What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?
I set a lot of goals for myself. When I hear “challenge,” my ears perk up. I have zero clue as to why. I think it’s because I was the youngest of three kids. I spent a great deal of time and energy trying to prove myself. 21-day yoga challenge, 10K steps a day challenge… Heck – one time I did the “beans and rice” challenge with my church. It was to raise awareness about global food insecurity or something like that. Actually, if you’re making it all from scratch, it’s one of the healthiest diets you can eat. Americans consume way too much crap. If people in these third-world countries* were given a truckload of Twinkies, they’d feel sorry for us. But I digress.
It’s a toss-up
Getting my private pilot license was pretty difficult. It was expensive, it took a year, and there is a LOT of book work and memorization. Ever see the FAR/AIM book? It’s huge. Plus, I was (still am, but in a different way) afraid of heights. Flying no longer bothers me, but I’ll break into a cold sweat if I’m hiking too close to a cliff.
I ran several marathons, my first when I was 38. These were tough, too. I’m not the least bit athletic, and I smoked for a good portion of my early adulthood. Thank goodness for the Daytona Beach Running Club. They accepted all levels of experience and trained using the Jeff Galloway method. I made a lot of friends as we slogged through the muggy Florida mornings on our long training runs. It seemed grueling at the time, but I look back on it with fondness now.
My latest challenge is learning double bass. I’ve been playing electric bass since I was 13, until a year ago. Rachael, my friend and director for Thistle Rose Academy of Arts, suggested I try upright.
“No way!” I said. “Too hard, no frets and I don’t know of any place that rent basses!”
She had an answer for everything. She hooked me up with a Wayne State student who was looking for beginner students to teach. He, in turn, helped me find a place where I can rent a bass. These big bastards are expensive. I wanted to ensure I would actually like playing it before spending $4-5K.
Looks like I need to save $4-5K… Challenge accepted. 😉
*I’m not trying to make light of a serious situation. Hunger is a huge problem globally and close to home. Much levity is implied in that statement. I encourage all my readers to find a good food bank to support. My favorite is the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit.
Life is a dark ride 
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