The Last of YOU

Ok here we go- Last YOU:Being Beautiful post. I've honestly been putting it off. Not because I want it to be over, but just being I was dissapointed. The book, although filled with interesting information, didnt really do much for me other than raise some insecurities I was already dealing with. I tried to be as honest as I could with you about it- but that isn't really what I was going for. Oh well. Another book on the shelf.

What HAS changed about me though is that I'm now 24! My birthday was ok... I tend to get pretty depressed on my birthday. I got SO spoiled- especially by Shaun who got me a brand new pair of Hiking Boots!!!
AWESOME!

But back to what I was saying,birthdays for me are awful. I always think in my head that this isn't really where i pictured myself at (insert age here). So I struggled for about a week with this, and after some very nice, relaxing and fun days off I decided that it's time to buckle down and be the person I want to be.

Firstly I would like a new job, and secondly I am going to get in incredible shape. I don't care about weight exactly, but if I can turn most of my extra fat into toned muscle I'll be a happy camper! So I made an appointment with the gym for Monday for a consultation. I also went for a run today. I'm serious- it's going to happen!

So on with the last part of the book.Chapter 11- How to Find True Happiness.
I have listed below what it says, and how I feel about these steps/points.

1. being positive and generous.
Bah-humbug I have a hard time being positive lately. I'm homesick/lonely I guess. But I must say I AM TRYING VERY VERY hard lately and I think I might be coming around. I think being positive and generous however, is a definite key to real happiness

2.feeling empathy
I find this harder to do lately since I'm currently in health care and it is part of my job. I'm quitting my job and finding something else to do all together- and since I have decided that, I have kind of lost my empathetic way of being for a while. I know it will come back though.

3. finding authenticity
I think to me this means being honest and open with myself and others.

4.embracing emotion
... emotions other than sad.

5. Exploring spirituality
... reading these parts make me want to shoot myself. seems pretty BS..by this point i don't feel like Ive accomplished much by reading this book and I cant wait for a novel. I am incredibly not religious and not very spiritual ( I don't have anything against anyone who is- its just not for me)

6 Understanding happiness
ummm I'm trying! This part is about being comfortable with being uncomfortable ."Unhappiness forces you to think through problems to help you gain wisdom and perspective to think about what gives you happiness so you can set new directions and develop new ideas that may actually change your life- the whole book in one sentence, pg 327.

The next section talks about green living, not using plastic water bottles, or bags, etc, it was just randomly at the end of the book. glad to see it in there!

The end of this book gives you an Ultimate Beautiful Day Challenge, that you are supposed to do for two weeks. yea right. Who has two weeks to devote to this? If I had a free two weeks I'd definitely be doing something else. There are workouts at the end with some other stuff I didn't read, and an appendix of plastic surgery info and facts in case you didn't feel shitty enough already.

I'm glad it's over and I can tell you about what else I've been up to in Book land! Thanks for sticking that one through with me. And now I'll leave you with some final thoughts with the Dr's.