We were on vacation in Colorado last week and it was wonderful. I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn and I didn't have to sit at a desk all day long. It was amazing how much more ambition and energy I had when I could change-up my schedule. I got to do physical work in a growing dome pulling weeds, lifting 25-50 pound bags of soil to add to the existing soil and then turn it all over to mix it together. It doesn't sound too difficult, but some of the existing soil had the consistency of concrete - just try to break-up concrete soil with a spade! When the most activity you normally see in a day is lifting your leg to climb into the car, it was a challenge for this middle-age, midwestern lady - and one I thoroughly enjoyed! We did walk one morning and hiked one day. The hiking was incredibly gorgeous. Living in the midwest this time of year is pretty, but it doesn't compare to the scenery in Colorado. I was surprised I wasn't sore after hiking since we haven't hiked since July. I guess all of walking/running I was doing before we left paid off.
I hated to leave, hated to give up that feeling of not minding getting out of bed in the morning. Now I'm back home and I can't seem to find the will or motivation to get up and out the front door to exercise in the morning. I've been beating myself up all week because I haven't been doing what I know I should. I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that it is now pitch black at 5:00 a.m. and the wind has shifted to the north creating our wonderful midwest chill factor! Today I read the above proverb "Fall seven times, get up eight". I realized that no matter how many times I "fall" from my goals, I can get up and start over again. Saturday is going to be my day to get up again. I know myself and I won't start on Friday, but Saturday I can sleep in a little bit longer, wait for some sunlight & a little more warmth. Yep, Saturday is the day I'm committing to resuming where I left off. Plus, my son Jeremy will be here all weekend and I can count on him not let me backslide any further!!! Thanks Jer.
Okay, I've put my goal in writing. I'll let you know Monday if I met it!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Personal Validation
Inspiration.........
"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true."
Motivation..........
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind. "
Success...........
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. "
I read an article today (an amazing article) about validating ourselves. It got me to thinking. How many times are we blind to the good that's right in front of us because we don't recognize it as a valuable part of us or we're looking past it for something better? It's like sitting and watching the railroad track your entire life, waiting for a train to come in and never realizing that we're sitting smack in the middle of the train station with tracks that will lead us to anywhere we may want to go. Wow, now to have the courage hop on that train & see where it takes us.
I struggle in the "validation" department. It's hard for me to believe that there is a uniqueness in me that is worth something, that I can contribute to making a difference in the world or in someone's life. I realized today that I need to step back, from time-to-time, and take stock of my uniqueness, my value. I tend to trivialize most of my talents or skills. I look at what I consider absolutely wonderful gifts and long so much to have that which I don't. Example, I love music and always wished I would have been blessed with that gift. I enjoy almost all types of music and can listen to it for hours (much to my husband's dismay). Today, I realized there need to be people to listen and value those musical talents. So, my gift is to appreciate, deeply appreciate, the gift of music in other people. "Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold." - Maurice Setter. Granted this isn't an example of setting the world on fire, but we need to value what we have been given. I think many of us are so busy looking and wishing for the gold that we miss appreciating our own "silver lining".
As I was thinking about validating myself, I started thinking about where I am in life and life goals....am I building them on the good already in my life, am I taking full advantage of the strengths I already have, are they worth giving up what I have for what I might have? For the most part my answer is yes! I still need to work on taking full advantage of my strengths (there's that validation stuff again), but as for the good in my life and giving up what I have for what I might have, that's a resounding YES!
So, here's a new goal for myself. My goal is to validate, in writing, that - I am unique, - I am amazing, - I am needed. No, I didn't come up with those three things on my own - they came from this very special article I read today.
"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true."
Motivation..........
"You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind. "
Success...........
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. "
I read an article today (an amazing article) about validating ourselves. It got me to thinking. How many times are we blind to the good that's right in front of us because we don't recognize it as a valuable part of us or we're looking past it for something better? It's like sitting and watching the railroad track your entire life, waiting for a train to come in and never realizing that we're sitting smack in the middle of the train station with tracks that will lead us to anywhere we may want to go. Wow, now to have the courage hop on that train & see where it takes us.
I struggle in the "validation" department. It's hard for me to believe that there is a uniqueness in me that is worth something, that I can contribute to making a difference in the world or in someone's life. I realized today that I need to step back, from time-to-time, and take stock of my uniqueness, my value. I tend to trivialize most of my talents or skills. I look at what I consider absolutely wonderful gifts and long so much to have that which I don't. Example, I love music and always wished I would have been blessed with that gift. I enjoy almost all types of music and can listen to it for hours (much to my husband's dismay). Today, I realized there need to be people to listen and value those musical talents. So, my gift is to appreciate, deeply appreciate, the gift of music in other people. "Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold." - Maurice Setter. Granted this isn't an example of setting the world on fire, but we need to value what we have been given. I think many of us are so busy looking and wishing for the gold that we miss appreciating our own "silver lining".
As I was thinking about validating myself, I started thinking about where I am in life and life goals....am I building them on the good already in my life, am I taking full advantage of the strengths I already have, are they worth giving up what I have for what I might have? For the most part my answer is yes! I still need to work on taking full advantage of my strengths (there's that validation stuff again), but as for the good in my life and giving up what I have for what I might have, that's a resounding YES!
So, here's a new goal for myself. My goal is to validate, in writing, that - I am unique, - I am amazing, - I am needed. No, I didn't come up with those three things on my own - they came from this very special article I read today.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Motivation Lost - AGAIN!
Okay, I’ll admit it I’ve lost some of my motivation – AGAIN – to go the health club! I don’t really know why, but I have my plethora of excuses: “Oh it’s the time of year, it’s getting colder & darker in the mornings, I get bored with watching the same people, it’s too hot, it’s too cold, I’m too self-conscious." I astonish myself how I can come up with new reasons for today, tomorrow and two weeks from now as to why I can’t go today. Truly amazing the mind games I play with me.
During my walk/run this morning I was trying to figure out why I have such a reluctance to go do something that I know is good for me, that I’m glad I’ve done after I’m finished, but I just don’t want to go. I spent the majority of my walking time today trying to figure me out - tough thing to do at 6:00 a.m. Needless to say, I didn’t figure it out. Its times like this, when you least expect it, that you receive that little “nudge”. My nudge came in the form of an email I received from a friend telling me he had re-read my blog “Finding Me Again”. He told me after re-reading it he felt like he’d caught up with me again (we haven’t talked in awhile), remembered why he likes me & thanked me for being real, honest & encouraging.
Wow, I needed to hear that today and I needed the nudge that came with it. So tomorrow morning there will be no excuses, I will be at the health club at 5:00 am. Thanks ‘t’!
During my walk/run this morning I was trying to figure out why I have such a reluctance to go do something that I know is good for me, that I’m glad I’ve done after I’m finished, but I just don’t want to go. I spent the majority of my walking time today trying to figure me out - tough thing to do at 6:00 a.m. Needless to say, I didn’t figure it out. Its times like this, when you least expect it, that you receive that little “nudge”. My nudge came in the form of an email I received from a friend telling me he had re-read my blog “Finding Me Again”. He told me after re-reading it he felt like he’d caught up with me again (we haven’t talked in awhile), remembered why he likes me & thanked me for being real, honest & encouraging.
Wow, I needed to hear that today and I needed the nudge that came with it. So tomorrow morning there will be no excuses, I will be at the health club at 5:00 am. Thanks ‘t’!
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