjoyable anyway.

So I completed my first full week of the new program, and I have to tell you I feel...just about the same. I had a few down days, and though I had been committed to not going to the fridge in my weakened mental state, alas I still found my way there for a couple of late night treats. I am still maintaining my weight, which is pretty cool, but I would really like to knock off a few more pounds before race day. Only 7 more weeks to go!

So again, Wednesdays are my rest days, and I was really hoping to get some extra sack time this morning before rolling out of bed. Katie got out of bed at 4:45am, and I thought for sure that I would be able to go right back to sleep. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I immediately began to think about my employment situation. I had an interview for a position yesterday, and I really did not perform that well in the interview. It's okay,because I could have never taken the position for what they were offering for a salary, but none the less I was more than a little disappointed with my performance. As I was answering some of the employer's questions I found I was struggling to find the answers I thought they wanted to hear rather than honestly telling the people how I felt. Essentially, I had a serious lack of confidence during the interview.

And I what I realized as I lay in bed this morning is that what I have to say is important. I am a customer service professional; I was put on this Earth to "service" people. That is not to say that I have been dealt with a life in servitude. What it means to me is that I care! I care about the experience of the people around me. If I am in a restuarant, I care about the experience that the diners are having. If I am coordinating a person's wedding, I care that it is the most important day of that person's life (at least up to that point), and I want it to be the greatest experience for them. I care about the people I work with. I care what people think about the job that I am doing; I care what people think about the company that I work for.

And this caring motivates me outside of my professional endeavors. I care if people are having a good time. I care about the people of Haiti, Darfur, and many other regions of the world. I care about the soldiers in combat theaters. I care about the homeless in my own communities. I care about what people are eating. I care if kids are being active enough to avoid becoming obese. I care about my family. I care to be around them for a long time to come. I care about my fitness, and I care about my run and bike times.

I have also come to the realization that I care enough to do something about these things. If I care about the homeless, I need to doing something about it (I do on occasion volunteer at the local shelter). If I really care to live a long life with my family, to get fit and lose some weight, I need to constantly be conscious of what I am doing and eating. And when you care, there are no "rest" days, there are only "do" days. Now, I am going to go out and do something. Tomorrow, I am going to do some more.