The University of Life

In the University of Life, change is constant and nothing is permanent. We must be prepared for surprises and changes and roll with the punches.  Our own ideas, hobbies, aptitudes, how we live, eat, exercise, use our gifts, keep our bodies, hearts and minds going are all subject to change.  Why even our beliefs and state of mind are subject to change.

This is what I discovered when I looked at the arc of my life and observed how things had changed or progressed in sometimes unexpected ways.

From Where to Where (as it applies to my life)....

In My Writing

From a prize won for an essay at age 10 - to writing songs (you can read about it here) and freelance articles as I got older - to writing copy for MAA, JWT, Sistas, Everest, O&M, Rediffusion, as I got older still -  to writing Toastmaster speeches and a Money Workshop to teach kids how to earn, spend and save money - to becoming a hobbyist blogger.

In Making a Living

From earning an income by teaching English to foreign students and doing freelance writing in my teens – to making money from creating advertising campaigns for different products and companies (this post captures some of those days) -  to finding a niche as  a commissions analyst and as an Xactly Incent configuration consultant.

In My Eating Habits

From a meat-eater by birth - to turning vegetarian by choice in my 20s -  to switching back to a modified non-vegetarian diet which largely consists of uncooked foods from the plant kingdom, based on ideas from my friend Julia.

In My Exercise

From being naturally fit from bicycling to school and walking my dog (a single dog unlike some people I know) in my childhood and teen years - to being one of the most enthusiastic participants in Kamlesh’s aerobics class -  to going for longer and longer trail walks these days.

In My Left Brain- Right Brain Leanings

From a words person (who studied the dictionary,played word games and liked to write) to a numbers person (focused on 100% sales commissions accuracy) to the words and numbers person I am today (I am still involved with the accuracy of sales commissions but I now also write this blog).

In My Spiritual Beliefs

From a Roman Catholic by Birth – to an atheist since my early teens – to a spiritual awakening last year.

In Some of My Aptitudes

Driving: From a person who had never steered a moped before emigrating - to a person who can jump into a car and do San Jose-Anaheim, San Jose-Klamath Falls (where one of my dearest friends resides) and San Jose-San Diego (where another of my dearest friends resides) without a second thought or a second driver.

Cooking: From a person so far removed from cooking that cumin, coriander and garam masala were all the same to her (not haldi - haldi is unmistakable) - to a person who cooks regularly and mostly eats her own cooking... and has done 3 posts containing recipes, this one, this one and this one.

And finally...

In My State of Mind

From a depression during the most successful period of my life (you can read about it here) to one of the happiest campers today. A person who has truly come to enjoy life and learned to take the good with the bad, and through meditation, learned to live with dualities like life and death, sickness and health, success and failure, ability and disability, gain and loss, etc.

What are your Where to Where’s?   I hope encouraged by my example, you will make your own list.... and be struck with equal parts of awe and wonder at the different phases and stages of your own very unique, very special life.