Little by Little

                                                      How do you eat an elephant? 

I have such good intentions. I even made a few lists about them. Turns out I'm an excellent list writer. List follower...that's another topic. Recently, I've been thinking of two list in particular, my bucket/ amen list, and my "nice to do" list. The "nice to do" list is more like a list of good habits I'd like to put in practice. Sadly, both list have been suffering their fair share of neglect. The closing of yet another year has brought them to to forefront of my thoughts. Perhaps it's a good time to edit them.  I don't see myself learning to speak the 5 romance languages any time soon. On the other hand, I did wear a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. Even if it was for a very short time, it has been done. I can cross it out.  I'm not sure what other goals I'll let go, and which ones I'll add. I do know that I have changed since the list was made, so I'm sure the new list will reflect that. Also, more important than writing a list of all the things I want to do, it would be nice to make a list of all the things God has already allowed me to do. It might serve to encourage me, and change my focus a bit. 

I'm the type that tries to do everything, or I do nothing. This will sound silly, but it takes a REAL EFFORT on my part to go slowly. That attitude can be death to an accomplishment. When I'm overwhelmed I respond with either a frenzy of activity, or not at all.  Where the lists are concerned, it's been mostly nothing at all. It's time to change that. I might not be able to do everything, but I can do something. I decided I'll start with my "nice to do list." "Read one book week is a bit ambitious, but once a month I can handle. Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to recommend a book or two by doing so. God willing, I''ll have more on this in a few weeks.

OK, I'm off to eat my elephant, "one bite at a time."  

Giving Thanks

Needs are many.
Wants are endless.
Lusts are plenty,
Soul restless.

Distracted by desires,
heart be content.
Absent the ideal,
Life is blessed.

God is my riches.
What could be more?
I'm living Thanksgiving,
Like never before.

Yesterday, I spent the majority of the day on the couch. I wasn't sick. I didn't lack things to do. I just couldn't motivate myself to get started. Sometime after 3 o'clock, with the day almost done, and the hubby due home any moment, I finally got up and got started. I'm not sure if I was embarrassed by all that needed to be done, or all that I didn't do. Whatever  it was, I had had enough and got started. I'd like to tell you I got everything I wanted to accomplished, that would be a lie. There are consequences to wasting time. What I can tell you is, even though the day began contrary to plans, it ended well. Life is a lot like yesterday. You may not have started out great, or in the way you wanted, but it's not to late to change all of that.  Each new day brings it's own challenges, but it also brings abundant opportunities. I'm not sure how this day will end, or any of the tomorrows God shall give. But it's important to me that I learn from all my yesterdays, make the most of all of my todays, and approach each tomorrow with hope. Life is a good, not because of our circumstances, but because our God is. As long as we are here we have the luxury of time. Yesterday was just a reminder to use time wisely. Lesson learned. On it!

A Challenge

Yesterday I did NOT want to go to church, which is precisely why I went. I've found that on the days     I don't feel like going, it does me the most good to go. I was not wrong. The message was interesting. I haven't been able to get it out of my head. It was about the power of complaining. We were challenged to go one month-no complaints! I have to admit my first thought was, "this is no challenge for me." I tend to be more internal with my junk, so the whining/complaining thing didn't phase me, well not until later. I got to thinking more about it and realized, I'm more of a baby than I acknowledge. Maybe I don't whine, but I do critique, correct and....ahem...nag. Apparently my family knows it well. Too well. The hubby and kiddo were smiling, giggling and throwing knowing glances my way. After NOT much thought, I concluded that they were absolutely right. 

I'm going to do this. Challenge on! In the month when we celebrate being grateful, this seems a fitting undertaking. The preacher's point: "it's not hard be thankful one day of the year, when you spend the whole year complaining." He wasn't talking solely about imposing self control on the tongue. He was encouraging a change of focus. It was a call to turn from self, and all the ways I'm offended (not getting my way) to the only one great enough to put me in my place, God. Yesterday I barely made it out of church before I noticed that I was doing it again, complaining.  Hmmm... one month huh? This is gonna be a long, rough one.

Burpee Update

Confession time ya'll; the burpees workout was torture! First of all, who came up with burpees anyway? Must have been some kind of twisted. I goggled it. Ha ha. Turns out he was an engineer by trade, and discovered it while picking plumbs. Come again? Anyway thanks to Mr Burpee (and a certain brother) I spent Monday evening torturing myself. 

I normally wake up early in the morning, and get a workout in, really early. Instead I woke up late, and stalled the whole day. I finally caved, and decided to face the music right before I needed to take my daughter to her extra curricula activities.  With only 30 minutes to spare, I comforted myself with the thought that at least the session wouldn't be a long one. Believe me when I tell you, it was long enough. I didn't do plain burpees. I did a challenging version, a burpee with a pushup. Turns out I couldn't do more 15-17 burpees at a time. I didn't like doing them modified, but I tried that. I concluded that I rather do less of them all the way, than more of them modified. I did a bunch of sets, ranging from 10-15 per set. I probably did about 12-15 sets. I did NOT do much in between sets. I rested as needed. It took about 20-25 minutes to complete. By the end, my heart felt like it was going to leave my chest. 

Yesterday morning much to my surprise my upper body was not sore, but my lower body was a little sore. That surprised me because, my lower body has always been stronger than the upper. I also found that the burpee workout fatigued me more than anticipated, and I struggled through my routine Tuesday morning. I did the burpee workout again this morning. It was the same. I tried to do 150 of them. It took me longer than I care to admit. I threw in a few sets of pushups, and ended with a short set of interval jumping jacks. I'll see how I feel by the end of the day. I'm humbled by how far I have to go, and super motivated. See you on the ripped side :)

burpee

Over the past decade I've invested a lot of time in working out. Too much time. My life now is such, that I cannot invest that same amount of time , and frankly, it's hard to find the energy. To counter this I've been doing smaller, more intense blocks of training. I wouldn't call myself a fitness fanatic, but I'd be lying if I pretended, I could take it or leave it. I must have it. Before you begin to think, "wow she's so disciplined" let me just say it has little to do with discipline, and more to do with the way I feel after the workout. I can tell you now that "runners high" (workout high for that matter) is OH so real. Endorphins are amazing. Plus, it is a sure fire way to relieve stress. My body craves it.  It's to the point where if I'm having a cranky day, the husband says "why don't you go for a run, or go workout?" My practice has been to take a week off a few times a year, but usually by the end of that week (if I make it the whole week) I'm chomping at the bits, and ready to get back in a routine. I think it's such a blessing to be in good health and strength. It would be a shame not to use it. 
Healthy habits does not extend to all areas of my life. I eat like a horse! I love food. Good and bad. I was raised working very hard. People ate fish fried in lard with a huge plate of peas and rice. They had no thought of carbs or fat. And before you get to thinking "what an unhealthy lifestyle," my grandma is well in her 90's.  She rode a bike till she was in her 80's, and she ate that way all the while. I still have much of that island mindset.  There is no thought for what you eat, as long as you work hard. But my life doesn't afford me the opportunity to work that hard, instead I WORKOUT hard, and try to watch what I eat.

I've been doing better. I'm trying to make it more of a practice, in addition to working out, eating healthy.  I want to be fit when I'm older, God willing. I don't want to be struggling with nutrition and weight issues later in life. The time to act on those goals is now. 

I think it's safe to say I've got the workout thing licked, but I'm always up for a new challenge. I recently got one. It came from my youngest brother. Let me just say it here: He's a fitness freak! He enjoys the torture of it. So it comes as no surprise that when I mentioned shaking up my workouts a bit, he'd have a handbook of suggestions. And he threw at me the one I hate the most. Burpees.  Effective? Yes. Torture? Absolutely! His suggestion: I add some to workout my routine a few times a week. That that routine should include (get this) "a few sets" of burpees. And just so you know, a set by his definition is 50!!!!

OK first, as much as love to workout, I HATE burpees!!!!! Secondly I can't do 50 of them. My heart  feels ready to explode at 15-20. If I could make it through 50 of them, I certainly wouldn't be able to include sets of jumping jacks, or jump squats and the other crazy stuff he suggested ( I forgot what all he suggested. I tuned him out after he said the "b"word). And "I certainly wouldn't be able to repeat that cycle more than ONCE!!!!!!!!!!!" Do you know what he said when I mentioned that. He said, very matter-of-factly "well you'll probably feel like you're gonna puke, or you will puke, but it's effective." After mulling it over for a week. I decided to accept his burpee challenge. I had previously challenged myself to do 100 pushups, so I think the two routines will support each other nicely  And that is why I'm sitting here typing such a long post. I'm kinda scared, and I'm stalling....I usually keep the workout talk to myself. I've learned that people get the impression you're a fanatic, if you are exerting energy into any exercise that's more strenuous than walking.  But I had to share this with somebody. I'll let you know how it goes. 

If I can make it through this I'll be pumped, figuratively and literally. And I'll tell you this, if I'm gonna work this hard no way I'm I going to be eating everything in site.  There's gonna have to be more healthy eating going on around these parts.

OK, no more stalling.....wish me luck!

Just so you know what a burpee is, see below. Yes I'm still stalling....

Be Cool

Recently I've been thinking, I would love to have a bit more "manittude." I would like the ability to dismiss the non essentials like a lot of men do. My husband is such a dude in that way. He decides what's a problem for him. No one else does. I find that I'm much more reactive. Someone does something offensive, and naturally I'm offended. My husband's reaction; someone does something offensive, and he's not moved one way or the other, UNLESS he deems it a worthy cause. I've been watching him for years, and those "worthy causes" are few and far between.  It's not that he doesn't care, but more that he's intentional about what's worth his time, and energy. He seems almost immune to dramatic episodes. He does have a weak spot though, traffic. Crazy drivers have the ability to set him off like nothing else. Sill I find myself admiring his calm...
I'd like to think his levelheadedness rubbing off on me a bit, but today I find myself recovering from yet another episode of "the sweating of the small stuff." I'll tell you what, growing up female is hard to do. I think someone should make a movie called, "When Estrogen Attacks." Good luck balancing the tragedy and the comedy of it all!