Friday, January 29, 2010

Making The Time

I know that working out makes me feel better. So I make the time. I get up early and work out before I head into the office. That way, nothing distracts me and I can enjoy the day with that "post-workout smugness." 

But there are other ways that I need to take care of myself, and they are just as important. I need to make the time to be alone, to relax and unwind, to transition from busy, busy, busy workday to calm, comfortable at-home time. 

I need to make the time. There will always be things that need to get done, and work that can't wait, and a million other demands. But ultimately, the only way I can be the person I need to be for everyone else is to make sure that I am doing what I need to do for myself. 

I'm making the time. I'm worth it. 

Comments:

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Struggling with the blues?

I was just now reading another Spark member's blog entry about a funk she was in, and I thought I would post a quick reply to encourage her. Instead, my quick reply became a rather long-winded post of its own. So, I'm posting an edited version of it here on my own SP blog. It's as much a reminder to me as it is advice for someone else. 
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So you're in a bad mood. You know, the sort of mood where everything makes you mad. When it seems as if everyone in the world is going out of their way to make sure your day is as bad as it can possibly be. And yes, you are in such a funk that you feel as if a dark cloud is following you and the sun may never shine again. 

When I hit that sort of funk, there is one thing I can always do to snap me right out of it. I take a few minutes to sit down and write something positive and encouraging to someone in my life that I know is struggling. Maybe it's something serious, like an illness, or maybe it's something minor, like a quarrel with another friend or a bad day at work. Whatever they are going through, I find that my writing a note to help lift them up helps me put my own problems into perspective. 

There is no shortage of sorrow and struggle out there. So many people I know are going through a rough time of one kind or another. And if my little note is a bright spot in their day, and writing it helps me adjust my own attitude, then we both come out winners. 

So go ahead, let that bad mood find you. And you can even wallow in it for a bit if you think that's what you need to do. But before you let it swallow you up, take a look around you. Odds are, you have friends or family that are struggling just as much, if not more. And it's completely within your power to give them a bright spot in their otherwise painful day. 

So, what's going to be? Burn another hour of your day with a pity party or make a difference for someone else? It's your decision. 


How could I forget to mention...

... the incredible support from Spark People? It's an amazing and integral part of my motivation. Thanks, LightAfternoon, for reminding me with your immediate comment that there are so many wonderful people here just waiting to encourage and support me. 

If you aren't a member of a Spark Team, find one. Find two. Find a dozen. The more people you connect with here, the more you will find yourself motivated and inspired to continue on your journey. 

And remember, this isn't about a quick diet and some lost pounds. This is about becoming the whole person you always wanted to be (but perhaps, were afraid to wish for). 


Two Weeks In

I've been working my program for two weeks now and I've already managed to drop seven pounds (but my goal is only one pound per week). More than that, I'm so much more aware of what I am eating. Heck, that alone makes a huge difference. Instead of a fast food lunch and dinner, I'm enjoying a healthy lunch (Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, etc), fresh fruit through the day, a delicious and still healthy dinner plus a serving of fat-free yogurt in the evening if I have a sweet tooth. 

And I'm moving my body, too. I'm at the gym 4-5 mornings before work, which means I have far more energy and "zip" throughout the day. 

I'm just beginning. But I'm already feeling better. And really, what other motivation to continue could I ask for? 

SDJ 


Really? The A-Team?

Not sure what surprises me more, that someone is remaking the A-Team in a big budget Hollywood movie or that it is solid enough to include the distinguished and handsome Liam Neeson and funny and cute Bradley Cooper. And there's even more guy-watching in this flick. (Don't worry, straight guys. Jessica Biel will no doubt be in something skintight, so you have that to look forward to.)







And did I mention all the hotties in this movie? Brian Bloom is a favorite of mine going back to his soap opera days and more recent appearance on HBO's Oz. (No, I will not include the naked pics of him from Oz. Just Google.)



And he's always reminded me of Montgomery Clift. See the resemblance?


Patrick Wilson is best known for Phantom of the Opera and Angels in America.



Maury Sterling seems to have appeared in every single show on television over the last decade, judging by his IMDB page.



Omari Hardwick is seriously sexy.



This is like A-Team: The Hottie Edition. And I guess we'll see how it is when it opens in June.

Affirmation

I choose to know the truth about myself... no matter how beautiful it is.

Productivity in 11 Words

Courtesy of Skelliwag.
One thing at a time.

Most important thing first.

Start now.

As brilliant as it is simple.

Friday, January 22, 2010

San Diego Storm 1, Ficus 0

Yesterday's storms left our property mostly unscathed, but we did have our share of damage. Our ten year old ficus tree splintered in half. Fortunately, the half that fell was the "fall into the yard" part and not the "crash into the driveway and smash my car" part.




Poor tree. But compared to what so many others are experiencing with weather damage, I'm not complaining at all. Be safe out there, folks.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The Voice Rises

My tasks are simple. 
  • Get to the gym. 
  • Eat healthy. 
  • Repeat. 

It isn't complex and it certainly isn't something I can't do. I mean, it's an hour of cardio, not an Iron Man. The physical is not the struggle. 

It's mental. It's the old tapes that play in my head telling me I'm a quitter. It's the years of self-doubt and the voices of criticism and the sometimes overwhelming feeling of inadequacy that threaten my success. 

But slowly, defiantly, a new voice calls to me over the din of negativity. It's my own voice telling me that I can do this. And each day that I choose healthier eating over junk food, the voice rises. And each day that I get myself up before dawn and go the gym, the voice rises. And now, in moments of introspection, when I look at myself and my life objectively and realize that I am strong and I am determined and I am in charge of my own life, the voice rises. 

I'll stumble. I'll struggle. And I may even fall. But I will not stay down. Like the voice that encourages me, I will rise. 


Run, Run, Run

I like the bike because it's a great way to ease back into cardio. But nothing feels quite like running.

The Voice Rises

My tasks are simple.

  1. Get to the gym.

  2. Eat healthy.

  3. Repeat.


It isn't complex and it certainly isn't something I can't do. I mean, it's an hour of cardio, not an Iron Man. The physical is not the struggle. It's mental. It's the old tapes that play in my head telling me I'm a quitter. It's the years of self-doubt and the voices of criticism and the sometimes overwhelming feeling of inadequacy that threaten my success.

But slowly, defiantly, a new voice calls to me over the din of negativity. It's my own voice telling me that I can do this. And each day that I choose healthier eating over junk food, the voice rises. And each day that I get myself up before dawn and go the gym, the voice rises. And now, in moments of introspection, when I look at myself and my life objectively and realize that I am strong and I am determined and I am in charge of my own life, the voice rises.

I'll stumble. I'll struggle. And I may even fall. But I will not stay down. Like the voice that encourages me, I will rise.

Monday, January 18, 2010

I'm on Photobomb.

There's a fun website called ThisIsPhotobomb.com. The site features fun pictures of surprising additions to photographs.  I submitted a photo from our Hawaii vacation and they added it to their site. You can see, comment on and vote for it here.

This is the pic. Funny, huh?

Thursday, January 14, 2010

A new year, a new me.

I'm 43 years old as of yesterday. I am blessed with a great life, a wonderful husband, and fantastic friends. So why am I not doing everything I can to extend that life? 

Small steps. Consistent choices. Patience. Those are my tools right now. 

I can do this. 


A new year, a new me.

I'm 43 years old as of yesterday. I am blessed with a great life, a wonderful husband, and fantastic friends. So why am I not doing everything I can to extend that life?

Small steps. Consistent choices. Patience. Those are my tools right now.

I can do this.

Monday, January 11, 2010

I am thankful.

For the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight, because she is home with me, and not out with someone else.

For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato, because he is home with me and not out at the bars.

For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes because it means she is at home, not on the streets.

For the taxes I pay because it means I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine

For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive.

For the crazy people I hang with because they make it fun and interesting to be alive.

And finally, for too much e-mail because it means I have family and friends who are thinking of me.



(Hat tip to Barbara Blanchard for sharing this with me via email. I don't usually forward or post things like this, but today, this one really speaks to me. Thanks, B!)

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Friday, January 1, 2010

Psst. Andrea.

Look what Ric wore to Denny's.

One In A Row

The sign read "start here," so we did. And this post marks one day posting in a row. I hope I am more consistent in 2010.

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