Success

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SUCCESS!! I DID IT!

It took me a couple weeks (three, or four?) to get back into the groove and to achieve my goal.

My goal was to get back to regular exercise, which I had slacked off on in mid-August, and had fallen completely by the wayside as I got back to school the end of September. I needed an achievable, small goal to help me get started.

I decided on this:

20 minutes of exercise at least 5 days of the week.

Small time committment, but consistent. The first week I think I managed three days. The next week I did four. The next week I don't think I did any. But THIS week! This week I achieved my goal!

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I successfully completed at least 20 minutes of exercise (a mix of cardio/weights and  yoga)!

Now, I know that 20 minutes of exercise is good, but not great. I know that 20 minutes of exercise isn't going to help me achieve my other goals.

However.

THIS goal was about creating consistency. Showing myself that it can be done, even in the midst of my current time crunched schedule. This goal was about just doing it, for 20 minutes. This goal wasn't about the bigger goals, it was just about taking those small, baby steps to start me on the path to those bigger goals. To create some momentum and energy.

Not all goals need to be grandiose and magnificent!

Some goals are simply there to help you taste some of that success! To get a feel for what those bigger goals might feel like when you achieve THEM.

My goal for this next week is the same. 20 minutes of exercise at least 5 days of the week. I hope to get 30 or 40 minutes in there at least a couple times, but I want to commit to at least 20.

Thanksgiving week will be a challenge due to houseguests, but maybe I can get them to go for walks or something.

Do you have a small goal you can set to give yourself a taste of success? Maybe it is related to food. Maybe it is related to better sleep, or a different morning routine. Maybe it is flossing your teeth three times this week, or saying a gratitude at least 3 times this week. I don't know. It could be anything.

But find a goal for the week. Something small. Something achievable. Something that can give you an amazing feeling of success and power!!

Share your goal with me in the comments and I'll help encourage you to stick with it!!

Thought into Action

“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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This cartoon is so appropriate for me today. I *did* get off my butt and got a nice 50 minute workout done today. This is one step for me to achieve my dreams, plans and goals. I cannot achieve health, fitness and strength of body by sitting on my couch.

Taking out thoughts and putting them on paper as dreams, plans and goals is important and valuable, and we have talked about that here before. You need to decide, verbalize, visualize and prioritize your goals and what you want your life to be.

But, after you have done that, or while you are doing that, you must take action! It is not enough to say that you know what your goals are. They will not achieve themselves. YOU must take the action, the daily steps, to actually achieve them, to make them a reality, to move your goals from thought to life.

Today, I took a step toward my goals and plans, by putting my thoughts into actions.

What are you doing today to make your goals a reality? What thoughts can you put into action to move you toward your dreams?

Join me! Take action today!

Looking for Inspiration

I have not been feeling the inspiration lately...

I know we all go through these times, these ups and downs of energy and motivation and inspiration. Life is that way. It waxes and wanes. It moves like the tides...sometimes high and full of energy and fury, other times low and lapping at the shore.

I think it is important to recognize the low periods as just another phase of life. I think we focus too much on them as being "bad" or as time passing with our focus in the wrong spot. Yes, I think we need to try and retrain our gaze on our goal, and keep our eye on the prize, but, at least for me, I feel like these periods of ebb and flow are natural rythms in my life.

I am at a point though, where I know I need to, not only retrain  my gaze to my goal, but initiate the actions as well. I have, in plain words, been sitting on my butt for long enough. I need to get up and get moving! Literally!

I need to incorporate exercise back into my daily routine. I let interruptions to my routine bump me off my track, but that has gone on long enough. It's time to bump back onto the track.

I have goals. I want to continue my path to greater health, lower body weight, increased strength and endurance, and, let's not forget, I committed to run a half marathon in June! I already paid the entry fee. There is no turning back. There is no excuse.

It is time to "Just Do It!" I have a Nike t-shirt in my closet, that is a size too small and it says "Every Damn Day Just Do It!"  Yup, I need to re-focus.

This is my re-lighting the fire of inspiration pep talk to myself. If it is to be it is up to me. I know that *I* am the only one that can effect change in my life. (Is that effect or affect? I think maybe affect?) At any rate, *I* am responsible for my choices. If *I* want to succeed in living the life I want, then I have to actually do it!

There is no time like the present, ya?

Time to light the fire.



Come on baby...light my fire!

Time to live life.

Living the Dream

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible,

then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”- Christopher Reeve

I have been thinking about dreams, and dream fullfilment and achievement. I, as you know, am in the midst of pursuing a dream. In this process, I have decided that I don't really like the term "follow your dream". It seems passive.

I think we should change it to something like Create Your Dream or Inpsire Your Dream. Let's go with Inspire Your Dream, shall we? That seems appropriate!

Inspire Your Dream

I like that.

We all have within us a dream. Some dreams are huge and some are small and tiny. ALL of these dreams are valuable and worthwhile.

You are valuable and worthwhile.

Whatever dream is in your heart I encourage you to be inspired to live that inspired dream!

Take the first steps toward living the dream.  I ask it over and over, but what is it that you want?

Are you willing to say it outloud?

Are you strong enough to ask for it?

Are you inpsired enough to ignore the naysayers and the challenges and obstacles and simply figure out a way to make it an inevitable occurrence?

A seed does not become a sprout, which does not become a plant, which does not become a beautiful flower, by hiding its dream of flowering under the dirt of life.

Brush away the dirt of life from your dream; inspire yourself to move toward that dream; become a beautiful flower.

Don't wait. Start today. Look inside your soul and find the dream you have hidden there. Brush off the dirt. Expose the little seed of your dream to the light. Let it grow.

What I Want

I am trying to live a life filled with inspiration. I do not want to wake one day and realize that my life has passed me by.

I know that I can create the life I want. I am doing it. Right now. Today. Each time I make a decision to step outside my comfort zone, to ask for what I want, to DO things, I am actively choosing to live my life.

I am reading The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

This life is so amazing.

I talk about synchronicity.

I talk about the universe whispering in my ear.

Then suddenly here is this book.

I have had this book for several years. I have never opened it. Never read it. I did not know what it said. I had two friends read it a few years ago and tell me that I needed to read it. I bought it. I never read it.

Earlier this year I decided to start this blog as a way to share my journey, a way to try and inspire myself, and others, to really live. To start now, no matter where they are at in life. To really think about and decide what they want in life and then start taking steps toward it.

And then, suddenly, here is this book.

I do not know why, after all these years of this book sitting on my shelf unread, that I decided to open and read this book.

The universe? Synchronicity? Perhaps my change in outlook has drawn this book to me. I do not know.

What I do know is that The Secret supports me in my want to LIVE life. It tells me that I *can* have, be and do exactly what I want and that the universe will conspire to help me. This is so reminiscent of Paul Coelho and his fable The Alchemist...which if you have not read, I highly suggest it! (It was suggested to me and I am immensely grateful.)

The universe is speaking to me in so many ways. I am listening. I am attuned. I try to follow.

I suggested last week that we need to DECIDE what we want and then we have to go after it. After reading some of The Secret I was overcome with a desire to write down "The Things I Want".  I had an amazing moment of clarity where my mind was filled with the things that I really wanted. I had a compulsion to write them all down.

I needed to share them with the universe...these things that I wanted.

The top of my list? To be thin, fit and healthy. To have energy. There is much more, of course, and the specifics of what I want are not what is important here.

What is important is that I listened to the voices of the universe tell me to start this blog, to read this book, to live my life, to write down what I want.

To share my life with you.

This is not easy for me; it is scary putting myself and my innermost thoughts out into the blog world. I have no idea who reads this or what their thoughts are about what I write. I can only hope that by listening to my inner voice, the universe, my heart...that what I say and share will somehow touch and inspire others to start living life!!

So, the proof is in the pudding. I didn't just ask you to decide what you wanted, to visualize it, to write it down, but I did so myself! I have spent the last several days visualizing what I want being real. I have read what I wrote down. I have felt the emotions that I will feel when these things happen.

I encourage you to take a moment today. Find a quiet spot. Clear your mind. Allow clarity to enter. Listen to your inner voice and the voices of the universe. Decide what you want. Be specific. Nothing is too big or too small. Ask for it. Write it down. Take steps to make it happen, and then watch as your life dreams are fulfilled.

I have seen it happen many times over in my life. Once I really decide, once I put it out there to the universe, things start to happen. It is beautiful and crazy and amazing. I put it out there that I want to live my life...and so I am.

Have you read The Secret? Do you believe in the power of the universe?  Share with me.



Walking the Talk

“Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.”

~Unknown

I mentioned last Thursday in a Facebook post that I was being "forced" (by my own choice) outside of my comfort zone. Way outside.

I didn't have time to get into details or post a full blog about it then, but basically I said I was taking my own advice and choosing to LIVE, fully, despite the fears.

Let me tell you what happend. My overworked husband and I had planned a long weekend trip to go camping and boating with some friends. Our destination: about 7 hours north of where we live, near where we used to live.

A 7 hour tow with our Suburban (over 200k miles on it) and our 21' jet boat, over the steep hills and curves of I5 in Southern Oregon, north through Eugene and then traffic heavy Portland, and then up into the foothills of Mt. Saint Helens to Lake Merwin, is a long tow.

Our plan was for hubby to work in town that day (he covers a HUGE area of Southern Oregon) and hopefully get on the road a bit early from home. That was the plan.

And then the pager went of. Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep!

My hubby is on call 24/7. When the Beep Beep goes off hubby has go to go. He had worked the 5 previous weekends straight. This was to be his one off call weekend over a span of 9 weeks. Yah, he is overworked.

Hubby had to go north, to Roseburg, Oregon...about 2 hours north of here.

That left me at home and hubby 2 hours away.

So where does the fear facing, walking the talk, LIVING life part come in??

With this:



About 40 ' of Suburban and Boat



I hauled our boat up I5 for over 100 miles, through the twisty hills, by myself.

Yes.

I have towed the boat around a bit here and there, at the boat docks when we pull out of the water, mostly. I have also hauled a car trailer around a bit, here and there.

But I have never hauled our boat trailer up the freeway for over 100 miles totally alone.

It was SCARY to contemplate BUT it was amazingly empowering to accomplish!

Luckily I had no problems.

I saved my poor hubby from having to drive 2 hours north, work all day, drive 2 hours back home just to get in the 'burb and drive those same 2 hours all over again, plus 5 more!

It was exhilirating. Empowering. Amazing.

Talk about a confidence booster!

THEN, while we were camping, not only did I pull the boat out of the water, but I also BACKED it up into our campsite!

Amazing.

I also drove the boat some this weekend on the lake, which is normal, but I keep practicing pulling up to the dock, and this time, up along side of our friends boat so we could raft up.

Other things that I realized this weekend about how DOING conquers fears:

I used to be massively nervous about driving I5 in S. Oregon due to the series of very steep hills and tight corners. I now have done it so often that even though I was hauling the boat, I had no fears about the road itself.

Also, I used to get very nervous if I had to drive my husbands truck because it has a canopy on the back that you cannot see out of at all. Again, I have done it enough now that it didn't even create a second thought in my mind.

It is incredible to me how many of our fears can be overcome just by the doing, the living, the being, the actively participating in our lives.

There are fears I have never overcome, even though I have been exposed to them time and time and time again, so I don't believe that exposure to a fear ALWAYS breeds comfort, but it is empowering to know that it is *possible*.

It is possible that what you fear today will become completely insignificant tomorrow, if you focus on living your life and facing your fears.

My weekend was an amazing, and ongoing, lesson on how living my life really does impact my outlook on life.

There were many lessons; many examples of times when I could have chosen to live or to wilt like a wall-flower.

I choose to live.

Today.



Stop Reading This!

Of all the people I have ever known, those who have pursued their dreams and failed have lived a much more fulfilling life than those who have put their dreams on a shelf for fear of failure.

 ~Author Unknown

Okay, I don't really want you to stop reading my blog. In fact, I love it that so many people are checking it out. Also, just as a reminder, feedback, comments and thoughts are always welcome! Oh, one more thing: feel free to share this!

So, I don't want you to stop reading the blog. What I want is for you to start DOING. I want you to start BEING. Right now.

I don't want you to sit on your computer reading about living your life and revealing your true self, nodding your head and thinking "WOW...wouldn't that be great if *I* could do that?"

That is the point! YOU CAN DO THAT!

You can reveal yourself. You can achieve your dreams. YOU. Yes...you. MMhmmmm. YOU!

I am no different than you. I am no more special. I am no more enlightened.

I am a regular person, on an imperfect path, attempting to live my life right now. I am a work in progress. I write as much for myself as for you. I write to inspire myself; to encourage myself; to embolden myself, and you.

I want you to read these words and stop, look inward, listen to your heart and follow the path. I want you to take a moment for yourself. I want you to realize that I am not talking about someone else achieving their dreams...I am talking about each and every single one of us, and that includes you!

I write to encourage you to stop making excuses. I write to encourage you to face your fears. I write to encourage you to start living!

Life is an amazing adventure! We let it get all bogged down with boring details, should do's and following the path that others lay out for us, rather than the path we lay out for ourselves.

That, my lovely friends, is not living! It is not being!

You don't get multiple chances to live an astoundingly wonderful life! This is it! This is your chance. If you don't actively start LIVING and BEING and DREAMING right now, today, your life will slip by you like a whisper...

Don't play it safe. Don't refuse to roll down the window because your hair might get mussed. Don't refuse to play in the sprinkler because your shirt might get wet. Don't say "no thank you" to Grandma Rose's special peach cobbler...Grandma Rose isn't going to be around forever and her peach cobbler will never be the same after she is gone.

Stop letting the little details of day to day life prevent you from enjoying the moments and pursuing greatness! We all have the same amount of time every day. It is what you choose to do with that time that makes the difference.

The chores will still be there. Trust me.

So, I would really love it if you would pick one thing to do today. Pick one thing that is in pursuit of LIVING, DREAMING and BEING. Pick something that YOU want to do, that you don't normally make time for. Don't pick something because you think is is what I want you to do, or because you think other people will think it is the coolest thing to do. It doesn't have to be anything grand or massive. Just pick something. Something that enlivens your spirit and makes you feel alive. Pick something that you are afraid of. Pick something that someone else won't understand. Pick anything....!!

What do you WANT? How are you going to LIVE today? How are you going to honor your inner self today?

Let me know in the comments what you did today to BE.

So: STOP READING and START BEING!

Nothing will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must be first overcome. 

 ~Samuel Johnson, Rasselas, 1759