Warm weather is upon us and it just got easier to get some much needed exercise! Is anything more motivating than sunshine and new gear? I bought myself a new pair of running shoes today, and I can't WAIT to run in them! I broke them in with a nice walk after dinner tonight, but they SCREAM "Exercise in Me!" So, who am I to deny them that pleasure???
It's never easy getting into a new routine. There are all the previously failed attempts, but that's the great thing about life--every day is a chance to do something differently.
Now, I'm not one of those people who has exercised her whole life. I've always liked playing sports (although I was never really good at any), and I've always loved to walk and hike, but it's not until I started getting older and really appreciating what my body does for me on a daily basis that I decided to start giving back. I'm grateful that I'm able to get out of bed every morning and just move, so continuing to do so is going to be another motivating factor to get my butt back in gear.
So, will I ride my bike to work tomorrow? Well, I am a wuss in bad weather, so if the Weather Gods are right in predicting warmth and sunny skies, then YES! I'm definitely going to ride. For those of you who are already in warm-weather-exercise mode, then remember to eat right before and after! Carbohydrates before for fuel, and protein afterwards to help repair and rebuild muscles. You'll be ready get moving again in no time!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Perspective
It's funny how you can be travelling along life's highway and suddenly be thrown onto an unrecognizable dirt road that tosses your whole sense of balance off kilter. It's been like that for me for the last couple of months. Can anything teach us the real lessons of life better than death and birth? Time seems to stand still in both cases. More questions with even fewer answers than ever before suddenly present themselves.
The trouble with this is that, of course, sometimes there just aren't any answers, so after frustration and inner turmoil have run their course, perspective ensues. Suddenly, a person doesn't require all the answers anymore. The moment to moment living becomes much more precious, and maybe that's all the answer anyone can really ask for.
As depressing as it sounds, the beauty of life and the loss of it are the only things creatures of this Earth all have in common. That alone should bond us in all our triumphs and fears.
Sometimes we just have to revert back to our formal selves, the selves who were happy with less, worried less. The fear attached to all the unanswered questions is what eventually brings us to our knees, but isn't it better to use that energy on reclaiming life? If we're only ever afraid of what's going to happen, then what's happening right now? It sounds cliche, but it's amazing when the reality of this sentiment hits you. Too many of us in today's busy society stop to "smell the roses." It's that one little act of smelling the roses that reminds us of all that we have--starting with the ability to enjoy something so perfect and simple and being truly present during this tiny but profound act.
I'm going to make a more concerted effort to smell the metaphorical roses. I'm reminded of the joy of holding a loved one's hand, or seeing a red-winged blackbird soaring through the trees.
Feeling connected to anything is what keeps us grounded, so let's try and remember that we are all connected, to each other and this Earth. It's what we all have in common, even if that fact is forgotten from time to time. Pain and joy are shared on a daily basis by everyone, and it's a good day when more joy is shared than pain.
The trouble with this is that, of course, sometimes there just aren't any answers, so after frustration and inner turmoil have run their course, perspective ensues. Suddenly, a person doesn't require all the answers anymore. The moment to moment living becomes much more precious, and maybe that's all the answer anyone can really ask for.
As depressing as it sounds, the beauty of life and the loss of it are the only things creatures of this Earth all have in common. That alone should bond us in all our triumphs and fears.
Sometimes we just have to revert back to our formal selves, the selves who were happy with less, worried less. The fear attached to all the unanswered questions is what eventually brings us to our knees, but isn't it better to use that energy on reclaiming life? If we're only ever afraid of what's going to happen, then what's happening right now? It sounds cliche, but it's amazing when the reality of this sentiment hits you. Too many of us in today's busy society stop to "smell the roses." It's that one little act of smelling the roses that reminds us of all that we have--starting with the ability to enjoy something so perfect and simple and being truly present during this tiny but profound act.
I'm going to make a more concerted effort to smell the metaphorical roses. I'm reminded of the joy of holding a loved one's hand, or seeing a red-winged blackbird soaring through the trees.
Feeling connected to anything is what keeps us grounded, so let's try and remember that we are all connected, to each other and this Earth. It's what we all have in common, even if that fact is forgotten from time to time. Pain and joy are shared on a daily basis by everyone, and it's a good day when more joy is shared than pain.
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