Stuff I used to do...

In less than a year, I will be 40. Halfway done with my life. I am not usually overly introspective, however, the inevitability of 40 has me thinking: there are a whole host of things that I would consider "Stuff I Used to Do." So here is a condensed list of some of the things I am waving goodbye to:

1. Driving fast: My current "record time" from Fresno to San Diego, CA is 4 hours, 10 minutes. Mapquest indicates this is a trip of 348 miles that should take me 5 hours and 36 minutes. Most people do it in 6-6.5 hours. I did it in 4. This is something I used to be proud of, but now realize that this kind of behavior, in addition to being considered unsafe, could potentially be considered stupid as well. I like getting places fast, but I beginning to think there might be a limit. I think they call that being prudent (or maybe it's just maturity beginning to kick in).
2. Eating too much: When I graduated from high school I was 6'5" and weighed 165 lbs. I could eat a truckload of food and not gain weight. "Eat through the pain" was my motto. In the time since high school I have grown and inch in height and have put on more than a few pounds. I think I'm beginning to understand that food, while a tasty treat, is essentially fuel for my body. That's it. Just like my car, I won't go faster or be better just because I consume more fuel. It just means that I'm more expensive to maintain.
3. Eating junk: There's an old saying: "Garbage in, garbage out." This one seems like a no brainer. Let's just say that for an intelligent person, sometimes I'm not all that smart. I have fueled my body with swill for too long. It's time to start thinking about a future that includes health and life.
4. Not exercising: I have the mind of a 16-year old (my wife would dispute that - she would say it's more like a 12-year old). My mind tells me I am in a lot better shape than I am. My body disputes that claim. In March I began running. I hate running. I did it anyway. It actually wasn't that bad. I have friend who is a runner. He said I was going to overdo it. What does he know? Of course, he was right and I ended up injuring myself. I still hurt! All that to say, it is fairly stupid of me to invest in so many good things (and a few not-so-good things) and not invest in myself. I hope to make non-exercise a thing of the past for me.
5. Have passion about the wrong things: I am a very passionate person. I feel things very deeply. This is a personality trait I see in my oldest son as well (it's weird - like looking in a funky time machine mirror). I am beginning to realize that I don't need to have passion about EVERYTHING (or at least if I do, I need to keep my big yap shut about it). I give myself unneeded stress when I get worked up about everything. I am learning that not everything matters, and even when it does, there are varying degrees of concern or passion that I need to have toward whatever "it" may be. In a sense, this is wrapped up with stress. So I guess what I am saying is that I hope that stress is becoming a "used-to-do" also.

That's the little bit that I have been learning. Not too bad for a typically non-introspective person, huh? What are things that are on your "Stuff I Used to Do" list?