I too often get trapped in the “what I can’t have” mindset of dieting. That is stupid for two reasons.

One – it does me no good. Dwelling over what I can’t do is not productive in any way, shape, or form.

And two – nothing is off limits. I can literally eat whatever I want. In fact, I can even binge if I want. I know that I shouldn’t, but to say “I can’t” is defeating and pointless. If I want to take three days off from the diet, I can. I’m a grown up, my body is my own, my health is my own, and the consequences are my own.

Can you tell I had a bit of a pity party and took a few days off? Not sure why, really. I just did. But the fact remains… I did, and it’s over, so let’s move on. (Note – I actually do know why; it’s just not something I’m going to share publicly, but know that it ultimately has ZERO bearing on any aspect of my life, so it’s REALLY not worth going into.)

Rather than stay in a funk, I choose to focus on things that make me happy. These are things that I love. It’s a long list (not entirely represented in this post, which consists of only three things), and I plan to update it regularly. These are presented in no certain order. Well, after the first two, they are presented in no certain order.

My Faith

I was raised in a small country church, and for that, I am very grateful. I feel that religion is a very important thing. Of the various beliefs and attitudes I have had over the years that have changed, my faith is one that has not. I accepted Christ in the summer before my 5th grade in an old-time country revival, and my life has been the better for it ever since.

I have friends that are of many faiths, and I consider myself extremely open minded. I am always happy to hear that someone I love is deeply devoted to their faith.

I don’t claim to understand how all of the different religious beliefs interact and fit together. I don’t. I’ve tried, and I’ve ultimately given up as it is beyond my mere mortal comprehension. However, I will say this. Having a personal relationship with God gets me through.

I’ve recently discovered that I’m quick to turn to God for help, but I very seldom praise Him for the many, many, many, countless blessings He has heaped upon me. Part of this is that I want to publicly acknowledge this. God gets me through. Period. I hope you, too, have a personal relationship with God in whatever religious denomination, belief, or spiritual path you choose.

My Wife

I swear I am not looking at her boobs... probably...

When I look over the laundry list of women I have dated in my life (and it’s not a ton, by the way), Tina stands out for a lot of reasons. I’ve wondered what my life would be like if I had married any of the other women I’ve dated before, and I can only admit that I would, at best, be miserable, and at worst, be miserable, divorced, and half my stuff gone.

Not to be cliché, but she makes me be a better person. I’m not going to say she completes me, but she most definitely completes my life. I know I could make it through this world without her, but I sure wouldn’t want to try.

We complement each other perfectly. We rant about the same things that aren’t important. We laugh at the same jokes. We (mostly) watch the same television shows. In fact, we have a date tonight to watch the 3rd season premiere of Glee, and I am very grateful that she doesn’t make fun of me for having a 12 year old girl’s taste in music.

I can’t wait to start a family with her. I can’t wait to grow old with her. I can’t wait to go to Vegas with her. I can’t wait to see the world with her. I can’t wait to get off work so I can spend time with her.

I love her. She makes me happy just because she chose me.

It’s also pretty sweet that she’s so smokin’ hot.

Living in the Country

I grew up in the country. I grew up in a tiny, tiny, tiny place that… well, the nearest town was called Cub Run, population 150. I now live in the suburbs of Bowling Green, a ton of roughly 50,000 people. People tell me my city is a small town.

I hate it. I want to live in the country!

I want to live near a city like Bowling Green, within say ten minutes or so, but I want to live out away from people. Tina and I want to purchase several acres and have our own little mini-farm, away from everything. The thing that makes me saddest about living near the city is probably the light pollution. You can barely see stars, let alone the Milky Way. On my parents’ farm near Cub Run, it is so dark, you can see the Milky Way stretch from one side of the sky to the other. It’s amazing, and I miss it.

Tons more to come. I’ll try to share a few things I love periodically. What do you love?

Related Posts:

• Happy Birthday to Me, and Gratitude in Pictures
• 367 Weigh-In: Friday the 13th
• Date Night: Sips ‘n Strokes