To thy self: My thoughts on being the person you were meant to be.

By now, it seems that everyone has had a chance to watch or review the Bruce Jenner interview with Diane Sawyer. (I have not, I was asleep when it was on). By now, it seems that everyone has had their two cents added into that, overall, the feedback seems very positive.

I’m happy for Bruce Jenner for deciding to undergo his transformation. I’ve met a few transgender individuals myself. Granted, I had to fight through a lot of preconceived notions and my own transphobia to get to know them, but what I find inside is often the same thing thats found in many cis-gendered people as well, a desire to live our lives with minimal, unintended interference from outside forces, an opportunity to live the life of a person we were meant to be.

I could make this about homosexuals, transexuals and others in the LGBTQ community, but instead, I’ve come to the conclusion that we all have our own closets to work ourselves out of. Think about it; have you ever seen someone so unhappy with their job they’d quit at the first opportunity, but at the same time, they stayed behind? What was the reason? Was it for the paycheck? Was it for the prestige? the unwillingness to learn and start again? That would be a person whose stuck in their own closet. We may never know their reasons; perhaps the pay is worth it to them or they feel they are far to old and experienced to “learn new tricks.” Whatever their reason, if and when they decide to leave their own closet, it’s best to give them the support and love they need, and will probably desire.

It takes a lot of courage to walk away from the familiar and into the unknown, but even more so when it’s becoming a person that only you knew about. Don’t be afraid to be the person you feel you were meant to be. It’s a scary world out there, it could use a few more brave people out there.

Overcoming Facebook’s one big bummer.

Do you ever get sad and depressed when you see the feeds of other people on Facebook and think to yourself? “Man, I wish that was me.” Do you cringe at the thought of watching yet another friend getting married, while you’re still working on getting a first date with someone, or seeing a friend land an awesome job, while you’re stuck doing whatever it is your doing now?

I confess, I do get upset and sad like that at times. I feel like this at least once a week, partially because my job requires me to be plugged in for a majority of the time and partly because my life is so uninteresting, my voyeuristic tendencies take over and I have to see what people are doing. Most of the time, its me trying to purge the jealousy and rage out of my system, trying to fight back the pit of my stomach that says “that should be you.” Instead, I sometimes walk away from my laptop, a bit more mad at myself and a bit more sad that my life isn’t turning out the way I wanted it to.

If it seems like everyone’s life is moving at a faster or better speed than yours, my only advice is to remember that Facebook, and to a broader extent, social media at large,  is a very small part of your existence on this planet, and that we’re only sharing what we want to share. Never mind that your friend getting married is dealing with a secret addiction to alcohol or painkillers, or that the “dream” job your friend just landed will entail 14 hr days and a huge workload.

I’ve yet to meet anyone who had any inner demons that needed to be exorcised, and if they admitted to not having any, I consider them liars. I hate cliches, but struggle is the only way we grow, its the only way we find our limitations and our boundaries, and its the only way we find out if we’re able to progress past them. My weight loss journey, for example. To me, it doesn’t seem that exciting at all, its just something I’ve set my mind to. My friends, however, are inspired by my efforts, or at least thats what I’ve been told. I’ve noticed that the people around me have been making small, but meaningful choices around me with regards to their diets and exercise. I’ve received encouragement when I needed it and applause when I made a goal.

I would love to tell you guys about an exciting new job, or an exotic locale that I am visiting; but if my weight loss victories keep you guys engaged with me and inspire you to be better for yourself, then I will proudly continue doing so for you.

After all, life can be exciting if you know where to look. Sometimes, its where you never bothered to even check.