Inspiring People in 2007

I have this wise and cool friend who has spent the last year doing things that most people want to do but won't or can't. I'm not talking about space flight or cliff diving in Belize.

The first time I spent any time with this woman, she told me that she was "committed to misery." I think I may have said I thought that was crazy, but after I thought about it awhile I could see how it is that many of us are committed to misery--in all kinds of ways. She was just plain enough in her speaking to say so. Some of us stay in jobs that make us miserable, or continue to relate to our siblings in ways that create misery. We might never take out the recycling. There are lots of ways to be committed to things that don't help us live happy lives.
Still, I kind of couldn't understand why this creative, smart, interesting person would be committed to misery. I liked her anyway. Alot.

Over the last year, my friend has taken drastic steps to improve her health, and for the first time in the 5 years I have known her, she will tell you she feels good when you ask after her well being. Then she giggles. She joined a fitness center, where she swims and lifts weights. She walks every day. She asked me last week if I might be interested in walking a half marathon with her. Hell yes I would. She has made diet changes and has lost weight. Almost every time I talk to her, she is talking about learning something new, or having some experience she has yet to have. She'll say she's scared, but then she goes and does it anyway. Seeing the transformation from one who was at one time committed to misery to one who is committed to new experiences is an incredible gift. It takes courage and work to manage all that. Some people try and try and never get there. But my amazing friend, she just went ahead and did it.

And she keeps on doing it, every day. She shines a light in the world for all of us, a light she may have not even know she had. I plan to follow her example for the next year--I will make changes in my life that seem uncomfortable in order to achieve something I really want. I will make the choice to experience things differently than my default setting. And then I will laugh about it, like she does.