2012 GOAL #4!!!

GOAL #4


This goal is pretty generic so I don't have a lot of specifics about it.  I simply just want to continue on my journey to overall well-being!  This goal encompasses not only health and fitness, but also my mental well-being.  My half marathon and triathlon goals will obviously contribute to the physical fitness aspect, but to me, overall well-being isn't about just the physical being-- it includes your mental health and stability as well.

My mental state of mind is very important to how I react to situations and how I live my everyday life.  If I'm upset, my day is ruined.  If I'm happy, I'm on top of the world!  I want to become a more well-rounded person and start looking for more volunteer opportunities within the community.  When I was younger, I did a lot of volunteer work and community service.  I want to be that person again.  I want to help the community grow and I want to grow as a person.  Community service always made me feel better.  I loved knowing I that whatever I did, I was helping the community and its citizens.  I was helping people less fortunate than me, people who couldn't get by without visiting the food pantry, people with disabilities, people in need of help.  Knowing that I offered just an inkling of help meant a lot to me.

I'm hoping to find at least one organization to work with and be an advocate.  I've got a few ideas rolling around in my head.  The thing I would really love to do but know if I could handle it would be to work with the local pound or animal shelter. I would LOVE to play with the furbabies but I don't know if I could make it one day without bringing home a brother or sister for little Maxwell.  And Tom would kill me.  I'd also be really sad to see the animals that don't get adopted.  I think I would get too attached to my favorites and cry when they don't get adopted or if they were there for awhile, I'd bring them home.  And again.  Tom would kill me.  So I went to my next thought: a local food pantry.  When I was in high school, I volunteered at the food pantry every week, usually two nights a week.  I helped them organize their food, pack up families' requests, unload new loads of foods, the list goes on.  (I also reconnected with an old friend when I volunteered there so it contributed to my social life as well.)  I'm also thinking about doing some sort of community service (if it exists) to advocate addiction awareness and education.  Because of Tom and what I've learned about addiction, I want to share with others the knowledge I've gained to help them in living with an addict.  I want to start by going to Al-Anon meetings.  I should have started going a long time ago, but better late than never, right?  I want to find a mentor to help me continue to grow and is someone I can turn to when I feel overwhelmed.  I then want to locate an organization in the area to join, if one exists.  If not, I will continue with further educating myself about addiction to be able to offer the necessary support for Tom.  These are my starting points for community service and hopefully those will lead to even more opportunities.

In addition to community service, I want to look into joining local community organizations.  I want to look into joining Kiwanis, a Rotary Club, or possibly the Chamber of Commerce.  I want to network with more people and become a more active figure within the community.  I want to be someone that is viewed positively within the community, someone that can help make an impact.  I'm hoping that by the end of 2012, I'm involved in at least one volunteer organization and one community organization!  Wish me luck!

Happy Friday!

Britt!