Wonderful Wednesday

September 17, 2014

  Today is what is termed as my "rest" day from working out.  What that really means is that I do at least 30 minutes of a physical activity but nothing too strenuous to give the muscles time to recuperate and relax.
  I can tell you that this is hard to do, especially when you let yourself become intensely involved with working out and then feeling wrong if you do not.  This has happened to me and I am taking back control.  Even something that is good for you, can become "bad" for you.
  Four years ago, when I found myself being forced into something that I feared changed my life in a good way.  It made me redirect energy into myself instead of pouring it on someone, who not only did not deserve it, but truly did not want it either.  Hard life lesson, since I am definitely born to serve others, to clean up after them, to care for them.  But then, you can smother a person that way too.
 
   Lesson One:  You must take care of yourself and your body to be able to do the work that God
                          has planned for you.

 In order to truly be able to take care of someone else, you must take care of yourself.  Enter into my life, July 2010 a small little four-legged friend,  Lily.  Living on a fourth floor apartment and taking care of a puppy, definitely puts it into you that you need to get into shape.  When Lily entered my life, I began walking.  Granted her short puppy legs could only go so far, but as she grew, so did our walks and our adventures.  She came into my life at a time that I truly needed her.  Every day after work, I come home and we go walking, thus beginning my journey into fitness.  After two years of walking, I knew I needed more.  Enter Zumba...wow, what a way to work out.  So, June 2012, I joined a gym and began a full regimen of Zumba. Monday, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays.  Occasionally there was a Thursday in there too.  But, my time with Lily shorten.  From Zumba, I began a spin class.  More time taken away from Lily.  Then May of 2014 I discovered Boot Camp Party!!  This workout truly brought me what I have been building up to and looking for.  It also made me realize that I need to restructure my workouts and to focus in on the important things in my life.  Lily being one of them!!  As Lily is visiting Michael, I am reshaping my time and workouts to be more in tune with her and spending more time with her.

  Lesson Two:  Do not lose sight of what and who are truly important in your life.

 Working out can become addicting.  Especially when you are alone and single.  But can it truly fill the void that is missing in your life.  No, it cannot.  However, I have discovered that I love working out.  That feeling the ache in my muscles from one workout strengthens me for the next and it is amazing.  But is it everything I need?  No.  There is so much out there to discover and explore  Walking 3 miles or going hiking with Lily, is also an amazing way to workout and discover new things along the way.
 I will not go back to how I was, but move forward to the one I was meant to be.  So, in this discovery of oneself, I realized that I need and want to spend more time with Lily.  The walks we take, playing around the house and cuddling together are just as important as working out.  All aspects of my life are becoming a near-perfect balance.  How is this possible, because God is directing me.  He is showing me each day, how to reshape, reschedule and redirect my thoughts, ideas, workouts and projects.  You ask, how can He be doing this?  Simple, by placing people in my path along my journey to help guide me.  The difficulty is knowing which individuals are brought into your life by God and which ones are doing the work of Satan.  The answer that I know you are asking, how do I know which is which?  I pray, and He lets me know, whom I can trust and whom I need to be weary of.  But it does not mean that I cannot learn something from these individuals, I cannot let them have control of my thoughts or my emotions.  But Jesus, is always there to protect me.

  Lesson Three:  Trust God and He will help put your life in order.

  Last week, I took a stay-cation and delved into my life and asked for guidance to restructure my journey.  Here are the results:
1.  I gave up the gym membership.
2.  I workout with the Boot Camp Party on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
3.  I assist a friend with building her Zumba class (so I am getting my Zumba fix)
4.  Monday, Wednesday, Fridays & Sundays (after church) I am walking three to four miles
5.  I do a morning workout routine upon rising out of bed to start the day
6.  I have workout DVDs that on Monday, September 22nd I will begin doing along with the walks
7.  I spend each day, reading my Bible and spending time with God
8.  Put my best into my work and keep it professional at all times
9.  Spend quality time with my friends
10.  Reach out to my family at least once a week by sending letters/cards, a text message or phone
       call.
11.  Follow my weekly meal plan and make smart choices with foods.

But most importantly, Stay focused on God and keep my eyes on Jesus!

The workout challenge for today from Jillian Michaels:  Plank Rows!
  The link below will show you how to do them....I did 60 this evening.
     http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/the-regimen/exercises/plank-row