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Sunday, July 31, 2011

Sunday

"Sunday was the day of rest. Now its one more day for progress"
- Rascall Flatts

As the years pass, no matter what my life entails, Sunday has always unconsciously been known to me as a day of rest. Humans need a day like this to recharge and prepare  for the upcoming week. So why do we see it as another day to work? This isn't even fully religious based if you don't want to take it that way. I just want people to have a couple of hours once a week where they can tell themselves "okay, calm down." 

We don't sleep as much anymore, we use everyday to work, and money is everything. We all sound like high powered CEO's, but we're not. Some say they don't have time to relax, but I truly believe if you prioritize your time, you can squeeze in at least 2 hours of being able to spend with your family. For example, if you do laundry on Sundays what do you do during the time the loads are washing? You're not doing laundry "all day" technically. 

Find some time to spend with your family, significant other, or just yourself. Someone wasn't just sitting in their house one day and said "you know what, I'm going to rest on Sunday." It's a well known way of life that today is a day of rest and for a good reason at that. We perform our best with rest. Hey! That rhymes and I didn't even mean it to. Maybe that can be a phrase you can tell yourself. 

If you're not used to resting, but finally found an hour or two to do so here are some ideas that are considered "resting": 

1. light yoga
2. watching tv
3.  reading a book
4. writing {not emails, but in a journal}
5. take a long shower
6. indulge in your hobbies
7. take a nap 
8. do nothing! 

Today, try to find at least a few minutes where you can rest. You might get antsy during that time but your body is yelling for some rest. Can you hear it? 

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Act on it

"Those that seek shall find; to those that knock the door shall be opened."

As I sit sometimes in my room looking out my window wondering what my path is, I realize that nothing is going to happen watching raindrops faintly drop on a small lake. I read a book recently that comprised of ten rules on how to be successful and one stood out to me: "Act on it." Three small words with an immense meaning.

It's amazing what happens once you just decide to act on something the minute you feel the vibe to then sit by your window staring out into space pondering whether to make every decision. The more you meddle in the "yes or no" factor of every decision, you will realize how many opportunities you don't end up going through. Over the last few months since a worry about my purpose and path in life has engulfed me, I vowed to take whatever opportunity came my way that made sense towards my future.

Now, I am starting my master's in August from persistent emails and two applications. My relationship is thriving from the constant growing that I'm letting happen to it. I'm going to the gym and my body is thanking me. I will admit I doubted applying to graduate school twice, talking to my boyfriend about deep topics, and going to sweat for an hour at a gym. But when I just acted on it, things just flowed smoothly.

There is no lack of troubles and tribulations as you try more and more things. But there also isn't a lack of rewards. Motivate yourself to see what's possible in your life.

I am a sinner, I am faulty, and I am in no way perfect. So even as I am now, I still find happiness and things work out for me in ways I couldn't imagine. All you have to do is act. If you wake up in the morning and vow to do yoga for twenty minutes, get up and without thinking put on your clothes and start. Before you know it, it's over and the small sweat and annoying twenty minutes will reward you with a better healthier body.

Make a list of goals you want to complete in one day. 
Reward yourself for acting on it. 
Go to sleep knowing you completed something you genuinely wanted to. 
Do it for you.

Health tip: if you find yourself feeling nauseous when doing high intensity cardio, find a way to substitute the exercise with something else that works the same muscles. For example, if you can't run half a mile without feeling dizzy and sick to your stomach, walk on an incline instead on a treadmill. Just because you feel sick doesn't mean you're not good at exercising. It just means that when you run, your body reacts differently than it does to someone else. We all have different bodies so don't let anyone make you think that because they can run and you can't, that you're worse off. It just means you have to turn around and walk towards another workout. As long as you sweat, your muscles ache the first few days, and you start feeling "tighter" around your muscles, IT'S WORKING. 

Friday, July 22, 2011

Later

We tend to put such importance on the beginning and end of things, but we fail to notice that there are sunsets, stars, laughter, crying, and everything else in between. Whenever I hear the excuse "I'll do it later" when it comes to health I can't help but shake my head and pray.

It's easy to say you'll do something later, but today you're a living breathing ball of motivation waiting to burst. What will it take for you to get off of the chair and start moving? Will it be death, disease, loss of a job, pregnancy?

Everyday is a gift and just because you think it consists of a list of mundane tasks, in God's eyes it's just as special as all the other days. So why not agree with him and start taking care of yourself?

If you feel at a loss in the subject of health, I'll start you off with some key advice:

1. Treat your diet like a bank account: you get on average 1800 calories a day {$1800 in my book}. You need to learn how to distribute your money throughout the day so you won't be in debt at the end of it.

2. Exercise does not necessarily mean going to the gym. Sure, it's the fastest way to a result, but who says doing squats in the shower doesn't count either? My advice for the early stages: Just M.O.V.E

3. Have a gratitude journal. When we write in a journal we tend to reveal the worries and negative aspects haunting our everyday life. While that is a great way to relieve those stresses, too much of it could hinder your way of thinking. Each day try to write at least 3 things you're grateful for.

4. Find out your hobbies. From personal experience, this was a bit hard for me. Some of the things you think are hobbies, might just be something you to do pass the time. By definition a hobby is something you pursue as a form of pleasure and relaxation. If something is bringing you negative thoughts and it is completely optional, let it go. Once you find a hobby, truly enjoy it.

5. Live in the present. One of the all time hardest things to do if it's not in your personality. My main reason of why I'm such a future thinker is because I want to be prepared for any situation that comes my way. While it's great to prepare, it's even better to slow down, breathe, and take in what is going on around you in the present moment. I have this small sign in my room that helps me stay in the present moment.



Time waits for no man.

"Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, Today is a Gift, Thats why it's called the Present"

No more "I'll do it later."

Monday, July 18, 2011

And so we begin...

It's time we start living in the beauty of ourselves. No matter what excuse you might give yourself for not feeling worthy enough to spoil yourself with love, it's time to focus on your own grace.

To confide in your grace means trusting in who you are and what you are capable of. When I mention health I'm talking about food, exercise, well being, and balancing it all. My expertise focuses mostly on food, but my life experiences can make me just as much of an expert at everything else.

We are all experts. You know what you are an expert of? Yourself. I will never get to know you as much as you know yourself. So I'm here to show you ways that you can work on becoming a better you, but at the end of the day, it's you sitting in that chair by your lonesome deciding whether or not to delve deep into yourself and listen.

"The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, and responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed."

The reason I can't just blurt out a medical journal full of healthy tips is because if I'm willing to do that, I have to be willing to accept the fact that I'm not only dealing with a body but a mind as well.

I thought about starting this blog for a while but didn't proactively start preparing until I deeply prayed and noticed that just how everyone feels called to do things, this is one of my callings.

So take this journey with me. You can take whatever I say as a mental refresher for your soul, a way to learn new things on how to keep your body healthy, or both.

Welcome