- Push yourself to the limits.
- If you fall on your face, get up and keep going.
- Take a good look and re-design yourself.
- Don’t be weak sauce.
I loved it! I decided that I wanted THAT to be my own personal slogan. “Don’t be weak sauce.” That would be my mission statement for life. Then I bought a t-shirt from him.
I decided that this is my year of NOT being weak sauce. This year, I made a conscious decision to try new things, step outside of my box, dare to be different, do something that’s difficult for me, challenge my fears, and have a lot of fun.
Today, I’d like to share some of my adventures, in hopes that it will encourage you, motivate you, and excite you to do the same.
Now, I ask myself … what have I done to satisfy my desire to NOT be weak sauce? What have I done that’s difficult for me?
The first thing on my list was to get fit and lose a little bit of weight. I’ve always been a small person, and watching what I eat has never EVER been part of my lifestyle … until I turned 40. THEN, it seemed every 5 years, I gained 5 pounds. That was not good, and it’s very difficult to break old habits. However, I begrudgingly decided to try this new concept called “exercise and healthy eating. “ This has been such a life changing experience for me, and I am committed to stick with this way of life for a long long time.
It will definitely be tough, since I LOVE to eat, but the benefits dramatically outweigh the sacrifices. I dropped 3 dress sizes, and my husband lost 60 lbs. Nearly all of our health issues have gone away, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, back pain, leg pain, and, my favorite, my husband stopped snoring. Hallelujah!
Then there’s the “try new things” decision.
This new and improve healthy living has now allowed us to participate in activities that we never thought would be possible. We ran in two fundraising events … Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer and Beat the Bridge for Diabetes. Run for 3-4-5 miles? We couldn’t even consider walking, but now we do. We volunteer a lot in our communities, without the fear of getting too tired and quitting. And if we get tired … well, we just don’t quit. That, in itself, is a feat.
With this new look on life; I decided it was time to put this new energy to work. I have been exploring Seattle by venturing outside of our neighborhood, trying new restaurants, and visiting numerous spas around the Greater Seattle area.
Then there are the activities. The root of this word is “active.” I’ve discovered so many fun things to do but never thought I was “that type of person” to try such things. I was weak sauce. I decided “Jump in, GIRL! It’s now or never. You aren’t getting any younger.”
Some fun and/or adventurous activities that I participated in this year are:
- Trapeze flying
- Rock climbing
- Kayaking through the San Juan Islands
- River rafting down the Tieton River
- Taking a helicopter tour around Seattle.
All of these activities are among my adventures. Some were more difficult than others. All offered a little bit of emotional challenge, but I got through every one of them. I’m actually looking forward to doing some of them AGAIN.
What about “stepping outside of my comfort zone”?
Some of you may already know that this past weekend, I entered into an activity that was definitely difficult, new, and outside of my zone. It also falls under the categories of challenging my fears, daring to be different, and of course, having fun.
On Saturday, in collaboration with a fundraiser for the Special Olympics, I rappelled down the side of one of Seattle’s skyscrapers … the Rainier Tower. That was 43 stories … 512 feet high. I still can't believe I did it, and it was one of the most exhilarating, exciting experiences of my life. Not only did I experience this new personal adventure, but I collected $1,200 for Special Olympics. And look! I’m still alive.
Jenny Bouchet, Director of Player Development for the Seattle Storm, said “What you do should not define who you are. Who you are should determine what you do.”
As you can see, I’ve been very serious about NOT being weak sauce, and I’m having a great time. I can’t figure out why I waited so long, but I’m glad I’m doing it now.
I’ve added a little extra to the young artist’s philosophy:
- Don’t always take the easy route.
- Explore. Challenge yourself.
- Go outside your box.
- Have fun.
- Be flavorful and spicy.
- Taste as many aspects of life as possible.
Just, don’t be weak sauce.
