Just Call Me Alice

I've only seen Alice in Wonderland once in my life. As a child it scared the crap out of me and I have had no desire to repeat the experience. Thank fully there exists a fantastical time wasting website called stumbleupon.com which is where I found this lovely exchange between Alice and the Cheshire Cat.

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' asked Alice.
`That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
`I don't much care where--' said Alice.
`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
`--so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.
`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.'"

Bloody brilliant cat. Like most things in life, the correct answer to our hardest questions is often the simplest. When you don't know where you want to end up then it doesn't matter what path you take to get there.
Growing up we are taught to have dreams, everyone asks what do you want to be when you grow up. I'm not so sure this is a good idea. It leads a child to believe that they have to have a destination in mind for their life and take the correct steps in order to get there. However, if you are like me and don't know what that destination is then your stuck blindfolded at the starting line afraid to take a step forward for fear that you might step in a direction that won't get you to the finish line. All you can say is to hell with the finish line, spread your arms wide and start spinning till you get too dizzy and stop. At this point your going to have to wait for the world to stop spinning too... and make no mistake your world will be spinning. This perfect world you've built for yourself up till now, always doing what was expected of you will spin right off it's axis because now all that matters is what you expect of yourself. Then you take that first step and open your eyes and take in everything this path has to offer you.
I'd like to be able to say that the first step on my path was something selfless like volunteering in a soup kitchen or reading to the blind, but alas this was not the case. I got a gym membership and a personal trainer. Andrea is a bubbly 5'4" blond trainer who takes great pleasure in kicking my ass on a weekly basis... and I love it. Anyone that knows me would attest to the fact that I'm not athletically inclined on any level, with the exception of a brief stint on a peewee roller hockey team I have never competed in any team sports and with good reason... I'm a klutz. So I was quite surprised when I found out I loved working out. I loved getting stronger, building up my endurance, and becoming altogether healthier and it turns out I influenced my family to make some healthier choices too.
So what did I learn in my first foray into the unknown? First, when the trainer asks you if it's too light never say yes. Second, go into every situation with an open mind and an open heart. I could have gone off past experiences and decided that I was just never going to be athletic. Instead I thought this time might be different and it was. No two situations are exactly the same and sometimes that one change no matter how small is enough to make all the difference. However, if it's still not right all you have to do is put the blindfold back on and start spinning. Lastly, that first path has a way of leading to another...