Appreciate the Progress

When something provokes thought in my mind and stirs my emotions, the best way to deal with it is to ground the thoughts by putting them into words.

Two days ago, I noticed a used couch in the alley. The unsightly object was an eye sore, awaiting pick up by the garbage man--or some desperate soul in need of some furniture. That same day, while doing laundry in my building, I bumped into my old roommate, who (as I came to find out), was moving out of the unit where I had once lived with her. She told me how the unit is being renovated, that the kitchen was already done. I accepted her invite to see it, and embraced the familiarity of the apartment as I walked down the hallway. On my way out, I stopped to look at my old bedroom, appearing exactly the way I had left it. Empty of the people and moments that it once consumed. The orange walls I had painted, Candied Yam to be specific, would soon be covered with fresh paint and wall hangings.

It was the next day, that I took a second look at the still-there eye sore of a couch, and realized it was the one that had been in that apartment for the three years I lived there. A wave of sadness passed through me and while I went to dismiss it, I asked myself why. Why NOT be sentimental over a couch? Why not reminisce on the past and *appreciate the progress* I've made in my life since sitting on its mismatched cushions, wishing it wasn't so small and could accommodate my long legs.

How often do we dismiss feelings and detach from people, places and things? Do we dismiss the progress we have made because we're pressured to work harder, move faster, and crush goals? Stay focused on where you are heading but remember to appreciate where you are and where you have been. Embrace the people, places and things (even an unsightly couch!) that have contributed to your life and brought you to the place you are now. It's this reflection that will help shape our future and give us the confidence, courage, and determination to create it. Stay sentimental.

Beyond the Fitness Bubble

In high school, I weighed 45 pounds more than I do now. I could go an entire day without saying a word, sometimes wondering what my own voice sounded like. Years later, among red solo cups at a college house party, a former classmate commented "you went to my high school?!" And although a graduating class of 250 is neither large nor extremely small, I shifted my gaze downward at that moment, embracing the introvert I've always been. While in high school, I was inactive, ate too much, was discouraged by the amount of weight I gained and the fact that I was not "athletic." The tennis coach ordered a double X t-shirt for me in the Fall of 1997. I weighed approximately 210 pounds at the age of 16 and felt invisible--not just to others, but to myself. My happiness and health were not a priority.

When deciding what to study in college, I pursued my new found passion for fitness. My mom had given me a membership to Women's Workout World as a birthday gift and I was hooked on the rush of adrenaline and the drop in my weight. Ever since then, I have been intrigued by the body's ability to heal itself and even to excel--with proper nutrition, activity, and REST. This was definitely a life changing breakthrough. Had I continued in the direction I was heading, I can only imagine where I would have wound up. Currently, I am a full time fitness instructor and personal trainer.

Growth is key! If we are not moving forward, we will become mediocre. To grow as a person or company, we must surround ourselves with people and circumstances that challenge us--physically and mentally. I like to think of it as "cross training" for the mind. I've recently kayaked the Illinois River, attended a martial arts class, traveled to Salt Lake City, visited Dallas and went stand up paddle boarding, and (most surprisingly to me) shot a 45 and M1 Garand at a shooting range in Indiana! If you repeatedly do the same exercises, in the same order, lifting the same amount of weight, you will plateau! Such is life. If you go to the same job, go out with the same friends, attend the same social gatherings, you will plateau! Be gentle on yourself--there's no need to go from jogging along the Lake Front to signing up for the Iron Man. Add 30 seconds of jumping jacks between your strength sets. Find a random group on meetup.com and participate in an activity you've never done, with people you've never met--I did!

You may be wondering if I plan to earn a black belt in karate, kayak the Rio Grande, or start a gun collection. The answer is no (unless we're referring to a pair of biceps!). I've tried that and having multiple hobbies/pastimes results in overcommitment. How can you truly enjoy yourself (and bring joy to others) when you're constantly stretching time, bending over backwards, and dropping down sets of dollar bills? My intention is to experience new things daily. Perhaps this will lead to another breakthrough in my life--finding opportunity and experience in uncharted territory, on a tennis court while staying at a resort in Jamaica! Maybe not. Take each moment for what it is. After all, there really is no "bubble" except the one we create in our own mind. And if you're having trouble breaking through...figure out where you are, where you want to be, what it takes to get there, AIM...and then TAKE A SHOT.