RIP Randy Pausch
I read his book, The Last Lecture (i'm still never sure whether books get underlined or quotes and i still don't care so don't bother to tell me if i'm wrong). Amazing. Much like what I wrote to Liz today which, I too, will repost in here because I think it's a lesson that we could all learn from, myself included. So, the message, with slight tweaking:
"First, I love you. So, everything that I'm about to say comes from love.
Ever since I've met you, you've always complimented others, admired others, thought the highest things about others, even when they truly didn't deserve them. However, you've never said the same about yourself. It's like you have two separate set of eyes. Rose colored ones for the world around you and the fat mirrored kind for when you look at yourself.
You, Liz, are the only one that you are ever going to get. If you don't appreciate yourself why should others? You have the love of a fantastic girl. The admiration of Little Man. Parents who don't always agree with your decisions but support you regardless. Friends who enjoy your company and seek it often. It's time that you stop looking at your flaws and accept that no matter what you do, they are going to be there. It's what actually makes you human. Accept them. Embrace them even. After all, if your "bad qualities" as you see them are the only things that you ever focus on, you're going to miss out on all the amazing qualities that you have and others envy and/or admire.
In fact, while I could continue on this for a while, I choose to take a different route. I challenge you for the next week (I really want to make this longer but I know that Rome wasn't built or destroyed in a day) to look in the mirror and compliment yourself. To not focus on your so-called negative qualities and embrace each day as your last to be lived to the fullest. Make sure you tell everyone that you love that you love them because remember, it might be your last time, do you really want them to wonder? Get messy, love passionately, and embrace every experience as if it might be the last time you are doing it. Go to bed every night exhausted from living to the tips of your fingers. Know that you've lived an amazing unrepeatable day with those that you love and cherish. Embrace work, because even though you might not think it as amazing as you thought you deserve for a workplace, challenge yourself to do it the best that you can, not just enough to get by. If you spend that much energy and time living, you won't have time to think "oh, I didn't...." because remember, it's your last day and this is it. So, I hope you accept the challenge and see yourself with the same rose colored glasses. So, Start complimenting yourself twice as much as you do others.
And remember, no matter what, we all still love you."
I do the same thing. I worry about weight, size, if people like me, etc. I never think of how many amazing people were at our wedding to celebrate our decision to be together, let alone the fact that Michael chose to spend the rest of his life with me and that I chose to do the same. That from every day here on forward, I have the love of an amazing man who would move heaven and earth to see me smile. I sometimes forget about the friends who go out of their way to tell me something, see something and call me because it made them think of me, or just leave me a message with a virtual hug because they can. It's easy to disregard these things as typical, normal, nice but not necessaries. They are though! It's easy to let friendships die because of time and distance. Sure, it's a lot easier to buy a cheeseburger on the way home instead of making a nourishing meal for you and your loved ones. Even if it is just a meal for yourself, aren't you loved? Shouldn't you feed yourself quality?!?!? While I love my comfort clothes, doesn't everyone look a lot better when they put effort into it? I mean, I know that I personally would wear my pjs for the rest of my life, but that's not the point. I want to fully embrace the idea that this is my life to live. It's the only one that I've got and there is no point in wasting it on the little things. It really is time to go big or go home. Embrace who you are, what you have, who you love.
If today was your last day, what would you want to spend it doing? Why aren't you doing it now?
"First, I love you. So, everything that I'm about to say comes from love.
Ever since I've met you, you've always complimented others, admired others, thought the highest things about others, even when they truly didn't deserve them. However, you've never said the same about yourself. It's like you have two separate set of eyes. Rose colored ones for the world around you and the fat mirrored kind for when you look at yourself.
You, Liz, are the only one that you are ever going to get. If you don't appreciate yourself why should others? You have the love of a fantastic girl. The admiration of Little Man. Parents who don't always agree with your decisions but support you regardless. Friends who enjoy your company and seek it often. It's time that you stop looking at your flaws and accept that no matter what you do, they are going to be there. It's what actually makes you human. Accept them. Embrace them even. After all, if your "bad qualities" as you see them are the only things that you ever focus on, you're going to miss out on all the amazing qualities that you have and others envy and/or admire.
In fact, while I could continue on this for a while, I choose to take a different route. I challenge you for the next week (I really want to make this longer but I know that Rome wasn't built or destroyed in a day) to look in the mirror and compliment yourself. To not focus on your so-called negative qualities and embrace each day as your last to be lived to the fullest. Make sure you tell everyone that you love that you love them because remember, it might be your last time, do you really want them to wonder? Get messy, love passionately, and embrace every experience as if it might be the last time you are doing it. Go to bed every night exhausted from living to the tips of your fingers. Know that you've lived an amazing unrepeatable day with those that you love and cherish. Embrace work, because even though you might not think it as amazing as you thought you deserve for a workplace, challenge yourself to do it the best that you can, not just enough to get by. If you spend that much energy and time living, you won't have time to think "oh, I didn't...." because remember, it's your last day and this is it. So, I hope you accept the challenge and see yourself with the same rose colored glasses. So, Start complimenting yourself twice as much as you do others.
And remember, no matter what, we all still love you."
I do the same thing. I worry about weight, size, if people like me, etc. I never think of how many amazing people were at our wedding to celebrate our decision to be together, let alone the fact that Michael chose to spend the rest of his life with me and that I chose to do the same. That from every day here on forward, I have the love of an amazing man who would move heaven and earth to see me smile. I sometimes forget about the friends who go out of their way to tell me something, see something and call me because it made them think of me, or just leave me a message with a virtual hug because they can. It's easy to disregard these things as typical, normal, nice but not necessaries. They are though! It's easy to let friendships die because of time and distance. Sure, it's a lot easier to buy a cheeseburger on the way home instead of making a nourishing meal for you and your loved ones. Even if it is just a meal for yourself, aren't you loved? Shouldn't you feed yourself quality?!?!? While I love my comfort clothes, doesn't everyone look a lot better when they put effort into it? I mean, I know that I personally would wear my pjs for the rest of my life, but that's not the point. I want to fully embrace the idea that this is my life to live. It's the only one that I've got and there is no point in wasting it on the little things. It really is time to go big or go home. Embrace who you are, what you have, who you love.
If today was your last day, what would you want to spend it doing? Why aren't you doing it now?