Just The Way You Are

So, I planned on blogging about the crazy jobs I found listed on Craigslist today, but my mom sent me an email that made me decide to leave that post for a later date.

My mom sends me a lot of lame forwards (sorry mom), but this one hit home today. Not only is it about a Golden Retriever (my favorite), who was bred to be a service dog(double adorable), but there is a certain twist in it that made me think about my life. Below is is the link. Be forewarned, there is lame country music, so just turn that off. I'm not going to bother summarizing it, so just watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4

What struck me about this video, was that most of us are kinda like Ricochet. We are raised and bred to meet certain expectations, but sometimes, actually most of the time, our heart doesn't follow what we are expected to be. Just as that little dog's trainer wanted her to become a guide dog, most of our parents want us to be something. I swear, my mother will go to her grave wishing I became a doctor. Maybe it isn't your parents, but perhaps your own expectations of yourself that you hold on because you feel you have to. I know many people who have law degrees only to go on and become teachers. Heck, I have an MBA in finance from NYU and now I want to become a writer.

However, as you will see in the video, once her owner let her go follow her love of surfing, the dog was happy and went on to do amazing things...again, watch the video...it's cute. I sometimes regret taking certain jobs or not taking a certain course in college, thinking that I would be in a different place than where I am now. I get mad that I didn't know that I wanted to be a writer 10 years ago. But you know what, 10 years ago I was 22 years old and was a completely different person. And I'm sure I will be a bit different in 10 years from now.

Initially I wrote this blog to offer advice to others who are unemployed, but today I am selfishly venting and allowing myself to stop nagging myself about past decisions and to stop thinking that I have to be a "certain something" because of where I went to school or what kind of job I had. I'd like to use one of Uncle Dan's Tony Robbins-isms, "The past does not equal the future."

I think it's time to be a little adventurous and start acting on the things I write about on this blog. LA? Travel? Yes, I foresee it in the future! And I hope after all is said and done, that all my loved ones will be "proud" just like Ricochet's owner was. I know I will be proud of myself.

Wow, this was a heavy post. Tomorrow is Definitely Craigslist posting day!

I also decided to post a full song by one of my favorite lyricists, Jackson Browne. My friends make fun of me for my love of 70's music but this has been my go-to song lately and it is especially apropos to my feelings today.

Song of the Day: These Days, Jackson Browne

Well I've been out walking
I don't do that much talking these days
These days--
These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do
And all the times I had the chance to

And I had a lover
It's so hard to risk another these days
These days--
Now if I seem to be afraid
To live the life I have made in song
Well it's just that I've been losing for so long

I'll keep on moving
Things are bound to be improving these days
One of these days--
These days I sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend
Don't confront me with my failures
I had not forgotten them