I had a little inspiration from Thomas Edison this morning on my daily calendar.  I'm not sure he was talking about push ups, but that is okay.  It got me thinking about what we are capable of doing, whether it be physically or in other areas of our lives.  As I've mentioned recently, I joined roller derby.  For me, that was not a physical triumph, but rather a personal one.

I can't tell you how many people have told me they "can't" do push ups. I remember the first time I tried one...all alone in my living room where nobody could see!  I couldn't do one full push up either.  I had the upper body strength of a wet noodle.  And now I can crank out push ups like they are no big deal.  I'm working on pull ups now...something I thought were impossible.  I still can't quite complete one, but it doesn't mean that I'm not going to!

One of my first real experiences with lifting weights was when I did P90X after I turned 30.  If you're not familiar with it, it is an "extreme" home workout program including weights, cardio, and yoga.  The trainer for that program is Tony Horton, and I just loved listening to some of the stuff that came out of his mouth.  One of my favorites, and it really applies here, was when he says not to say "I can't."  Instead, say "I currently struggle with."  The more I think about that, the more I realize what a huge shift that little change of phrase can make.  To say that you can't do something can easily lead you to believe that is the end of the story.  I can't do it.  I won't ever be able to do it.  But if you currently struggle with something, the next step after that is to conquer.  I used to struggle with  push ups like nobody's business.  Not anymore.  I currently struggle with pull ups, but I know that if I keep at it, I will get those down too.

Along the same lines, I'm a big fan of the word "yet".  It completely changes a sentence when you add it after the word "can't".  I can't do pull ups...yet.  But I'm gonna.  Such a small word that just opens up all sorts of possibilities!

My whole point here is that we are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit.  Changing the way we phrase something in our head might seem like a silly way to start, but if you've read any of my other posts, you probably know that I believe that how we talk to ourselves is super important.  First, learn to be kind to yourself and be your own best friend.  Next, realize how much you are capable of doing!  Then get out there and get 'er done!!!

Have a fantastic day, everyone :)

Sarah

Roller Derby Girls Have No Fear

So there is a new roller derby league that is getting started up in the area, and I decided to join.  I'm not entirely sure why...I just know that from the moment I heard about it, I was interested.  Something about it sounded like something I wanted to do.  I can't even properly put words to it.  They had an informational meeting awhile back, and I kinda wanted to go, but I wasn't sure if I would "fit in" and I was a little scared.  That meeting must have went pretty well because a short time later a friend sent me an invite on facebook to an event they were having to show people about derby and recruit members into the newly formed league.  It seemed pretty open and inviting, so I went.  From the moment I tried on a pair of skates and proceeded gingerly around the track (fell once....), I knew I wanted to do it.

I'm sure my announcement to friends and family that I was going to play roller derby was a little surprising to some.  This is a full contact sport with blocking, hitting, and crashing.  The risk of injury is high...required gear includes helmet, knee and elbow pads, wrist guards and a mouth guard.  I have never done anything remotely dangerous enough to warrant a mouth guard!!  This is another one of those things that I would have wanted to do 5 years ago but would have been too scared to try.  Yet somehow I found myself two days ago with all that gear on, skates on my feet, participating in a full out roller derby practice led by what I am told is one of the best skaters in the UP.   And that was how I really knew I had grown in the last few years. I jumped into that practice with ZERO experience, and I just gave it my all.  The reason I didn't play sports growing up was that I was afraid to try stuff and fail.  And I certainly didn't try stuff that I didn't know how to do in the middle of a group of people I didn't know!  That moment struck me at one point during the practice and I had kind of and out of body experience.   I looked around and saw myself surrounded by people I had just met, doing things I was totally unfamiliar with, and I realized how far I have come.  Nobody I know may appreciate that fact more than me, other than perhaps my mother, but I am pretty proud of myself.

Me....first time on skates in 20 years

So the obvious moral of this story is, "don't be afraid to try new things," but it is more than that.  If you're like me and fear has held you back from really living and trying the things that you really want to do, I challenge you to let that go a little bit and put yourself out there.  It has taken me a LONG time to get here, but now that I am, I can see that it is totally worth it.  And when you do take those risks and step outside your comfort zone, take a moment to appreciate that.  Being afraid to do something and then doing it anyway is tough...give yourself credit!!!!  You deserve it!

So now matter what you're afraid to do....whether it be start working out, trying a new workout, getting involved in a new sport, talking to people you don't know (another one of my big ones!!!), examine your fear.  What EXACTLY are you afraid of (failure, injury, rejection?), and then consider the what ifs.  What if you fail, get injured, or rejected?  What I finally realized was that if any of those things happened, so what?  Maybe I'll suck at roller derby.   And I might very possibly get injured.  I don't know yet, but when I thought about it, I was willing to take those risks in order to avoid the regret 10 years from now.  Sitting around thinking, "I remember when they started roller derby and I wanted to try it.  Really wish I had." I have enough of those regrets....I don't need anymore.

All right....get out there and make the most of your day!!!!

Sarah :)

I had a little inspiration from Pink in my iPod this morning.  I've talked before about that nasty little voice in your head that tells you that you're not good enough, you're too fat, ugly, a failure, etc., and about tuning into that and telling it to SHUT UP!  And that is all well and good, but once you've done that, then there is room for the voice that is kinder and gentler to you...the one we should be listening more too but that nasty one is sometimes so freakin' loud you can't hear it.  So start listening...and let that supportive, kind, gentle voice that is inside of you to get a little more say.

Two steps forward....

So I've finally started to see that there actually may be no end to the journey.  I take care of my body physically, I try to eat well so that is runs properly, I've started to accept my body the way that it is....but I certainly don't have it all figured out.  There are many sayings that try to teach us this: Life if a journey, Learn something new every day, Life's a dance you learn as you go.  Sorry, that last one is more of a country song than a saying, but you get the idea.  But even so, I think we try to "get it" it with the goal in mind that at some point, we will come to the end of the road and have it all down pat.

And while it may seem kinda obvious, it took me until now to realize that just isn't so.  I may always struggle with my self image.  There may be days that I still look in the mirror and call myself an ugly name.  Or obsess about what that scale might say.  Or wonder what would happen if I went a really strict diet...just for a little while.  But as long as I keep the path in sight, and remember that I am moving forward on it, then hopefully those issues will be just bumps in the road.

One of my favorite sayings is, "Two steps forward and one step back will still keeping you moving in the right direction."  It has really helped me along the way when I have "messed up" or had setbacks.  I think this  idea fits in really well with the words of Winston Churchill.  If you think of life as a journey, that you are on a path that is constantly improving and ascending, then yes, you may stumble along the way.  You may sometimes move backwards.  But as long as you take a couple extra steps forward and then fall back just a little, you're still heading in the right direction.

The first tattoo that I got is of a compass.  The reason I chose it was to remind myself to always keep moving forward.  When I got it, I think I was at the beginning of the realization.  It has been a couple of years since I got it, and sometimes I feel like I haven't come very far since then.  But I certainly have moved in the right direction.

So let's keep moving forward.  It's ok to look back and see how far you've come.  I think it is really important to remember what you had to go through to get to where you are today.  But then turn it back around and keep right on going.

Sarah :)

Problem Solving 101

  

There are a lot of problem solving techniques out there.  I've tried a few that haven't worked very well...sugary or carb loaded binges come to mind.  And sometimes, despite my best efforts, I still eat for emotional reasons. But I've discovered another problem solving technique....exercise.  You may have heard things like, "You're only one workout away from a good mood" or "Running is cheaper than therapy,"  so it might sound a bit cliche.  But I've found that it really does work.  Something happens to your mind while you are working your body.  Whether it is running or lifting, I find that a good workout can help me gain clarity on a problem that may have seemed a lot more complicated than it really was.   I've also found that if I go into a workout with a particularly worried mind, I tend to work harder.  I've gotten some of my toughest runs done when I'm especially angry about something!  

So I'm gonna keep it short and sweet today and leave you with one suggestion...the next time you're faced with a problem and you can't quite figure out what to do, hit the gym.  Or take a walk.  Go for a run.  Work up a sweat.  If you're anything like me, not only will you feel a lot better that you didn't just eat your problems worse, you may actually find a solution you hadn't thought of before.  

Sarah :) 

Risks

I've never been much of a risk taker - just ask my mom.  I always followed all the rules, colored inside all the lines, and kept a low profile.  I never danced in public because I was afraid of what other people would say.  I kept quiet in class because I didn't want to be noticed.  And for the most part, it has worked for me.  I did well in school, graduated from college, and got a good job.  But it has also held me back.  There are things that I think about that I wish I would have done but was too afraid.

I've come more out of my shell as I've gotten older, and I think that is pretty normal.  Heck, I'll even start dancing in public while I'm still (mostly) sober.  I've started asking myself, if I do this, what is the worst that could happen?  Someone is going to think I am a bad dancer?  Big deal - I probably am!  But why should that mean I have to sit on the sidelines?  But even in my thirties, this is difficult.

So when I started this blog, I did it quietly.  I wrote about 4 posts before I even told a soul I had done it.  And then I shared it with 2 friends I trusted completely.  And then my husband.  And that was it.   But I knew I was doing this for a reason...that my passion in life was not the paper pushing job I do 40 hours a week, but health and fitness.  That if I could go back and do it all over, I would take a different road.  I can't do that, and I can't quit the day job, but I decided I could still follow my heart.  And it came to a point where I knew that if I was going to do that, then I would have to put myself out there.  To take a risk.  So I did....I created a facebook page and asked people to like it.  It was really scary, but I asked myself again...what is the worst that could happen?   People won't like it?  Some may say it is dumb? Or wonder what the hell is she doing?  And again the answer is, yes, perhaps. But big deal!

If you're like me, and afraid to try new things or put yourself in a place where you're feeling vulnerable, look at the people around you who have already figured it out.  When I think about the people I know like that, I see happy, confident, carefree people.  They generally don't care what other people might think and will go out there and make things happen.  Sometimes you can get 'er done by cruising along quietly under the radar, but sometimes you've gotta take a big leap of faith and try things a new way.  That's what I'm doing; I'm not entirely sure where I am gonna land yet, but at least I won't regret always watching from the shore.

Sarah :)

To run...

It is a beautiful day outside and I have been cleaning all morning.  I took a rest day yesterday, and I know I want to get a run in today.  But I am struggling.  I know the first step is the hardest, and I am really fighting it for some reason.  I would normally go downstairs and run on my treadmill, but it is too gorgeous outside to slog away in my basement.  I also have a half marathon coming up in less than a month, so I really should go for a nice long run outside.  I've been doing a lot of strength training recently, but not as much running.  So I was sitting here poking around on Facebook and Pinterest, and I came across this pic....To run or not to run.  It was just the motivation I needed to get going.  So I am heading out...no excuse not to.  I've already wasted too much time writing this already....catch ya later.

Sarah :)