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     So, about a year ago as I was shopping back home in a little antique shop, I came across a quote that stopped me still in the moment; a quote that I as well as many others felt captured who I was/am to a T..."You can't go wrong when you're doing what's right!" Yep, that seemed to be me alright; the girl who followed the law/rules; not speeding because I was scared of getting a ticket, not drinking until I turned 21 because that's that law, not driving in the breakdown lane, getting approval from my parents before going and tee-peeing a friends house, not even jaywalking....basically anything that risked getting me into trouble I steered clear from.  This quote, over the year has become my motto for life....because until now I defined "right" as following the law/rules and staying out of trouble; I defined "right" by what the law says, and what my parents say....however lately I have really begun to think about this quote and its deeper meaning; what does "right" really mean?  Is doing what's "right: defined by the legal system, is it defined by what our parents say, or what our teachers say, and why is it so important for me to do "what's right"?  The more I though about it, the more I realized there's much more to "doing what's right: then staying out of trouble.  What about what's "right" for my health, for my family, for my friends, for those people who need support.  It has been with this new train of thought that I really delved into myself and came to the realization that while I may doing right by others standards, I have neglected to look inside myself and whats right based on my own standards.  That being said I have decided to make myself accountable for "doing what's right!"
     As my last 8-months of academia approach, I realize I will be entering the real world before I know it.....and this means no more 6-week vacations, no more snow days, or sleeping in on weekdays because I have signed up for late classes.  With my new realization about what "right" means and the ending of my academic career fast approaching, I want to make the most of this "free time." While I still define my values by this quote, I want to take it one step further and make some changes, as well as create some new additions to my life.
     This may seem as though I am creating a laundry list of New Year's Resolutions, which may in fact be the case, however I don't think that waiting 4 1/2 months to make positive changes in my life is really necessary.  I also want to follow the theme of "doing what's right" in my new found interpretation of its meaning.  My goal in doing this is to enrich my life as well as others through...."doing what's right."

My initial "goal" though seemingly obvious, when "doing what's right" has merely been established to reinforce its importance; as it seems to be the easiest "right" to neglect:

1)   If you don't have something nice to say then don't say it at all."  Seemingly appropriate that my first goal falls back to yet another quote!  My rationale in this goal is that talking about others behind their back is NOT "right".....although it may seem innocent, or as though you are just venting, it is a very unproductive way to resolve an issue you have with someone.  Often times those words you said about that individual make there way to that person, and usually not in the same context you intended, thus, my first goal requires of myself to not talk poorly about anyone, and if there is something that needs to be addressed with an individual I will go directly to the source.

2)  Over the next 8 months my next goal will be to participate in at least 4 charity walks/runs.  You may wonder what makes this "right" for me!  Well to start, I am not just picking out charity walks at random, I will be walking/running in honor of family members/friends who are/have battled with certain conditions.  More specifically my Oma who is living with an autoimmune disease, called Scleroderma, my Opa who battled Parkinson's disease, my young cousin with Autism and 2 close family friends with Multiple Sclerosis.  My purpose in participating in these walks is multi-faceted; 1- I would like to support those family members/friends who have been so strong, 2 - I would like to raise money in order to the above mentioned organization in order to support further research and awareness of these various conditions.  Furthermore, I would like to do what's "right" for my health; that being, becoming more physically active throught walking and running.

3)  This ext goal ties into the previous one; I would further like to do what's "right" for my health in many aspects.  I have time and time again started training for 5K's, 10K's, sprint triathlon's, half-marathons, and marathons, and with all this training I have completed ONE sprint triathlon.  This being said I would like to be realistic in setting a goal that I can accomplish.....I would like to commit to completing a half-marathon, within the next 8-months.  I currently have one in mind on October 3rd, in support of Multiple Sclerosis.

4)  I have also always loved the idea of participating in community service in all forms, and have done some volunteer work here and there, however I have fallen well short of putting many of these thoughts into action.  In keeping with the them of "doing what's right" I would like to actively participate in helping throughout the community.  I have not determined a specific area in which I would like to give back, and would love some feedback about ideas.  I have made a realistic goal of volunteering 2x's/month in any aspect of the community.  My purpose for this goal is not just "doing what's right" because it's nice to help, or because I "should" help others, it's because I want to.....I want to help give back to those who may not have the basic needs that I am so fortunate to live with day in and day out.....I want to be able to bring a smile to people's faces.

5)  Further tying into the previous goals....as cliche as it may seem I would like to lose weight; however more importantly I would like to eat healthy.  This blog will hold me accountable to what I eat, and my hope being to make healthy changes to my diet that will last a lifetime.

As I looked back through this entry I realized that I neglected to mention why it's so important in my mind to do what's right.....and what I realized is that I don't really have an exact answer.  I do however revert back to the initial quote, that by doing what's right, you can't go wrong.  I guess I take that to mean that doing the right things in your life; whether that be for yourself, for family or friends you can achieve great things, while be able to avoid problems along the way.

For me this blog serves as a way of holding myself accountable for my actions, and doing what I view as what's "right."  I am hoping that this will provide ongoing motivation to complete the goals that I have set forth ultimately creating a healthier and happier me, while making a difference in the lives of others.  I plan to make entries throughout the next 8-months about my training for the races, the charity events that I take part in, the volunteer work that I participate in, and fund-raising I am doing for these events as well as how I have been able to improve my health in all aspects.  With all this being said I would like to thank you for your support, and welcome any feedback you may have.

Rebecca