Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Change The Furniture Around

“Being stuck is a position few of us like. We want something new but cannot let go of the old  -old ideas, beliefs, habits, even thoughts. We are out of contact with our own genius. Sometimes we know we are stuck; sometimes we don’t. In both cases we have to DO something.
-Inga Teekens


Do you ever feel stuck? Do you ever feel like your life is like a train heading full speed down the tracks laid out for you- and the landscaping is boring?  You can’t go back and you can’t even stop, and you can’t even hope for more than a fork in the road. Maybe you are in a job that you never wanted or turned out much different than you expected. Maybe you’ve lived the whole marriage, kids, and empty nest just because it was expected of you. Maybe your marriage is empty.




You need an adventure. If you keep on this path, the boredom will cause you to snap and you will do something you’ll regret.

You might not be able to change your job and you certainly can’t change your husband and kids (you’ve probably tried), so it’s time to change your environment.  Change the furniture around, paint a room, hang up photographs, buy new curtains, organize your cabinets. You don’t need to move to a new place or spend lots of money (that’s just self-medicating), simply take ownership of your life and make it prettier, more interesting and functional. Learn to enjoy where you are. Let your home improvement project symbolize your life improvement.




You are not stuck on any tracks. You are right where God wants you to be. Now go find out WHY he wants you to be there.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Oh, What a Year......

    One thing that so many people fear is Change. As much as we all want to run from it, it always seems to catch up with us. Sitting down today to read and reflect over the last blog I wrote a year ago definitely brought me full circle with the impact of Change. Firstly, I was astonished that I let a whole year go by without writing a single blog. To be honest, this entire year was a whirlwind and I am finally beginning to catch my balance. When I graduated last July, I made a big commitment to myself. I had already fell madly in love with running (Re-reading my previous blogs definitely brought that to light again) But I made a commitment to take all of the extra time that I wouldn't be pouring into research papers, exams and assignments and focus it on my health and fitness. (Fully commit for one FULL year) 


 



    One month after I made the commitment to my health, I joined Energy Sports & Fitness. I already owned a treadmill at home and had made major progress in weight loss but joining Energy really helped me grow my fitness goals. I knew as soon as I walked in that it wouldn't be an easy journey but it was going to be a fulfilling journey. And that it has. One of the many favorite things I loved about Energy when I joined is that there is a room completely dedicated to Cardio and guess what...it is dark! Up until now, I had always ran alone and completely in my own zone, the last thing I wanted was to be bothered by anybody in a public gym. So for a solid 3 months, I ran in the dark cardio room. I loved it and I could still stay completely focused on going the distance. Although my dedication to running was impressive, I eventually hit a big plateau and found myself growing extremely discouraged. I knew that in order to progress, I was going to have to venture out of the cardio room and onto the equipment. At first, I had no structure what-so-ever. It was kind of comedic actually. I would start upper body, switch to lower, sometimes venture back to upper. I mean, whatever I felt like doing I did. Luckily, I got a little help and eventually was able to develop somewhat of a routine.
    One year later, I have to tell you....I am completely lost without the gym. My friends and family joke about me needing an intervention because I can not go a day without.  Honestly, I probably DO need an intervention and I recognize that BUT the craziest thing is....it is the 1 thing that has kept me grounded. Everything in life can feel completely chaotic when I walk in the gym, but I always walk out of there feeling renewed. I definitely do not run like I used to and reading over my old blogs has opened up my eyes to what I truly fell in love with, before I had a gym. I have realized that running was what started my journey and I will never abandon it again.



The most important thing I took away from my commitment to my health is: it is not a year long but a lifetime long commitment.