gmail chats and my future job convincing people to run marathons
Oprah said it on her last show: "Everyone has some sort of talent. Your job right now is to figure out what yours is and to work on getting out there and making it happen (or something like that)". I have also read this in some form or another in the many self help books I have read over the years. Many of these books suggest that you making a list of your talents - here's my view of my talents. I am sure I have more talents - funny that it is so easy to write down your bad characteristics but talents? I came up with 10.
1. Being nice - sometimes too nice.
2. Good with babies and old people (and most in between)
3. Good at encouraging others and giving advice that I don't often take myself.
4. Mentoring people to do things they don't think they can (sort of related to encouragement).
5. Writing
6. Disciplined - in staying healthy and a hell of a good runner for my age (about 35 marathons).
6. Sense of humor and positive outlook even in the face of getting screwed (and by that I don't mean in a sexual sense).
7. Good at faking the above (and I don't mean that in a sexual sense either).
8. Good at being a nurse and caring about people.
9. Good leadership skills even though I have been told otherwise by people who themselves didn't always practice good leadership skills.
10. Being myself and sticking to my own values despite what it costs me and keeping other people's self esteem intact.
Okay so not many of these will make me rich on their own but maybe in combination I could be on to something. I thought of this after Kseniya and I had one of our almost daily daily Gmail chats - The slightly edited version is below
me: good morning sis. Is today a better day?
1. Being nice - sometimes too nice.
2. Good with babies and old people (and most in between)
3. Good at encouraging others and giving advice that I don't often take myself.
4. Mentoring people to do things they don't think they can (sort of related to encouragement).
5. Writing
6. Disciplined - in staying healthy and a hell of a good runner for my age (about 35 marathons).
6. Sense of humor and positive outlook even in the face of getting screwed (and by that I don't mean in a sexual sense).
7. Good at faking the above (and I don't mean that in a sexual sense either).
8. Good at being a nurse and caring about people.
9. Good leadership skills even though I have been told otherwise by people who themselves didn't always practice good leadership skills.
10. Being myself and sticking to my own values despite what it costs me and keeping other people's self esteem intact.
Okay so not many of these will make me rich on their own but maybe in combination I could be on to something. I thought of this after Kseniya and I had one of our almost daily daily Gmail chats - The slightly edited version is below
me: good morning sis. Is today a better day?
Kseniya: I think so! It is always better in the morning, much as I hate to admit it.
(she sent me this link describing a tornado in her town)
me: holy cow! When you said the sky was green I thought about a tornado. I guess my advice to go the basement wasn't just joking
Kseniya: No, it probably would have been smart, but I'd have had to carry two scared dogs down there with me!
me: I bet the dogs were scared a lot.
Kseniya: They almost drove me nuts barking every time it thundered
me: it is funny jack (my dog) never got scared of the thunder
Kseniya: Not even in his old age
me: nope not even - fire crackers don't seem to bother him either
Kseniya: Wul . . . how would you feel if Liz ran Austin (the 1/2 marathon) with us next year?
me: that would be great! The more the merrier.
Kseniya: She wrote yesterday and said she wished we could train for something, so I thought I'd offer to train with her long-distance, like you and I do!
me: I think that is great. Always good to have someone else even if it is long distance. Maybe we can get her at some point and by that I mean in 2012, to train for the NYC marathon with us:)
Kseniya: woah.
She's moving to VT in August to do some pre-med stuff--she wants to go to med school in 2013!
me: Wow...then we better do one in 2012 cause she won't have time after....maybe we could do a fall one in VT - that would be beautiful and easier to get into
Kseniya: I bet they have some nice ones--halfs too.
me: ya but you might want to (I almost said "must") conquer a whole one at some point
Kseniya: Maybe when I have to push you in a little chair in front of me
me: forget about that damn chair....you will need to keep up with my old ass!
Kseniya: I know it! That's why 13.1 is about all I feel I can chew!
me: well right now it is but - you can always do more than you think....the marathon is a metaphor for life in general (she said, philosophically)
Kseniya: scratching her chin
trew I spose
After I loose 10 lbs, go to fitness training, do yoga 3x a week
etc
me: not scratching chin...just looking over the top of my glasses, and then taking them off and chewing on one of the bows
Kseniya: That's extra philosophical
me: oh yes. It's part of my new job plan as a philosopher. They will make a statue of me sitting there in the pose I just described someday and you will live off the royalties of my philosophizing.
Kseniya: hahaha!
or they will make a little finger puppet of you, the Unemployed Philosophers Guild folks
me: ha ha. Well it would make babies happy and incite their very first smiles.
So what I gather from this conversation is that I could, with my list of talents become a coach, mentor and encourager for getting people to run marathons, by writing a book of philosophy equating running to life - using terms like "life is not a sprint, it's a marathon, etc". To use my talents even further, I could get old people and babies to run marathons too since I am good with both age groups. Furthermore I would be very disciplined about getting this book written and it would be funny and positive - I would take examples of my own life and running and how running got me through rough times at work and in my personal life and how you too can do this and become a better person and have all the endorphins you need without taking drugs. I would also touch on how you can improve your leadership skills by making time before work to take care of yourself instead of whining about how busy you are and that your job is making you fat because it is stressful and you are excreting too much cortisol, when, lets face it, you've been fat your entire life and not just before you took your stressful job.
And, after winning the Nobel Peace Prize for encouraging literature, I would get a statue made in my honor with me and my fine legs (and my once perfect ass) in mid stride - wearing my "life is good cap". and of course, the finger puppets for babies might also draw nice royalties and allow me my weekly spending sprees at T.J. Maxx.
I will get right on it! Let me know if you want to join my marathon team - you'll get a free copy of my book - signed of course.
PS: I am posting this without letting it simmer! Sometimes I just have to be more spontaneous.
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