So I am pretty excited.  Got a call today from one of the men who interviewed me on Monday and he wants me to come in tomorrow because HIS boss wants to have an interview with me.

Either way I think this is a good thing.  Not only is it two interviews in one week (3 if you count the phone interview at the end of last week), but an even higher superior wants to interview me.  Maybe I am being considered for a higher-level job?  That would be pretty sweet.  It would be an even larger bonus for the maybe half-hour commute to work it would be.  On top of that, I wouldn't even have to deal with the metro to get to this job.  We'll see what happens come tomorrow.  My interview is at 11 AM.

For now, I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my night since my workouts are done.  Just going to wait for dinner now.  Honestly, who doesn't love mac and cheese?  Yes, I am a trainer, but as long as you are burning more calories than you are taking in I say reward yourself and eat what you want.  I've realized that it just isn't fun to restrict yourself.  We only live once, so live it up and go have an ice cream bar instead of the frozen yogurt you try to convince yourself tastes just as good as ice cream.  Work hard and you can reward yourself every now and then.  That's why, when I hopefully get this job, I'm rewarding myself with a big plate of nachos.

I work hard to get where I am.  I deserve to enjoy life.  You should too!

Do you ever think back as to why we were so happy as kids?  I don't really think the leading reason is because we were young, but rather because we just did fun things!

When was the last time you: swung on a swing? watched a cartoon? went to an amusement park? played in the rain? watched a Disney movie?  played hide and seek?  (Okay, you get the point and I may be starting to sound ridiculous.)

Just because we grow up does not mean we have to stop enjoying life.  Maybe it's because my aneurysm happened when I was 3, but I appreciate my childhood and I don't see any reason to stop embracing life with that same innocence.  Life is all about the perspective that you embrace life with and I have simply chosen to remember what has made me smile, and--crazy enough--it still makes me happy.

I think all of us owe it to ourselves to remember something that made us happy.  Whether it's a trip to the zoo or a round of mini-golf, go out and do it.  I promise you won't look silly.  If it genuinely makes you happy, then that is all that will be remembered.

Determination is a universal attitude.  It's an outlook, a perspective, a way of life and a continual motivation for the future.  I may be one motivated individual, but I get my drive to continue on into the future by seeing the gains others around me are making-- gains beyond any expectation they may have ever had for themselves.  They tell me that I have inspired them, and while that may be true, I decide to see their accomplishments as them embracing the realization that anything is truly possible.  All they are doing is taking another continual step into uncharted territory...and that is all the motivation I need to push myself forward.

Here, let me give you an idea of what I am talking about.

1. Michelle, who lives with Chiari, can run a mile and arm curl 5 pound weights, at least based on the last time I checked.  She's doing more now, I bet =)
2. Emily is learning to ice skate again, which she did all the time as a kid.  She now has been diagnosed with Chiari as well and is determined to skate again, no matter what her family says against that desire.
3. Anuja has run multiple 5Ks despite living with extreme migraines due to her aneurysm that was removed.
4. Bethany, another aneurysm survivor, seems to run a half marathon every weekend out of the year.  She's crazy...and I am so proud of her and motivated by her!
5. Tracy wrestles with dozens of dogs of all sizes and keeps pushing forward even after her aneurysm.
6. Mayra runs support groups to help others battle and cope with their own brain surgeries and after effects from surgery.  She's a mother to all and I love her...yes, I even have a small crush on her as well =)
7. Jack may be one of the smartest guys I have had the honor to meet.  YoU would never know he has epilepsy.
8. Laura had enough strength to share her story and her ailment to help the writers of House write an episode focused on Chiari.  She's just an inspiration to us all.
9. Jordan, my Big Little Hero, taught himself to skate independently despite living with severe epilepsy.  He's Canadian and he was going to learn to skate by himself any way he had to.  I love this kid!
10. Aly is able to run a half marathon.  I am still waiting for her seizures to clear up so that she is healthy enough to run one competitively because I want to run each step with her she inspires me so much!

These are only 10 of hundreds of stories that I have heard from people I have met.  The stories only continue because each of us is incredibly strong.  I may do amazing things, but given these limitations listed, I would not be surprised if any one of them are stronger than me.  What more motivation do you need to make yourself stronger tomorrow?  Go do it.  Nothing is stopping you..and just in case you start thinking that, re-read the 10 reasons scenarios I just typed out and you'll realize there is nothing to complain about =)

So, I met up with a new friend of mine who was getting together with a group of people for a workout.  He's a nice guy and I am always up for meeting new people, so why not-- right?  Besides, the worst scenario you find yourself in by doing something new is the same scenario as if you didn't do it at all.  There's nothing to lose.

So I meet up with a new group of people, make some great friends and actually participate in a workout based on those popular video workouts.  It was my first time doing one and I was amazed at how easily I made it through the whole thing.  Sure I got tired...the exhaustion is based on how hard you push yourself, so you can imagine the extent I pushed to.  So yes, I did get tired but I recovered well within the time of recovery given to us.  I also was able to go home that night to do my entire push up and ab workout.

I am by no means trying to knock on aerobic-based workouts.  All I am saying is I have been very regimented with my strength-training workouts and I was amazed at how easily I was able to do certain manuevers in that fitness class that I had never done before.  Exercises that my disability would have absolutely limited me from doing even a year ago were completed relatively easily.

Today did two things for me.  First, it gave me an opportunity to meet new people and develop new friendships.  Most importantly for myself and moving Determination forward, I realized that my training methods work.  It gave me all the more reason and motivation to continue pushing forward and making my dreams for this program develop into its full capacity.

There is a lot of good that is going to be done.  And now I know nothing, even the latest pop culture trends, will stand in my way.  And make sure you keep faith too...because believing in yourself is the most powerful way to transform your life into the way you want it to be.

Don't you hate nights like that?  And why do the nights you can't sleep always happen to be the nights when you get to sleep in?  It's also bizarre to think that at this time a year ago, not only was I awake, but I would have knocked out 100 pushup, a thousand crunches and would have been heading out the door to catch the bus.

I still figured that I would maximize my time and post here early.  It's supposed to get up to 100 today, but I'm still thinking about going to Six Flags for the day.  I took off job searching the last couple of days in strong hopes that this interview I go to on Monday will work out.

I have a friend who I met in one of those unexpected ways.  Anyways, she has the full business and finance background that I have been looking for to complement what I bring to Determination, in hopes of making this into a very successful and profitable career.  After giving my speech in Hershey, she and I are going to figure out how we can market this to get me a steady stream of engagements in hopes that our combined ideas can get this program exactly where I envisioned it could go...and how awesome would it be if both she and I could make a living at this considering each of us will be doing what we are passionate about for a career?  She would be doing marketing/PR to get the engagements going and I would be able to continue spreading the message I am hoping to keep sharing with everyone.

For now, maybe I will relive the routine I lived by last year and do a set of pushups for memory sake.  It's a Saturday after all, so the gym doesn't even open until 8.  So much for a day off ;-)