Square Life Round World
Y’all may have figured out by now that I’ve changed the name of my blog. More changes are coming eventually, including a new look, although I don’t have a timeline to share just yet. I also have some cleaning up to do of my existing site to completely convert to the new name, so please be patient with me. I do have all of my social media user names changed to reflect the new name as well. But, why? Why the new name and what does it mean?
It’s pretty simple, actually. I’ve felt for a long time that I was trying to fit my square peg of a life into the world’s round hole in a lot of different areas. However, over the last year I’ve come to terms with a lot of what I think has caused me to feel that way. So, I’ve decided to embrace it. My life fits the way it should. It’s not necessarily the life I imagined for myself or the life I would have picked, but that’s ok. In some ways, it’s even better.
I started My Glass Sneaker over three years ago as my voice while I made an attempt at becoming an athlete. I thought there would be people who could relate to my story, the story of an inactive, overweight person becoming, for lack of a better word, a runner, and there were. Well, the reality is, eight half marathons, one 10 nautical miler, two 10 milers and countless 5ks and 10ks later, I’m no closer to becoming an athlete than I was 5 years ago when I began to try. And that’s ok. I’m still healthier and stronger than I was, with a lot more stamina, and I now know that I can accomplish more than I thought I could. But an athlete I am not, and an athlete I will probably never be. Plus, there is so much more to my life than training and races, and those other aspects of my life felt out of place in My Glass Sneaker. I sort of lost my inspiration when there was less I wanted to write about that would fit. It became clear to me that I hadn’t lost my inspiration to write, just my inspiration to write for the blog as it was.
I’m still running Disney, but there’s more to me than that.
I’ve also gone through a major career change in the last year and a half, easily the best decision of my life. I left a 15-year career in banking and finance to become a professional fundraiser. I enjoyed banking for many years. It was a great career. Until it wasn’t. And when it wasn’t, it really wasn’t. I stayed about five years longer than I should have, partly because I still had hope it could be good again and partly because I truly didn’t believe I was qualified to do anything else. But as my CEO at my current job always says, growth does not happen in the comfort zone. I’m so glad I was forced out of my career comfort zone because I have never felt as fulfilled in my career and in love with my job as I am now.
#DoWhatYouLove #LoveWhyYouDoIt
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the role the Disney Parks Moms Panel has played in this. Here I am, a never-married, no kids Disney fan trying to land a role on something called a Moms Panel. I suppose it should have been intuitive that I was never going to fit, but it took me about 10 years to finally get the hint.
You see, it’s not like I didn’t want to get married and have kids. I mean, that’s what most girls grow up thinking will happen. That’s what our bodies are made to do. But for reasons even I can’t begin to understand, those weren’t the cards I was dealt. And that’s ok, too. Sure, there are times when I’m envious of my mom friends. They get to help Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. They get to play with Elf on the Shelf. They get to go to school parties and field trips. They get Friday family movie nights and Saturday morning snuggles. Then there are plenty of times I’m not envious in the slightest. There are homework woes, ER trips, bad attitudes, and don’t even get me started on puberty, driving and dating. I have no idea how I would live through the last three. There are also divorces and custody battles. All things considered, I’m ok.
So, I’m learning to, not only embrace the life I have, but also love it to its fullest. It fits exactly as it should, and I’m incredibly thankful for that. Sure, you’ll probably still see fitness posts sprinkled in every now and then. I haven’t completely abandoned movement. It’s just not the main focus anymore because my life is about so much more than that. Maybe, just maybe, readers will be interested in that, too.
Have you ever felt you were trying to make something fit that just didn’t?
Square Life Round World 