Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Spooky WIAW + November Challenge

Happy Wednesday and Halloween, everyone!  I hope your Halloween is filled with awesomeness and candy -- but mostly awesomeness.

We successfully survived the Frankenstorm with our windows intact and power going strong (despite the fact that when I went to bed on Monday night, it sounded awful outside), which was a huge relief.  We also got Monday and Tuesday off work, which was - how to put this delicately? - absolutely *&#@*%$! fantastic.

I'll get to my What I Ate Wednesday post in a moment, but before that, I want to publicly commit myself (and thus make myself accountable) to a November challenge. The theme?  Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Here's why I want to do this: I realized a few weeks ago that I've become pretty scared - ok, it's more accurate to say that I've become freaking terrified - of doing all sorts of stuff that I wouldn't have thought twice about a few years ago.  I'm scared of failing, I'm scared of being judged harshly, and I'm scared of being laughed at.

Since I'm being all honest and whatnot, I'll admit that I'm actually pretty freaked out to even be writing this right now.

Knowing that my comfort zone is about thisbig these days, I know I need to stretch my boundaries.  I know I need to push myself.  Most of all, I know I need to do the things that scare me.
Behold my miniscule comfort zone! (Source)

I find that I spend insane amounts of time imagining all the ways something could go horribly wrong, but when I actually do the thing that I've spent so much time thinking about, it's either a) not anywhere near as bad as I thought, or b) actually pretty awesome.

To wit:

For the last three years, I've wanted to write and submit an essay for the Modern Love column in the New York Times.  I've known exactly what I wanted to write about, but I was always too scared to do it.  I worried that if it didn't get published, I'd be shattered by the rejection of such a deeply personal essay that I'd worked so hard on.

So, for three years, I avoided it -- until this summer, when I couldn't ignore it anymore.  I wrote it, did some editing, and sent it in.  It ultimately wasn't selected for publication, but by the time I got the "thanks but no thanks" email, I was actually fine with that idea.  I'd realized that the victory was in writing and submitting it, not in getting published, and I was proud of myself for doing it.

Another example is a 5K race I signed up for a few months ago.  When I decided to join Weight Watchers last winter, one of my goals was to be able to run 5Ks again like I did during college.  I figured I'd sign up for one once I reached my goal weight, do a training program, and then run.

But on a Friday afternoon in September, I got an email notice saying that there were going to be road closures for a 5K race happening the next morning.  I wanted to sign up, but I kept worrying about it.  My inner monologue went something like this: "But you haven't trained!"  "You're going to be the slowest person there!"  "You'll look like a total fool!"

I (quite nervously) signed up anyway, and as the sun rose on Saturday morning I placed myself in the back of the crowd, totally expecting to be the slowest person there.  As it turns out, I spent the first mile weaving through all the people I was passing, and I had the same race time as I did when I was 21.  All that stressing out was totally unfounded!

I was in there somewhere! (Source: ARLNow)
 And so, I'd like to take the next month to do some of the things, both big and small, that totally freak me out.  I loved Angela Liddon's August Challenge on Oh She Glows, and this will be modeled on a similar premise: every day this month, I'll do something that scares/intimidates me.  I'll write about them all here, and y'all are welcome to join me.

It'll be like the personal challenge equivalent of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) -- and if I have three friends doing NaNoWriMo, then dag-gummit (or a more colorful variation thereof), I can do this.

Now, with all that being said, on to What I Ate Wednesday!

WIAW, as it's affectionately called, is the hottest little cyber-potluck on the Internets (and thanks to Madison at Eating 4 Balance for appreciating the term cyber-potluck! :)).  Hosted by Jenn over at Peas & Crayons, it's a weekly round-up of some fabulous food from across the blogosphere.

Spooky Snacks and Healthy Halloween Treats

The first order of business each morning is always the same: acquire caffeine, ASAP.  Once I get my cup of chai, I actually start to become human.

My life-force in a mug.
After my AM workout (which had to be extra early today, ugh), I had some banana-blueberry-pecan oatmeal:
Like a blueberry muffin, but in a bowl.



Lunch included organic spring mix with herbs (I love that stuff) with quinoa/brown rice pilaf, chickpeas, and home-made balsamic vinaigrette:




 Snacks consisted of an almond butter and jelly sammich on Suzie's Thin Cakes, as well as a veritable pile of fruit.  When I got home, I was a starvin' cowgirl, so I had some carrots and hummus to tide me over until dinner.

Dinner featured Italian herb and Parmesan turkey burgers, with another huge pile of greens.


This, however, is where things started getting...spooky.  There was a chill in the air, but I decided that I wanted a smoothie anyways.  Brandon wanted one too, so I went to the kitchen to whip up a smoothie for us to share.  The result looked eerily dark, as if there was a hidden ingredient...Brandon drank his down, not knowing what lurked within.


THE HIDDEN INGREDIENT WAS KALE!  Bwwhahahahahahahahaha!  (Brandon,we can totally watch Top Gear, or whatever TV shows you want, as compensation for my sneaky ways.)

I shall spend the rest of my evening randomly busting out in a diabolical, kale-induced cackle. :)

Happy Halloween, y'all!

6 comments:

  1. There's not a doubt in my mind that you won't achieve anything you put your mind to girl. You rock, remember that!

    && I love that you added kale to your smoothie & brandon had no idea. Isn't it awesome when you can sneak in extra veggies w/o them knowing haha.

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    1. Thanks, Jessie! :) It was hilarious watching Brandon slurp down his smoothie without any clue about the kale - I was trying really hard to not laugh! I finally fessed up after he'd finished it, and then I laughed my butt off.

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  2. You are totally welcome for me loving the phrase Cyber-Potluck. So awesome!! :)

    And I love your idea about doing something everyday that freak you out. I really need to do that, because I have been putting a lot of stuff off lately because I am too chicken or scared at how others will see me. But you're right--Most of the time it all works out fine!

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    1. Thanks, Madison! I'm hoping this will help me not stress so much about how other people see me - it's amazing how easy it is to worry about that stuff. I'm glad I'm not alone in that boat! :)

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  3. I love your November challenge. I KNOW you can do it! Keep posting them here, and you'll have plenty of people who will be reading along to keep you motivated!!!

    Those turkey burgers look exceptionally delicious! I'm craving one right now at 7:00 am!!

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    1. Thank you, Kelsey - I appreciate the encouragement! :) And I'll post the recipe for the turkey burgers soon (for when those 7:00 AM cravings strike)!

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