Very serious

I am very serious... at what I do.
When I am committed to something, I am very focused, I work very hard, and I am very determined to complete the task well.

My mom has said that to me several times in the past few years.  I am serious about my schoolwork, my career, my promises to others, and most recently, my responsibility as a mom to Mr. Z.  Just taking him on a 2-minute walk is not good enough for me.  I walk him 3 times a day if I can, and we take long walks until  he seems to have gotten all the excitement out of his system.  We are taking weekly obedience classes so he can socialize, make friends, and also learn how to be a good dog.  The courses also help him to be less anxiety-prone and to challenge his mental functioning.  My hope is to complete all of the courses so that he can be certified as a therapy dog.  That way, he can go to all of the health institutions with me when I do my work, and we can visiting nursing homes and hospitals so he can bring joy and happiness to others around him.

Even with Mr. Z. I am so serious and so committed to short- and long-term goals.  Over the past few days, I've looked through a ton of websites and visited several stores looking for a pet carrier that could fit him so that he can travel with me to visit family.  I also did some research on rain jackets so he won't get too cold during the winter.  When it rained a few days ago, he refused to do his business outside, and I ended up having to bundle up, hold an umbrella, and walk in the rain for a good 20 minutes with him to convince him to "go."  Afterwards, we spent another 20 minutes toweling him off and blowdrying his super wet hair.  So yes, a rain jacket for him is a necessity.

I take all things seriously, so how is it possible not to take relationships seriously?  I've never been the casual dating kind of girl and I hereby accept that I never will.  At some point in my relationship with B., I told myself to simply live-in-the-moment and not think about the future.  I denied my personality and the work ethic within me, and along with those core values, I also lost my sense of self-concept.

So, never again, never again.  I have to accept myself for who I am: a long-term planner and someone who, once committed, is devoted, dedicated and focused entirely on the task without wanting to look up or look around for other options.