“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations I have found this to be true, so many times, in my case. When I am honest with myself, I understand that the only person who has the power to stress me out is me. How I relate to external events and how I explain them to myself makes a difference. So, challenge yourselves to walk an extra mile or another block. Challenge yourselves to not be mentally and emotionally consumed by this disease, just for today. Change the stories you tell yourself. You are good enough; you are happy enough; you are healthy enough; you are capable enough. Nobody can ever take that away from you. I wish you happiness today. Get out and get some sun and fresh air. Eat well. Nourish your body and your mind. Feed them things that make them grow well. Here is a website that shows you some Yoga poses you can do whilst seated in your chair. If you can't bend, twist, or turn, modify the poses to fit your limitations. Breathe deeply and feel the gentle stretches throughout your body. The goal here is not to win but to take time to move and feel centered. Namaste
Just returned from a 3 mile walk. It is a very sticky day in the Northeast. Looking forward to getting back into my regular routine. Until then I am very thankful for the things I can do. Make each day count. Peace!
Here's a healthy mid-afternoon snack for a warm summer day. Add the following ingredients (except for the grapes) in a blender: 1/2 cup of blueberries (frozen works better) 1/2 cup of seedless red grapes 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt 1 tsp grated ginger 1/2 tsp vanilla extract A pinch of cinnamon Blend well and top with red seedless grapes. I added a tbs of chopped almonds as well. Delicious! Have a great day. Don't waste your time on negative energies
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. ~ Lao Tzu Be yourself. Enjoy your day. Make time for some form of exercise. Visit your farmer's market or the produce section of your grocery store and try new vegetables. I was somewhat apprehensive about eating jicama. Finally decided to buy some and now I love it in salads. It's an ugly looking tuber that's crunchy, slightly sweet, and high in fiber. It's yummy! It's Saturday and I made time for an early morning run since the weather is surprisingly cool here. Meeting a friend for Pilates soon. Take time to really breathe and slow your thoughts down. Take a deep breath and exhale, slowly, to the count of six. Do this a few times, with your eyes closed, and feel the tension melt away. Make it a lovely day
Had my first post op visit with the doc yesterday. Good news is the graft is healing nicely. Bad news, I still can't wash my hair!!! Dry shampoo sucks. I have the go ahead to wash on Monday....12:01 Monday morning I know where I will be!! Just returned from a great walk in the woods. Returned to the playground of my youth. Hard to believe so many years have passed by. I don't feel a bit older yet when I look back on the yesterdays I know I am. I love the outdoors and every minute I can be outside is a gift. Give yourself a gift, do something special this weekend, something you love to do but never take the time to do it. Enjoy!!
It's Sunday and the sun is finally out today. I see some pool time at some point today Hey red, you must be counting down the hours to that hair washing appointment We went for a long, long walk on some trails yesterday and it was great. Had a really good Pilates session early yesterday morning and my core is still crying from it. Pilates looks easy but it ain't. Squeeeeeze and hold! I've been listening to a lot of Celia Cruz lately. She puts me in a good mood. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imeXSRNRMeg Smile. Dance. Be happy with what you have; it could be a lot worse. Always make room for improvement. Feliz domingo a todos!
Hey red, you must be counting down the hours to that hair washing appointment OMG.....what a relief. Seriously, I have never in all my years had to go 11 days without washing my hair!! What a great experience. I thank God for water and shampoo. Seriously, go without bathing or shampooing for a week and see how much you appreciate a little water, soap and some shampoo! I continue to walk everyday. Yesterday I had a wonderful walk in the woods with a very dear, old friend. We laughed and hugged and just spent time appreciating the great outdoors and each other. So good for the soul. I see the doc on Thursday and am hoping I will be allowed to go back to the gym. If not, I have the outdoors and my walks with friends to get me to the day when I can start sweating again. Until then, Peace and Joy my friends.
Just returned from the doc. Have clearance for full activity. Now I have to get back to the gym, kick some ass!! Well, my ass that is. Feeling peppy today. On my way to play golf. Have a great day everyone. Peace.
That's very good news! Hope you have a nice weekend with some activities planned. I know how much better you feel when you sweat! We are very similar that way True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are ever united. ~Wilhelm von Humboldt Have a great weekend. Enjoy the weather. I know we will.
Good goals, Bella. Wish you much success and enjoyment while you pursue them. I love food! Here's a yummy breakfast or brunch recipe, the EGGOCADO! http://www.leanitup.com/recipes-class-egg-game-mouthgasmic-explosively-delicious-eggocado/ Red I am so glad you are back to enjoying the outdoors again Went for a run late yesterday evening and loved it. Be active every day. Your body and mind will thank you for it. Have a relaxing Sunday. Be kind to yourself and others.
I've been up and down the stairs today more times than I can count. A great way to exercise! I like, "Be kind to others!"
That's a good feeling! I will pick running up again when the weather cools down. For now, it's just 2 to 3 miles because it's too hot to do more. Sets off my symptoms for some reason. The first 2 miles are always the hardest for me. My mind fights it and it's a constant conversation between keeping on and giving up Once I'm past 2 miles, the chatter starts to calm down and my body just does what it knows to do. I am getting new running shoes today! I keep wanting to change brands but end up going back to Brooks. Just got back from a session with my trainer. That woman is so awesome. Her 30 minute workouts are so intense that all my muscles are crying at the end. I was close to tears just from the physical effort as well. I made the mistake of saying, "I can't" with one particular exercise and she had me do 50 jump squats just for saying that. Never saying that again with her! Finished off with a lot of jump rope. May go for a 3 mile run later this evening if I can convince my kid to come with me. The biggest lesson I take away every time I leave the gym is how capable I am and how much Meniere's Disease has convinced me, over the years, that I am not. It's such a mental game. Some days I feel I am at a disadvantage compared to the "healthy" people at the gym but that is just perception. We are all dealing with some sort of health crap and you just have to push through it. Never give up on yourself even when others seem to have given up on you. There is ALWAYS something you CAN do. It's the complaining and wishing we were different in some way that becomes our worst enemy. Being mentally strong is what gets us through life. Don't give that power away. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” ~ Mark Twain
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. ~R.W. Emerson~ Throw in some nourishing food, sufficient sleep, and a daily form of exercise, and you have one of the best recipes for healthful living. Set aside a few minutes to just B R E A T H E deeply every day. Feel your chest expand and your heart rise as you take in deep, slow breaths and sweep your mind clean of unnecessary clutter. I wish you all a beautiful day. Be your best self
Started a self defense class yesterday evening! It was awesome and I'm so excited to learn. My partner was great and the instructor is someone I could look at for a long time. We learned the basic stances of Krav Maga as well as a couple of self defense combat routines. Looking forward to class tonight. Learn something new; challenge your brain and make new neural connections. We have limited time on Earth so find more ways to live a meaningful life. Have a super sweet day.
Just returned from 2 days at the lake. I swam, biked, walked and played golf. And I slept like a baby at night. After almost 3 weeks with just being able to take walks it felt great to be exhausted from being back on the "playground." Last night I had the best grilled salmon along with fresh cucumbers and a caprese salad, so yummy. Really trying to focus on eating healthy. Why do I love junk food???? Actually I love all food so if I keep the junk out of the house I do really well. Off to see my favorite 2 little redheads this weekend. Have a healthy, happy day everyone. Peace.
Temperature dropped yesterday and it was perfect running weather. Went for a 3-mile run late in the evening at the park. Little cottontail rabbits were scampering around, dog owners were taking their pets for a lazy late evening walk, I passed other runners and bikers. The air was crisp and fresh, the sky overcast and getting darker as dusk set in. It was so much more than a run. All of nature was out there bathed in the colors of a summer evening. I felt very grateful to be able to be out there and soak it in while sweating the day out and feeling the strength in my legs and arms. Nothing and nobody matters when you can get into that state of being one with all around you. you get so absorbed by your breath and your footsteps that the pettiness of others has no significance. You just feel happy to be alive. I wish you all moments, minutes, hours of flow where you get in the zone with whatever activity takes you to a place where everything is exactly how it is supposed to be and you forget the passage of time. Find peace today and make connections that matter.