September Doer of the Month: Jim Ryun

Making good habits starts with making good habits. The best time to make these new habits are in times of change. Like moving, for example. Or starting a new job. Or even getting a new car. Luckily, I'm in that tri-fecta right now.

I pulled up to the condo the other night after work and thought, Oh I can't do my fancy turnaround trick to park backwards because the stall across from me is taken. Guess I'll park like normal. 

Then it struck me: This is my life for right now. I park here, I live here, I work there, I drive this road, I go to this Booster Juice, I eat this food, I do this workout routine, I write these blog posts, I watch these TV shows, I bike these paths.

It's hard to realize you're making habits when everything around you is changing, but that's why it's the best time to make the right habits, because you hardly even notice! I wish that was all I had to say on the topic. But...

It's also a cesspit of bad habits, I've found.

I was looking online for a funny quote on the subject and instead all I found was this inspirational one: 

 "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." 

-Jim Ryan

Looks like a doer to me. And a politician. Don't they all just look the same to you?

I googled him to make sure I wasn't going to be quoting some psycho killer whose goals were being psycho and killing. And, to my unshocked self, this guy has achieved things, oh my goodness. 

He's an American, who was a Member of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas. You who know me know that I'm not big on politicians, or politics for that matter, but he seems like a real decent person. 

He also ran track. Like, real well: "[Ryan] received Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award, as well as the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete, the ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year, and was voted Track & Field News' Athlete of the Year as the world’s best track & field athlete. Ironically, Ryun did all of this before he was permitted to run for the school he attended, University of Kansas, since NCAA rules at the time did not allow freshmen to compete in NCAA competition." (From Jim Ryan's Wikipedia entry.)

There you go, folks. Even though what he was doing didn't even count for anything at the college he was attending, he went for it. Because it just didn't count yet. And he also got a Silver Olympic Medal in 1968 in Mexico City for the 1500 meter. No sweat. And being called the world's best anything is good in my books. Except that psycho killer talk from earlier.

You never know what life is going to throw at you, so you might as well be prepared for the day it actually throws something you want right at your face. 

So be motivated in order to get going, and create good habits in order to keep going, as Ryan pointed out in his unfunny quote, above.

What he was doing at the University was getting a photojournalism degree. Freakin' cool. 

And then: "Before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1996, Ryun had operated Jim Ryun Sports, a company that ran sports camps, and worked as a motivational speaker at meetings of corporations and Christian groups around the country. Among his projects, Ryun, who has a 50% hearing loss, helped the ReSound Hearing Aid Company develop a program called Sounds of Success, aimed at helping children with hearing loss." 

This is all BEFORE he started running in elections. Which he won. Cause he's a go-getter. 

I don't agree with his policies or decisions as a political leader, but he did. And that's what matters. He believed in himself and made his life happen. And I'm assuming he can't complain about much. 

Even with a 50% hearing loss, which I know would be enough for some people to give up on a lot of things, he made it a part of his life and his charity.

Jim Ryan went through a lot of changes in his life. From going to University, opening his own business, running competitively, running in elections and moving around the country. And yet, each and every time, he came out successful. He had goals and he achieved them.

I'm willing to bet there were some downfalls. You can't win 'em all. But people don't put that on Wikipedia. Except that he did lose a couple of elections later on. By 4% and later by 2%. Nothing to be ashamed about.

Good on you, Jim Ryan. You're my September Doer of the Month, because I'm going through a lot of changes right now, and before I get all settled, I want to focus on having good habits to settle into, not bad ones. And you reminded me that in order to have good habits, I need good motivation. 

Focus on the big goals in order to get through the little ones. 

So I'm back and I have something to say.

Hey, listen, people take the summer off all the time. I didn't or anything, I mean I've been working and all, but the blog took a backseat. And that backseat fell out of the back hatch and careened into a ditch somewhere in an isolated area that for some reason I couldn't get back to. I think there was an avalanche there or something.

Anyways, I went through the wreckage, found my little buddy [read: The Advantage], put it front and centre and got a seat belt clicked in around him. Drive safe, I always say.

My point is, I'm not going to be apologizing, or making excuses, because that, people, is what we call living in the past. I'm just going to get back to it.

I have some great posts planned for the next month! Keep an eye out.

So, as per the Advantage of Doing, what have I been doing, you ask?

After I got back from Greece and Turkey I started doing temp work, a great way to make money but not commitments, then moved onto a serving job at the end of August. It's at a great Italian place that I will not give you the name of until I'm any good at serving, and everyone is real nice. Food is killer.

I've been exercising! As part of my save money plan, I moved in with my brother. He has a condo with an extra room (and my own freaking bathroom) and he's being the great, wonderful, caring person that he is and putting me up for much less rent than I had been paying. Anyways, he's been showing me some great exercise routines I can do right here in the condo, which are a great add on to my walking and biking outings. Imma be rippppped. Watch out.

My eating well has been quite steady. It's something I falter on sometimes, but only when I forget that in order to do something, you must do it. So: To eat healthy you must eat healthy. Not: To eat healthy you must indulge vigorously then come back to your plan. That's not how it works. For me anyways.


And I've been enjoying the hell out of summer. It's been real nice here in the City of Champs and afternoon visits to Hawrelak, campfires at my friends place, music festivities, beers on patios and visits from old and new friends have been frequent and welcomed.

Sasquatch in June. Also welcomed.

Hey, if you have questions for me, or think I'm slacking, or want me to write about anything in particular: Message me. Here, there, anywhere. On Twitter (and instagram) @carrie_okee isn't a half bad way to do it.