Tag Archive for: exercise

DECISIONS DECISIONS! DECIDE ALREADY!

Decisions. What are they? How do they affect us?

I attended a marketing meeting when my husband, our partners, and I started our company years ago. The marketer restored more business power to us than we’d realized available simply by defining the word decide.

Let’s break it down.decisions-signage

DECISIONS DEFINITION

According to online Dictionary.com, the origins of decide show a typical blend from varied parts of old Europe. Figure around 1350-1400. When you decide anything, you literally “cut off” or “kill” all other options. How empowering! How simplifying, too! http://www.dictionary.com/browse/decide?s=t

de-“off” (see de-) + caedere “to cut” (see -cide) word-forming element meaning “killer,” from French -cide, from Latin -cida “cutter, killer, slayer.”

Mild fascination with the “kill” part of the definition had recently been rekindled, since I face a decision about which fictional characters are killed in the romantic suspense trilogy I’m writing. In fact, the marketer had then stated, once I decide on something, I’ve essentially “cut off” all other options, killed them, gone, vanished! That’s both intimidating and inspiring simultaneously.

W H O A !!!

Take a moment to consider that fact, and how crazy impactful this is! It suddenly makes wavering look wimpy. It forced me to consider choices I’d claimed to make. Had I, in reality, cut off, even completely dismissed, all other options and made a singular decision? Or had I vacillated about a character’s departure from my series or some commitment, much like Brett Favre’s retirement decisions from football? We usually aren’t aware of how our indecisiveness affects those around us.

G.A.S.P. books

 EXAMPLES

For example, in my first novel, G.A.S.P., what appeared to be a small decision by the two main characters, Julie and Dane, changed, even threatened, lives in an unpredicted ripple effect. How different might the story have been with different choices?

Sometimes decisions can be easy (to eat worms vs. spaghetti); others, miserably challenging or even made in haste (i.e. stay in a relationship or leave it; diets and food choices; exercise or couch potato; iPhone or Samsung — okay maybe this one isn’t difficult right now — but you get what I mean).

decisions-quote

As American voters, we’re now faced with voting on community propositions, local and state oppositions, not to mention one of the wackiest and most contentious Presidential elections in our country’s history. I’m not getting political on you, just observant. As I poll friends and strangers alike in my daily local and national travels, a curious consensus has thus far been struck: we’re concerned no matter how we vote.

There are always those on the other side of the fence; they’ve made decisions. American theologian and Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard University, Harvey Cox, clarified: “Not to decide is to decide.” In The Alchemist, author Paolo Coelho described when someone makes a decision, unexpected adventures may happen. http://standardwisdom.com/guydownthestreet/2010/12/alchemist-selected-quotes/

IN CONCLUSION

Do your best to assess facts and meaningful ramifications, and then make as logical a decision as possible… even through a process of elimination.  But DECIDE!

To understand its power, reestablishes your own significance — remarkable, right?

P.S. Go ahead! Get it over with! Make a decision and vote!

Exercise + Life = Sexy (& Valued)

Q: How do you make time for regular exercise? Spill any physical fitness, wellness, and health secrets!

A: You want the truth, or can I lie, so this is a better read?

I laugh. This is how conversations almost always start when struck up with fellow parents, whether they’re into fitness consistently or not. Notice the word consistently. This is a keyword!

FREQUENCY

If you’re able to do something every day, that’s optimal. Do you need to? Depends on who you are, and why you do it. For many folks, 4 times a week is sufficient. For me, that’s not nearly enough. Here’s why (and I own this!): I’m not the best me without it; I’m a grump (dreadfully unattractive, shall we say).

Now, to be really down-and-dirty honest? Let me define what “doing something every day” means for me: getting out of bed to move my body FOR me. Period. Wait, what? That’s it? Yep. That’s it. The range of activities is HUGE! Check these out

– 60-minute Orange Theory Fitness class
– 20-minute elliptical + stretch quickie
– 30-minute walk with both medium-size dogs
– 45-minute hike with my husband
– 20-minute run with one pooch (the other one isn’t programmed for distance)
– sex with your spouse (however long)
– 90-minute yoga class

The list goes on and on, right?exercise sign

Full disclosure: I’ve needed regular exercise since I was little.  I danced classical ballet through half of high school and got into tennis and downhill skiing.  Also, I messed around with racquetball, flag football, and running in college. Since having my three children, running, weight training and yoga keep me sane. I’ve even completed two marathons (completed … not won or placed)!

I don’t share this to make you feel lazy. I share this to be thought provoking. I’m hardly perfect (terribly human actually). I’ve dealt with injuries that have slowed me waaay down and made me flat out cranky.

LESSONS

Wanna know what I figured out along the way? I needed:

– the stress relief.
– a physical outlet as a mental break.
– fitness to be a part of my regular daily routine.
– the reminder that I’m still a live and valuable person worth investing in.

Most of all, in order to bring my “A” game to each day for work, career, and family, I needed to do something regularly for me and about me. Negating yourself “for the sake of” ANY thing (marriage, family, career, challenges, vacations, whatever) means you don’t value yourself. When YOU don’t value you, how on earth do you expect anyone else to? You won’t feel good either. If you don’t feel good, how are you going to look good? (Not feeling good is not sexy.)

CONCLUSION

Here’s my FINAL ANSWER on REGULAR FITNESS: Take care of yourself. VALUE yourself. We’re each worth investing our time, money and energy in daily in some way. To be MY best TO me and FOR me (and for ALL those around me), no matter how busy I get, my daily exercise in some form, is vitally important. Trust me! We’re all worth it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/2016-fitness-trends-hiit_us_56f04617e4b084c672210ff4

Street sign graphic from amazon.com