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How I Learned to Love Puke

25 September 2009 11 Comments

No one enjoys feeling sick.  I am especially unruly in the “irritating sick person” category.  I have seriously contemplated buying a fainting couch just so I can dramatically lay my forearm against my forehead and gracefully (ha, like I do anything gracefully…) faint backwards onto it.  With a huge sick person sigh.  So everyone around me knows that I’m miserable and ill.  And they will baby me til I’m better.  At least that’s the plan.

This past summer  I started making some pretty big changes and setting some pretty lofty goals for what I’m anticipating will be a pretty sweet life starting next summer.  That’s right, my goal is set for 12 months away.  I’m not a jumper and I’m not a leaper.  I’m not someone to be admired for the bold and brash and brazen life changes they’ll make.  I’m not the shiny new toys that you get every birthday, I’m the Velveteen Rabbit in the corner.

With all these goals and all these changes and all this stuff going on I made the (brilliant) decision to start working with a life coach (in another post, in another time, I will tell you why you are foolish to do big things without having an adequate sounding board…Lael is mine…)

During one of our discussions, Lael introduced me to a concept which I have grown to embrace/love/fear.  She calls it “vomit moments.”  Those moments in time when stuff becomes so real that you are just overwhelmed with every gambit of emotion the human body is capable of producing in about ten seconds of time and you frantically search for the nearest bathroom cause you are quite positive you are about to puke.

Nauseau

Lael is working to build her company and brand as well, and she’s shared a couple with me.  They make me giggle, in a “That’s cute and I feel for you”  not a “Haha, I’m laughing at you fool” kind of way.

I’ve started to have a few of my own.  I either text/email/Tweet/Facebook to tell her about them.  I’m giddy like a 5-year old showing off her mad macaroni frame skills.  I seem to be obsessed with noting that the nausea sometimes causes me to throw up in my mouth a little bit.  She calls me a “mouth booter.”  I adore her.

As someone who loathes all things sick related, I am learning to LOVE these moments.  To seek them out.   “Vomit moments” are the new addiction, like adrenaline and base jumping.  “Vomit moments” are the things that push us and motivate us and help us to get to our goals.  Cause if you aren’t SO EXCITED about the life you are pursuing that you occasionally feel the waves sweep over your body then you are MOST DEFINITELY not doing it right living your dreams.

My name is Elisa, I’ve become a puke junkie, and I’m constantly seeking out my next fix.

So I ask of you…have you ever had a “vomit moment” in the changes you are making in your own life?  If you haven’t (yet) – don’t you kind of wish you had?

Photo Credit: Stockbyte, Getty Images

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  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com Sam Karol

    First of all, love the new look! Second, great title to this post, I was totally intrigued. My first thought was maybe you had a run in with a preschooler haha. Anyway, I think it’s great that you’re working with a life coach and making changes in your life. I’ve definitely had vomit moments. Some of them are exhilarating like you describe, but some are a little scary, when you look around and say ‘this cannot be my life.’ But, taking the metaphor a little further (at the risk of being disgusting), maybe that’s a different kind of vomit moment, where you just need to accept the change, (figuratively) expel your negativity, and move on.

    Best of luck in reaching your goal! I hope you achieve everything you’re working towards. Also, the Velveteen Rabbit rocks :)

    • http://www.opheliaswebb.com Elisa

      First – Thanks! :)

      Second – Thanks again. I was a little worried that they title might be off-putting (believe me, preschooler vomit would not do a thing to make me love it!) I hope I hit all my goals too…I’m doing lots of the groundwork now, each milestone becoming another piece of the reality.

      I agree…there really are different types of “vomit moments” that happen when you are making lots of big changes. It actually IS like a preschooler. They throw up when they are sick but they can also make themselves throw up when they get really upset or scared. I’ve seen it…kinda nuts! It’s true though, sometimes you need to accept the “this cannot be my life” moments and learn how to go on afterwards. You see it a lot with death, illness, major loss, etc. And you do have to get rid of the bad/negative stuff and let go before you can go on.

  • http://ryanstephensmarketing.com/blog/ Ryan Stephens

    As someone with a ridiculously sensitive stomach, I think we should find a different analogy.

    I occasionally get pretty revved up about some of the things I’m working on to the point of having trouble sleeping, but not feeling overwhelmed and nauseous. Having had a multitude of those moments throughout my sports career, I’m not sure I’ve encountered them in the workplace yet.

    And two random bits:

    1.) Life coach. Cool. I want one. Can I pay them in “Thank You’s” though?
    2.) New blog design is awesome!

    R
    .-= Ryan Stephens´s last blog ..Dating, Sports & The Best Titled Post Ever =-.

    • http://www.opheliaswebb.com Elisa

      Ha! I have one of the worst gag reflexes in the world…maybe that’s why I appreciate this idea so much! I pay my coach in hours of social media consulting, we barter our hours. She came up with it…as I said, she’s brilliant!

  • http://californiawithlove.wordpress.com/ Anna

    This is brilliant! I love your blog :)

  • http://legaldunki.wordpress.com Kristina

    First off, I agree with Ryan that we should change the metaphor….and maybe today wasn’t the day to read this post as I am feeling a little under the weather.

    Second, I’ve already told you a thousand times, but will tell you again, that I love the blog make-over! woohoo! I think it has helped your writing as well :) it just seems to make the posts stand out more. I love that the links are in green.

    as for the post, hooray for you and your goals. I look forward to seeing you reach them :)
    .-= Kristina´s last blog ..Turning away at the finish line =-.

    • http://www.opheliaswebb.com Elisa

      Thanks for the notes on the goals and the redesign. I like the green links too, green is my favorite color so I think it shines well on the site. Plus the whole “green” concept behind the Webb and my little inner hippie. :)

      I gotta say I don’t want to change the metaphor. I understand the idea of vomit being gross (seriously, I have one of the worst gag reflexes ever!) but I also can’t think of a better way to describe the queasiness associated with HUGE changes in your life. As I mentioned, I’m an adventurous/risk taking/rebel person (I feel bad jaywalking for goodness sakes!) To completely flip my world on it’s side like this seriously rocks it and there are just times I feel sick to my stomach with the excitement/fear/anticipation/etc. I think a lot of us end up feeling like this sometimes, and we run or move on or give up. For someone who doesn’t do much outside the norm, I find that these moments are perfect indicators of changes to be analyzed and embraced.

      That’s a really long way to respond to a lot of these comments, not just yours :P

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  • http://www.SheChanges.com Lael Jepson

    I’m so delighted you’re holding steadfast to the concept of “vomit moments”, Elisa, because it’s working for you. It’s is bringing you to the edge of your brilliance and is calling you forth into this new chapter of your life in big, bold ways – not in the itty, bitty, incrementals ways that can SO go unnoticed. You are actually witnessing yourself unfold. As you referenced in your post, I’ve had many moments of that in the past and it has come to be my number one calling card that something big is knocking at my door and I need to ANSWER it!! You’re on fire and shining bright! No surprise over here, but love it, love it!

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  • http://instigationology.com andi

    Love the analogy! I have these moments all the time! Way more often than I probably should (when they come about from lack of preparation), but I cherish the ride. It’s a pretty big indicator from our bodies that what we’re doing is über important and deserves all of our attention at that moment. I’m so easily distracted and caught in my head, that when something hits me like that, I cling to the excitement and focus.

    Now I’m itching to know what you’re plans are!!!
    .-= andi´s last blog ..june challenge submissions! =-.