Healthy Chicks

The other night, a friend and I didn’t feel like going out so we stayed in for some R & R. After an hour or so of snacking and lounging on the couch watching crappy television shows, my friend looked over to me and said, “I can’t believe the weekend is over already and nothing happened yet again. I’m just getting so fed up.” I thought quickly about her statement and agreed that she was indeed right: another weekend passed, we did our laundry, relaxed, and went out hoping for a good time and nothing really monumental or of any relevance happened. Overall, our weekend was pretty blah. In fact, so was the last weekend.

Suddenly we were both 100% bummed out. I quickly clicked off the television because this called for a real life chat, without the distractions of Jersey Shore, Say Yes to the Dress, and Sex and the City re-runs. No, this called for undivided attention. 

“What do you think it is that we’re lacking? What do you think it is that’s making you so upset? Men (or lack there of), jobs, stress, friends, money?” I asked my friend, trying to solve  half the puzzle of why we were feeling so low. And then she gave the most honest answer of all. “No, it’s not really just one thing I can point my finger on. It’s just the feeling that my life is so routine and nothing is really changing. I feel kind of stuck.” 

And this feeling of being stuck is something we all go through some time or another, some of us more frequently than others. In fact, I knew exactly what she was talking about and couldn’t relate to it more. As I sat there stretched out on the couch, I realized is wasn’t just one thing in my life putting me in a blah mood either. In fact, I too couldn’t put a finger on what was getting to me. My career path is finally going in the right direction, as I am pursuing my dream and following my passions. I’ve been keeping myself busy with writing, cooking, running, at-home yoga and dates in the city with friends. My social life has been pretty normal, and I couldn’t complain too much about my “love” life. Usually when I’m down, it has something to do with work, men or body image woes. But no, that wasn’t it this time. 

Then it hit me. The reason my friend and I were feeling so blue is that we were missing a little something in life: a little pizzazz, a little extra oomph. While our careers, relationships and social lives were going just OK, we were missing that feeling of excitement and zest for life. You know, that feeling you get when you have a reunion with your college friends you haven’t seen in years, or it’s the morning of the marathon you’ve been training for all year. While we’d been concentrating so hard on making our lives ideal (money, relationships, friendships, jobs, etc.) we’d let a little of that extra pizzazz go. It seems we got so caught in the trap of living week by week and getting our daily “tasks” done that life started to seem a bit routine. And what’s fun about that? 

No, we are definitely not routine, follow-the-rules kind of girls. We are spontaneous girls, who of course like to have a plan but also enjoy trying out new things and having things to look forward to in the future. That’s when I came up with the brilliant idea of trying a few new things per week in the city. Of course, we’ll do our usuals: eat breakfast, go to work, exercise, errands BUT (and it’s a huge BUT) we’ll also mix in new, fun things throughout the week to add a little diversity. Today I hiked a mile to try a cafe I’d never been to before (because it was “too far”), but have always wanted to try. What was I waiting for? Today was the day! Tomorrow I’m going out for sushi with a friend I haven’t seen in months, and Thursday we’re going to try Trivia Night at a local pub in the area. Sure, Trivia is a little out of our comfort zones, but it’s something new to try, and hopefully we can have a great time and meet a few new people along the way.

While these things may seem ordinary, it’s all about doing things that are new for you. Go to that exotic restaurant you’ve been dying to try, and get the most outrageous thing on the menu. Grab some friends together and go to a museum you’ve never been to before. Start a new book, in a genre you’re not familiar with. Always been a “good girl?” Do something sassy, even if it just means wearing sexy underwear underneath your sophisticated outfit. Take a left when you usually take a right, and get “lost” in the city being sure to take lots of creative pictures along the way. Go up and talk to someone you find intriguing in the cafe next time you’re sitting there alone with your coffee. The thing is: life is full of so many interesting, new and invigorating things. So next time I find myself feeling blah about being stuck, I’m going to remember that there’s so much out there to explore. I challenge you to throw all structure to the wind, put on your creative caps and start exploring. Then I promise you that blah-ness with fade away…

Do you ever feel stuck? What makes you feel “blah”? What are some new things you’ve been meaning to try but have never gotten around to? What is it exactly that’s holding you back in life?