Beginning Again…Mindful Transformation

Leave a comment

Transformation: change in form, appearance, nature, or character.
A form resulting from any such change; a metamorphosis.

With the advent of the autumn season, my senses are on full alert. This is my favorite time of year, when the cooler daytime temps move in synchrony with the shortening day light hours. These autumn days are greatly anticipated after the intensity of the summer season in the southwestern desert. And yet there is always a foreshadowing sadness with the arrival of the shortening days; because what comes with all the exterior, seasonal changes, naturally motivates me to move inward ~ physically and emotionally; to curtail outdoor activities in favor of indoor pursuits. This prompting, this inward wrapping around and into, seems to be preparing all creatures, great and small, for the coming season of rest and renewal. The crispness of the air on the wind foretells that wintertide is near.

I well know this pull towards the interior; it comes naturally to me, an introvert by nature; and like all introverts, I flourish in the solitary, inward pursuits of the mind and body. So even though I highly favor this season, with its inward draw, I struggle with this transition more than any other time of year. This is the time of year when the holidays and celebrations typically require an outward extension: into our families…into our communities…into our finances…into excesses of every kind it seems. I think perhaps this is why I often struggle to transition happily into the wintertime, because it so often brings requirements to expand, to get outside of myself.  That is not a comfortable ‘transformation’ for this introvert to make.

The journey of living requires us not just to understand, but to enter. Transformation begins when we stop watching.
The Endless Practice ~ Mark Nepo

But what does comfort have to do with growth and change and transformation? Nothing! Comfort has nothing to do or associate with change! Maybe this is why I feel compelled to write about this time of year so that I may remind myself to stay vigilant…especially in regards to my interior, to stay open and not closed down. I want to remind myself to stay on guard, to be aware of those situations, and those stressors, which may trigger me to excuse myself from the very opportunities which could trigger growth and renewal.

I have a hunch that I am not alone in this end-of-year struggle. It seems that once the days grow cooler and shorter, the desire to huddle and linger indoors is as natural as the changing colors of autumn leaves. And the activities that center and quiet me…the walks and runs out of doors, become more challenging to keep on my calendar. As a personal trainer, I have noticed that many of my clients likewise struggle to keep their health and fitness goals on track during this season. Surely there must be a better way to transition into year’s end, especially if we have positively progressed in the months leading up to this juncture.

“To strengthen what is possible, we can imagine and spend equal time with what might go right as with what might go wrong.” Mark Nepo

But is it possible or even reasonable to actually plan, and act, and expect that this year could end on a positive note rather than on a negative, back sliding one? Or is that just wishful thinking? No, this season can be different; but I recognize that it must begin with an intention; my intention; my over-arching purposeful act to make a change. I will begin again by entering…via this record…my intention to depart from the habitual ‘turning in’ (closing down) and instead use that habit to prompt myself to open outward, to soften. Even as I write these words I can hear that other voice within, full of complaint and denunciation. I have struck a chord, I must be on the right track!

Yes, it is my privilege to choose what I will believe and hold as truth; And I believe that what I think, ultimately propels me in one direction or another. My beliefs have the power to alter (transform) my behaviors and actions. So begin again, I will; it only requires a disposition and a readiness to move, to activate:  body…mind…spirit.

To the Full

Leave a comment

Have you ever noticed how the universe has a way of getting our attention when it’s time for us to learn a life lesson? How it seems like every other conversation we have, or book we read, or music we hear, or sermon we attend, or movie we watch, there is a recurring theme or word or message seemingly designed solely for us; if only we have ears to hear, eyes to see, and a will to put into action.

My most recent message from the universe has provoked a question, an intrigue, an examining: What does living life ‘To the Full’ look like? on the outside? on the inside? How can I know if I’m living my life to the full?

But then I wonder, is it even possible, to live life each and every day, with such focus, verve, and single-minded application? Conceptually I embrace this maxim one hundred percent! To the full ~ full steam ahead! But in practice it almost seems wearisome and in-humane, like putting one more item on my already over-done to-do list.

You are going to have to give and give and give, or there’s no reason for you to be writing. You have to give from the deepest part of yourself, and you are going to have to go on giving, and the giving is going to have to be its own reward. There is no cosmic importance to your getting something published, but there is in learning to be a giver.
Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

As I’ve given some thought to this probing question, I’ve had time to consider how others live their lives to the full. And I’ve noticed something about those folks who seem to have overflowing, abundant, successful lives. Whether writers, runners, artists, mothers, fathers, teachers or business professionals: every ‘full’ life requires the giving of oneself…to one’s craft…to one’s multiple roles and responsibilities. Their purposeful repetition is required, EVERY – SINGLE – DAY. A full life cannot wait for fleeting inspirations or soaring energy levels. A full life needs each one of us to show up, with sleeves rolled in expectant anticipation.

Will I journey through my days as a sleep walker? a jaywalker? a bull-dozer? a butterfly?

When I came across the attached photo of the dog seemingly flying through the air, it was then that I realized the ultimate answer to my question: What does it feel like to live to the full? Life lived to the full feels like FREEDOM. Life lived to the full feels like JOY. Life lived to the full feels like OPPORTUNITY.

So, how can I know that I am living to the full, as “someone whose gate has been left open”? First of all, I think a life lived to the full is one in which I engage in meaningful, enjoyable activities, (running, writing, traveling, reading, having fun with family and friends); but I also know that a life lived to the full is spent in giving ourselves away for the sake of others. Because I am someone’s wife, mother, daughter, sister, employer, coach, friend, etc., I am the only one who can ‘show up’ and give my time and attention to those with whom I have relationship.

Living an abundant life means I can live and spend the moments of my life in lavish, giving, extravagance, as though I cannot outspend myself! This is what life is for, it is for the living of it…to the FULL.

And so we must ask ourselves: Are we feeling with our minds? Thinking with our hearts? Making every empathic leap we can? Are we witnesses to the world around us? Are we climbing on the shoulders of those who paved the way for us? Are we using every last bit of ourselves, living these lives of ours, spending it, spending it all, every single day?
Dani Shapiro, Still Writing

 

Exploit Your Weakness…Then You Will Be Strong

Leave a comment

This morning’s run was only two and a half miles, which is short by definition; but running any miles on already tired legs becomes a strength workout, for body and mind. I knew I would likely struggle to stay mentally positive given the condition of my legs, but the simmering early morning temperature beckoned me out of doors before the sun rose high and hot.

So today’s run would require a suitable mantra to keep my mind off my tired legs. I thereby chose words that would make me think I was something which I was not altogether actually feeling. Today’s mantra would be: “I am strong…I am fast”. And with every breath in I would think, I am strong; with every breath out, I am fast.

The power of a focused mind is an amazing thing! This morning’s run was everything I hoped (thought and breathed) it could be: refreshing, revitalizing, inspiring and FAST! But then, a funny thing happened as I walked the final steps up my driveway to the front door. As I was relishing my short run accomplishment, a thought came to mind: “It is good to exploit the weakness“. Really? Exploit the weakness? How can that be good?

Exploit: to utilize, especially for profit; turn to practical account; to advance or further.

As I allowed that idea to clank around inside my head, I was beginning to see the value of working with our weaknesses. Yes indeed, this is what strength training is all about after all, which is namely, to exploit our weaknesses so as to advance our strength and balance in body, mind and soul. Yes, that’s exactly right! To exploit or expose the ‘weak links’ in regards to our fitness and strength training is to recognize those areas in ourselves in which our natural abilities have fallen short.

Admitting your faults isn’t a weakness – it’s a strength. Having your weaknesses pointed out isn’t a slur on your character – it’s an opportunity to improve your life. James A. Owen

These areas of weakness then, really become our allies for growth, if we only accept them as such. If our focus on weakness is positive, then we can embrace the opportunity to build and improve (repair) our weak links. If our focus on weakness is negative, then we may not be able to address our brokenness and thereby we become self-defeated. This attitude transcends every area of our life. We are, after all, what we think we are…

I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size — abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (from THE MESSAGE)

Build Muscle Before, During and After Menopause

Leave a comment

As a personal trainer specializing in the ‘Over the Hill’ demographic, I’m often asked by my clients what the best exercises are for women of mature years. I used to tell my clients that they should engage in so much aerobic, strength and flexibility training so as to realize continued fitness into their senior years. But I have noticed that most, if not many, of my clients struggle to be physically active regardless of what they know they should be doing.

So I have changed my answer to this often asked question by saying that the BEST exercises for EVERY WOMAN are the exercises WHICH SHE ENJOYS doing…often. For women on the precipice of menopause, a physically active lifestyle is highly protective against the traditional weight gains and muscle losses associated with the menopause years. If middle-aged women who still have regular menstrual cycles or are on hormone replacement therapy can discover or create ways to be physically active during these transitional years before menopause, they can set themselves up for less weight gain and muscle loss during the menopause season. From my personal experience, I would have  I have gained my best fitness outcomes (strength/endurance) from adding weight training and high intensity interval training to my exercise regimen. Unfortunately, many women my age shy away from these types of activities and view them as behaviors which only men or elite-athletes engage.

So this is why I standardize my response to that most asked question and resort to the standard conventions for exercise prescription. By this I mean that 2 to 3 days a week  should be devoted to strength training together with 3 to 5 days a week of aerobic exercise with a minimum 30 minute duration. Clearly, the key to staying this active is in discovering those activities which provide a measure of fun and enjoyment for you. Remember, if your exercise routine doesn’t put a smile on your face, then your exercise routine becomes a stress inducing activity rather than a health inducing activity.

Finally, don’t discount the value of trying something new when planning your  fitness program. You may even want to re-visit exercises or activities you learned to dislike in your youth.  When you have a say in how or when you engage in your exercise, you may discover that you could actually enjoy the rigors of team sports or group fitness compared  to the requisite ‘gym’ class you were forced to attend during your school years. And if you’re the type of person who enjoys a more social approach to your exercise, then by all means enlist your friends to join you in your fitness endeavors.

You  might like to read the brief article about Ms. Willie Murphy (pictured above), a 77 year old grandmother who took up weight training not too long ago. I think her story perfectly illustrates the fact that you are never too old to try something new and get fit too!

The Ripple Effect

1 Comment

The other day I came across a news item in Runner’s World had which told the story of one man’s determination to finish a 5K race every month in 2015. The story began with Derek Mitchell’s last place finish at the Kansas City Big 12 5K. Some folks might not be so keen to have this sort of story told about themselves. But for Derek Mitchell, he’s a man on the move…a man who currently weighs in around 570 pounds. He was tempted to quit before he completed the first mile, but he kept his mental focus on his goal…crossing the finish line.

Derek’s story reminded me of so many things that are important to keeping us on track when we set our sights on a future goal. But two things seemed most critical: practice (training) for the race event and having a support system (family, friends, peers). These two components can be boiled down to one element: Accountability.

Practice that perfects our ability involves deliberate intention…in other words ACTION is required. And purposeful action engenders accountability. In Derek’s case, he let the world-wide community know about his intentions and his monthly goal. That is a bold, brave and effective strategy for him to embrace; but this is a behavior which all true goal seekers intuitively perform.

Additionally, when we make ourselves accountable to another or to others, we certify and solidify for ourselves our intentions. But there is a bonus effect…a ripple effect if you will. When we engage others in our goal setting, we have the potential to inspire those with whom we have gathered around our plan. Sometimes those inspired are curious onlookers or strangers, as in Derek’s case. Sometimes those inspired are family members, co-workers, or friends. Most times though, we never know who will be caught up in our momentum and motivated to implement similar goals for themselves.

Accountability separates the wishers in life from the action-takers that care enough about their future to account for their daily actions. John Di Lemme

In physics there is a law of conservation of energy which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed from one form to another. If energy conservation is real in the physical world, it is also true in the unseen world of the body/mind/spirit. If we consider that energy is changed from one form to another (from thought to physical action), then we realize that our physical action activates changes not only in ourselves (body/mind/spirit), but our energies also radiate to those whom we encounter enroute to our goal.

Consider the ripple effect a gentle breeze has upon those things within its path. We see its consequence when we watch leaves, twigs, brush and bramble dance across open ground in the presence of this invisible energy source. Likewise, as we move with intention towards our goals, we transform energy from thought to body, from invisible to visible. Not only do we propel ourselves toward our intended goals but others may be moved by our energy in the ripple and wake of our efforts…sometimes so much so that they are caught up with us in our vision. Whether seen or unseen, our intentional energies have the potential to transform not only our lives but also the lives of others; and this begins with every determinate act we make towards the finish line.

What Sort of Character?

Leave a comment

Look at the calendar! The New Year is flying fast as the first three months are nearly complete. Now look back…to New Year’s Eve. What were you hoping to accomplish in 2015? Did you have any aspirations for better health? Better attitudes? Better habits? Now look at today. Where are you? What have you accomplished in regards to your new year’s hopes? Did you take strong steps in January? Did you lose sight or vision in February? March is nearly complete, but today is a good day to reassess, to get back on track and
in character.

What do I mean by ‘in character’? I mean this: character ~ your character ~ drives your goal setting and your goal achieving. If you have lost touch with your character and what your character is all about, then you have probably lost sight of the goals you wanted to achieve this year.

Perhaps the milieu of work or home life has overtaken your schedule and you have no time or energy or margin in which to pursue that one thing you wanted to accomplish this year. The responsibilities of our adult lives will always hound us as we attempt to alter or change the landscape of our character pursuits. But today, I would like to challenge you to re-assess your character…look at who you are through the eyes of the author.  The author is the one who is writing the story of your life. And guess what? You are both author and character!Now with this lens, this understanding, ask the author to discover what motivates this character. What demoralizes this character? What drives this character to say and do the things he does each day? Is this character generally cheerful and optimistic or skeptical and pessimistic? Easily distracted and pulled off course or nose to the grindstone come hell or high water? How does this character relax? How does this character relate to others? to distress? to success? What or who does this character believe or have faith in? doubt? fear?

Remember, you are the author writing this story, and  the author must be aware, astutely aware of her character’s weakness and strengths. This knowledge aids the author (YOU) in building compassion and workarounds into her character’s life. Understanding the type of character of which the author is dealing and writing about, assures that the character will live an authentic life.

So consider this as we approach the end of the first quarter of 2015.
If you want your New Year story to finish on track, or even be an interesting read, the author (that’s you) must know how its character (still you) will react, respond or overcome the obstacles which the character (once again, YOU) will surely encounter as she  traverses the remainder of 2015. The story (YOUR STORY) will be flat and uninteresting indeed if your character is not developed through adversity, trial, challenge, upset, disappointments, triumphs, success, etc. Now look again,  what sort of character are you? Know your character…what drives your character. Write the days for your character with purpose so that you may achieve the reward of your goal!

Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.
Sam Ewing

Go Outside…For a Change

Leave a comment

motivational-business-quotes

When I get stuck in a rut, physically, mentally, or spiritually, the thing that gets me unstuck best is to go outside…outside of my house, outside of my routines, outside of my comfortable thinking. Getting outside of me gives me a fresh perspective and outlook on life. When I exercise outside and breathe deeply of the crisp morning air, I expose myself, my physical and spiritual body, to the natural elements of the earth. It is then that I realize how very connected I am to the earth, and to its mysteries and rhythms. I reap much physical and emotional energy from trekking outdoors. By going outside, my muscles and my mind must work in unison as I forge against hill and dale, sun and wind, smooth and rough, road and trail.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Similarly, when I get stuck in a mental rut I find it helpful to get outside of my own head and give my mind new places to roam. Reading authors and genres to which I do not normally gravitate gives me fresh perspectives and insights into how others think and perceive. Changing things up when it comes to music, movies, and food provides similar benefits. I like to think of going ‘outside’ of myself as a way to inoculate myself from the dread condition of stagnancy; to be stagnant is to be unchanged and unchanging…it is so nearly like death. And so anytime I need some creative flow, or whenever I’m feeling the blues of status quo, I try to mix things up for myself. I try to get outside of my normal, whatever that may be, which I have so carefully set up around my life and I open a door and go outside…for a change.

Every Day a Test

Leave a comment

Who says, “I Love Test Day”? No one ever! For most students, pop quizzes, tests, or final exams usually bring on uncomfortable physical symptoms like sweaty palms and upset stomaches. Athletes often experience similar physical discomforts when they are tested…on race day! Before I started entering running races, I never understood why anyone who runs for fun or fitness would willingly put themselves through the anxiety of running a race. Why would anyone sign up for such distress and discomfort? Well, fast forward a year and I’ve since entered over a dozen running races, and now I think I get the answer to that question. Runners show up for races like students show up for exams–to prove what they have learned…inside and outside of the classroom. Is it possible to look forward to these ‘exam days’ without dread and fear? I believe so; but only if you and I have properly prepared for the test by spending quality time in training or study. How do we know if we are ready for exam day? I know I am ready to be tested when I have confidence…confidence in the quality of my training or my study time. This assurance is not a feeling I try to muster or hope for in order to fake myself out. I either know for certain that I am ready or not; if there is any doubt in my heart or head, then I most certainly know that I am not ready; my sweaty palms and upset stomach is evidence enough. To be tested on the race route, in the classroom, or in our everyday lives, creates something like a finish line for us. The finish line is the terminus of a training cycle or academic semester. It is the culmination of all the days and weeks we have spent absorbing and synthesizing knowledge, whether that knowledge is physical, psychological or spiritual. If we embrace our test days as opportunities to consolidate and prove our training, then we can face the finish line with a confident smile on our face and cheerful exuberance in our heart.
28-Pedicel_flowers-012

 

An Invitation to Revolution

1 Comment

Definition: revolution (n.) a sudden, complete or marked change in something

Whether or not we like it, growth (physical, mental, social, spiritual) requires revolution; a change in direction or movement or thought. There can be no progress, no creative flow, no gains in health or fitness without change. It is notable too, that all of creation, both visible and invisible, is designed to thrive in the realm of change. The seasons and their regular permeations support the growth cycles of all living things in the seas and on the land. Our bodies are best nourished when we eat those foods that grow in season; a diet limited in variation is a diet destined to promote disease and ill health.

The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Socrates

In the realm of education, business, and fine arts, the finest programs mosaic curriculums across a spectrum of specialties and fields of concentration to promote students who are flexible in thought and process. A similar approach is used when designing a comprehensive exercise program. The best plans are those that integrate a mixture of activities that encourage the building of strength, cardio-respiratory endurance, flexibility, and balance into our physical bodies.

Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature’s delight. Marcus Aurelius

If change is so central to how the world turns, then why do we so resist it? Why do we insist on becoming set in our ways? If change is integral to growth, and growth is the essence of vitality, then surely we must revise our perspective on this inevitability or suffer stagnation and regression in every area of our life. If we have breath to breathe, then it’s not too late to adopt a positive mindset towards the changes we face in life.

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Wayne Dyer

Simple things like choosing a new genre in regards to the types of books, movies and activities in which we engage can prime and supercharge us for new areas of learning and creativity. One thing is for certain in life, that change visits us all with alarming regularity. While some may say that all change is not necessary to growth, I would rather submit that all change is our invitation to choose growth and even perhaps a small revolution!