Moments of Clarity

So many things bring me moments of clarity.  A great workout.  An extra long hug.  An exceptional dance class.  Family snuggle time.  Being read to by a new reader.  These moments occur at least daily, and they make it easy to appreciate not only the things I love about my life and the people I value in it, but they also let me glimpse at times how I want things to be, how I can improve on an already satisfying life.   It should be easy to take those moments and hold on to them, and let them carry me through the day, right?  But it isn't so easy.  Being in the moment is hard to achieve, and it's a fleeting sensation.  Too many distractions, too many obligations, too many excuses.  Feeling frenetic has become a natural state of being, and it is not a healthy one.  This is my challenge.

WWKPD?

Ok, here's a really weird admission:  the latest celebrity who I aspire to look like, in a non-airbrushed, 20 years older, working mother, more realistic sort of a version, is Katy Perry.  And before you screech in horror let me caveat that by saying I know nothing, and I mean NOTHING whatsoever about her other than that she can kinda sorta sing some catchy, pop songs, and she got in trouble on Sesame Street for showing too much boobage to Elmo.  But she looks amazing!  Beautiful facial features, not an ounce of fat on her, and she has that classic pinup girl look with dark hair and light eyes.  Hey, I, too, have dark hair and light eyes!  Oh, but wait, that's where the similarities stop at the moment.

Maybe she's a rude bitch to her band, or stingy with tips in restaurants.  Maybe she has bad breath.  Maybe she's a vapid and has horrible political opinions, or worse yet, maybe she's hostile to animals and the environment!  Well, ok, probably not, but no one can be perfect, right?  So anyone who looks THAT GOOD has something else going on that is less than ideal, right?  RIGHT?!

What I do know is that she looks fantastic.  And that I aspire to look a shadow as good.  And that I need to aim high so I can achieve something decent in the process.  Fitness goals are key, but I need a visual goal, too.  Clearly she is making good decisions about what to put in her body and how to exercise it.  She may also be blessed with good genetics, but I think under it all I am to, so I can't make that an issue.  I know I don't look the way I want to simply because I don't treat my body (and at times my mind) the right way.  I know I exercise less than I'd like to and I definitely eat all sorts of crap that I shouldn't.  I bet Katy Perry doesn't.  I bet she is an eat-a-salad-every-day, go-for-a-run-in-the-mornings kind of a girl.  I bet if you tried to stuff an M+M in her mouth she'd spit it out.  So here's a thought:  from now on, if I find myself wavering about whether or not to eat one more Hershey's Kiss, whether or not I have time to squeeze in a run after dinner before I forget all about it and get into my jammies, I am going to start asking myself one question, in hopes of tipping the scales in the right direction:  What Would Katy Perry Do?