Being healthy is gonna kill me…

Okay….so being healthy is not going to kill me but some days it feels like it. If any of you have had to learn a completely new lifestyle you will understand. 

I’ve never focused on a healthy lifestyle and I’m “mid-life” so that is a lot of pattern changing to do. I’m learning that the biggest challenge is mental change, followed quickly by physical change.

What does that mean? It means I have to work on the “little voice” inside by head that says, sure, go ahead and eat that….sure, stay on the couch instead of going for a walk. I have to mentally make different choices. Then…oh man, then, I have to actually make my physical actions following the “new” choices come into alignment and take action. 

I never realized how hard it was to be healthy. Or rather to have an awareness of being healthy. Some days it’s a struggle to get through the next 5 minutes and some days are a breeze to get through and I end up going to bed feeing happy and productive. 

Have you ever felt like you are being dedicated making progress and then you step on the scale and want to scream with frustration because it appears no progress is being made? Well it sucks! I have to remember that change is happening and the results aren’t going to happen overnight. 

Man, oh man, I wish it would happen overnight but alas….it took years to get my body into this state and I suspect it will take a long time to eighth the wrongs. So I choose to celebrate when I do good and try not to beat myself up when things are hard. 

This isn’t a diet – it’s a lifestyle change. It’s a choice and a path I need to walk for myself. I’m trying to surround myself with support and positive feedback. I’m learning and I’m welcoming input. Not only that I am willing to support others if they are on this journey. After all, companionship makes he journey lighter. 

Electronic Hell

Electronics….gadgets……gizmos……smartphones, computers and anything else you want to name. They are meant to make our life better and easier. They are meant tomake things   smoother. I think most of us would agree that they do. 

It is a fact that we have become addicted to our electronics but let me tell you, when they aren’t working our lives can quickly spiral down into hell. I’ve spent all day with computer issues, followed by internet issues, router issues and one grumpy out of sorts hubby. 

When days like today happen it makes me wish for a simpler time when everything wasn’t run from electronics and it wasn’t so easy to have your world turned topsy turvy just because something wasn’t working right.

I know I can’t be the only one to go through these kinds of days. You know, the kind of days that start out okay and swiftly become a day that ends with you drinking in the corner and begging to go to bed and start the day anew.  Well, God bless technology and I’m sure I will love it again tomorrow. However, tonight……well tonight I’m going to read a book and go to bed. Fresh start in the morning. 

That same old same old

Spent some time adventuring today and it got me thinking how important it is to change up your routine. We are by nature creatures of habit. We get comfortable and then we don’t get out of the everyday groove.  It’s kins of sad really. We miss out on so much this way. 

I try and do things different all the time. I shop for groceries at different stores (even though I have a favorite). I go to different branches of my bank even though I like that my closest branch tellers know me.  I am constantly changing the kind of music I listen to (although that is more dependent on my mood).  I drive different routes to a familiar location. 

The point is that I get to shake off the dullness of sameness and I get to jump the ruts of routine. I will admit that sometimes it is hard to get me out of my comfort zone but once I am, I love it. I love newness. I love exploring. I love being open to adventure and new thinking. 

Change up your routine. Do something different, try a new coffee shop, grocery store, gas station. Go somewhere you have never been. It doesn’t have to be a big trip, it could be the next town over. Just get out or your rut and expand your horizons! 

When it’s love

Some of the best words of advice I ever received from my dad about love is this: Do not look for love in the grand gestures. Those are fleeting and occasional. Instead, look for love in the million little things that show someone cares about you.”

His words taught me from the beginning of my marriage to look for expressions of love in the small actions. I have focused on those and always found love, even when we were struggling or going through a rough patch. 

I’m not saying I never got or don’t appreciate those grand gestures; I do. I just don’t expect them in order to feel loved. I don’t think my husband isn’t thinking about me because he didn’t bring me home flowers. I don’t worry that he doesn’t feel as in love with me because he hasn’t treated me to dinner in a couple weeks. I don’t think our passion is fading because I didn’t get jewelry for Christmas. 

Those are all fabulous things but real love is when my husband gets up early and takes a kid to work so I can sleep in, it’s starting my car in the middle of winter so it’s warm when I get in it. It’s cleaning up after I make dinner or washing our laundry so I don’t have to. It’s a million little actions everyday. 

Here is my sweetheart, painting my toenails today, not because he had to but because he wanted to pamper me: 

Such a simple little action that means nothing to anyone else but meant the world to me. These little acts of caring that make my heart melt. 

Are you looking for love from your significant other in grand gestures or are you aware of the little acts of love that transpire around you every day? Are you grateful for those acts of love? Do you thank them and express love back to them in kind? 

 

Level Up

One of my favorite books is called, “The Game of Life and How to Play it” by Florence Scovel Shinn. It was written in 1925 and it’s truths still hold true today.  The basic premise of the book is that ignorance of, or carelessness with the application of various ‘Laws of Metaphysics’ can bring about undesirable life events.

We are creating even if we are creating in a state of unawareness. Scary thought right? So, this book goes about discussing metaphysical laws so you can go about creating with awareness.  We are all in this grand game and adventure called life, and this is a guide book on how to play the game. 

It may sound simple but it is anything but easy to put into practice. It’s about flying in harmony with the divine around us. It’s about learning mastery over self. Every failure, every challenge that comes our way is an opportunity for us to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. An opportunity for us to “level up” and to get better at the game of life. 

I’m constantly trying to level up, to grow, to better myself, to learn, to function at a higher level. To be the best version of myself that God created me to be. It’s a daily choice. Some days I get knocked on my ass but in the words of video games, I get experience points and eventually those points add up and I get to level up my life.

Nothing is truly a failure if you learn from it. However, part of what I’m learning about the game of life is that not everyone is on the same level as you. You have to allow people to level up in their own way, in their own time, through their own experiences. Sometimes that means paths have to diverge. Sometimes that means getting put in with new teams. Sometimes that means you’re the only one at your level for a while. The point is to never give up, to always keep trying and to believe in yourself and your ability to play the game and play it well.

This is life and I’m living it. Are you? 

C . r. E. a. T. i. V. i. T. y.

*taken from the Premier Event Connection  (premierec.wordpress.com) blog post, As that is the blog I write for my company I get to hijack it, if I feel like it. 😊)

Creativity is the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. Anyone who has been involved with the creative process knows that getting stuck or hitting a wall is part of the process. Everyone struggles sometimes to renew their creative spark. Being in a business where we need to stay creative makes that a bit of a bigger challenge so we have to have ways to re-energize that creative spark. Here are the just some of the ways that we do that: • connect with someone you think is creative and let their creativity generate some new ideas for you.

 • change up your routine.

 • doodle

 • play a game

 • free write

 • listen to new music

 • keep an idea journal with you at all times

 • play with toys

 • color

 • listen to a TED talk

 • take a class

 • get cooking in the kitchen

 • explore the outdoors

 • research on Pinterest

 • create a vision board

 • talk with children

 • walk through an art gallery

 • watch movies
Creativity is all about being open to the impressions of life as they flow and swirl around us. Its about letting that energy flow out of you and create something unique to you. Enjoy the process and don’t give up when you feel like you’ve hit a snag in the creative process. It’s easy to spark again.

The curling path

My girlfriend took this photo the other day on our walk. The walk was in one of my favorite places – Point Whitehorn. I love the meandering path through the trees as you head to the beach. 

I have always loved this tree. I think the reason why is because it has such character. I mean, look at it, imagine the adversity it must have grown through to create such a twisty, curving trunk. It’s fascinating to me. 

This tree represents life to me. The path of life isn’t one straight line from birth to death. Life is a journey that twists, corners, rises, sinks and causes you to grow despite what environment you are placed in. As long as we are growing, pushing ourselves to keep going, be better, and challenge our circumstances then we each become this  glorious reflection of life in the world. Each beautiful in our uniqueness. 

Celebrate what makes you special. Embrace the winding path of life you are on because this IS life!

Average of Five

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that “we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” A mathematical way to work that out is to take the income of your five closest friends and then divide by 5. It usually comes out to or close to your yearly income. The theory is that if you want to increase your wealth start to move in a circle of people that challenge you to “rise” to their level. 

On the flip side of that, if you aren’t strong in who you are and where you are going, your friends have he ability to “lower” you to their level even if you are the biggest earner in the group. All in all it’s a conversation about these theee things:

1. Don’t let who you associate with being you down to their level. 
2. Are you content being the average of your friends?
3. If you want to grow and increase then find a group of mentors who are living   In the lifestyle and financial bracket you desire and spend the majority of your time with them. 

That doesn’t mean if you are on welfare and barely making ends meet that you try and hang out with Richard Branson. There are a lot of steps between where you are and where you want to be. 

I didn’t believe this theory when I first heard it it I did the math and it was almost spot on. I also have checked when my finances are ebbing to see who I am spending time with, and yes, it was proven again. I’ve surrounded myslelf with people I would class as doing better than me and realized that they motivate me to be better, do better, stretch and grow. 

It’s an interesting concept to ponder. Try it out and see what you think. You might be surprised by what experience in the process. 

Happy discovery!

Double dipping

Double Dipping…. I am not talking about double dipping your veggies or chips in dip. Although I am sure I could make a post on that too. No today I am using the reference of double dipping in regards to the fact that for the next 90 days I have agreed to take part in the Team Heart 90 Day Live Facebook challenge and I blog. A lot of what I am doing in the 90 day Live video challenge is stuff I could just as easily write and post to my blog. 

I guess I decided to save myself some time and share across platforms as I can and maybe not have to create double the content. Cheating? Um….probably but that’s okay it won’t be word for word, just maybe theme for theme. 

So today in my live video I talked about taking action even when afraid. Now I am no expert on doing something despite my fear. I can honestly admit that yes, I have allowed fear to hold me back. I have allowed fear to make my decisions sometimes. It sucks. What’s worse is that no matter what I have told others I know the real reason I didn’t move forward, chase a dream, or take action. Living with my self after that is way worse than if I had just faced me fears head on and taken action. 

Fear can be debilitating. Paralyzingly so. You can literally have a whole body physical reaction to fear. I’m learning to not let fear stop me. I’m learning to take action despite the risk, real or imagined. I’m learning to stop the conversations in my head about doubt and unworthiness and I am learning to quit making excuses so I can stay in fear. I mean, who wants to live there anyway?

Everything I want, everything I dream about is literally on the other side of fear. I have to want those things more than I want fear in control. Believe me it’s a work in progress but at least I am consciously working on it. I’m choosing every day to take at least one step beyond my fear. 

Am I a raging success? Well, no but I can be as long as I don’t give up. As long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other. My point to all this? You can do it too. Just push yourself through the rapidly beating heart, sweaty palms, barely breathing moment and do it. You’ll live – I promise! 

 

Sun or Shadow

I’m an event planner by trade and yesterday I had an event. It was gorgeous weather and everyone was out enjoying it. I was enjoying it as best I could but from where I standing I was half in the sun and half out of the sun most of the event. I moved into full sun whenever I got the chance but it wasn’t until later that evening when I got home that I got to see the results of my day in the mirror.

My whole left arm was a nice pink turning red from the sun. My face was pink on the left too but not as dramatically as my arm. I had little splotches of pink on my right arm but it was very uneven. My husband and I just laughed and I put on after sun lotion with the hopes it wouldn’t be so noticeable in the morning (Which it wasn’t) but it did give me a perspective about life.

Lets say the sun is us, living our life to its fullest and the shadow is us, hiding our gifts, talents, and dreams because we are afraid or don’t believe we can have what we want. There are aspects of our lives where we are more than happy to stand in the full glory of the sun and let ourselves be seen. To express our divine perfection. Then there are areas in our life where we hide in the shadows afraid to be seen. Afraid to let anyone see our talent because they might expect us to actually do something with it. Afraid to dream because we don’t believe we have what it takes to achieve those dreams. We hide just out of reach of the sun, playing it safe but longing for the warmth of the sun.

However, when you take a look at yourself what you are left with is an uneven life. If we focus on only the areas where we feel comfortable being “seen” then those areas grow out of proportion creating a huge division in our inner soul. Creating darker shadows for us to hide in for the other sides of us. We can choose to stay in the shadow and live an unfulfilled life. A life of regret and frustration. However, if we step fully into the sun in all aspects of our life and find balance in expressing our gifts and talents then we become a nice golden tan, healthy and happy.

It’s not easy finding balance, one can easily get burned but if we are aware and focus on balanced living we will find ourselves enjoying all aspects of life and being fully engaged in the living out of our passions, gifts, and talents. It is the kind of life worth living.

So today has been about me exposing my talents and dreams to the sun. The shadow is no place for me. I want to glow with the radiance and warmth of the sun.