Cuz it's my birthday.
This past year was, bar none, the busiest year of my life. I'm seriously hoping it was the peak of busyness for my WHOLE LIFE. Thankfully, I was drunk in love with my new baby, so that definitely took the edge off.
I learned new, delightful things about myself, two of which feel like pretty big, life-improving/changing reveals:
1. I truly love writing and want to pursue it.
2. I'm an enthusiast. Not a ______-enthusiast, just plain old, all-around enthusiast. Some people might say, "You mean Serial Obsessive." No, not really. Though, they are related. I don't move on from one obsession to the next. I snowball. I collect hobbies, interests, likes, loves, etc. and, like some sort of mythical creature, incorporate them into my skin. I hope to die a good many years from now looking like a gaudy mess. I love things, people, ideas, skills that inspire or challenge me, and part of how I show love is promotion. And, you know what? People love to be genuinely loved, especially when you SAY SO and even especially-er when you love their work- their art, their crafts, their business, their writing, their children, their dinner they made you, etc. True- a lot of the businesses I love and promote do love me back for marketing reasons (AKA money-making). That doesn't bother me. People deserve to earn a living, and if I can help them do that, particularly if they are trying to earn a living by doing what they love, I am totally willing to help. I got this promoter personality for a reason, right?
I used to feel kind of bad about being an enthusiast. Loving so many things, I often wondered: "Am I just flighty? Why can't I just settle on something?" I have received feedback that implies, "why are you taking on something else?!?!" My therapist made a suggestion to me: "I think that's part of being an artistic person. Nothing wrong with that." What??? Nothing wrong with that? Mulling that over I felt like Jimmy Fallon doing Sara (with no H) on EW! "No-thing wroooooong with thaaat??? NEVER HEARD OF IT!" It really had never occurred to me, and this simple statement from a woman I deeply regard FREED ME. I'm enthused all over the place now, and I am loving it. When we let ourselves blossom into these ways of being that have been built into us, it is beautiful. I feel like a plant that really wanted to flower, but just didn't have enough sun or something. I'm stretching out my arms and my smile now to be EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE THINGS! Feels fabulous!
And it's a good thing I am this way because the circumstances of my life are often depressing and down-dragging. Chronic illness + SAHM = cement shoes. Oh, but enthusiasm is a buoy. It's as though Someone made me like this on purpose.
I always tell my 65 year old, or thereabouts, friends how eager I am to reach their ranks. They just have such amazing perspective and can let stuff roll off them. Well, I'm halfway there. LET US EAT CAKE! And if you want to know the best place in Seattle for a slice of chocolate cake, I've got a spot I'm pretty enthusiastic about...
