What are you Thankful for???

November is the time of year when we are supposed to take a moment to be thankful for what we have.  Don't you think it is kind of funny that this implies that we only take time to give thanks in November during the holiday.  

Lately it seems that everyday at work is very stressful. My every thought is centered around when can I retire. You know how it is. On Monday you start thinking about the weekend and then on Sunday you start dreading the new week. We complain that we don't have enough money for all the things we want. It seems that everything is a hassle, from bad traffic to high prices. So we just complain and complain. Somewhere in all of life's craziness we have forgotten to be thankful for what we have. 

Maybe we should be thankful for having that job that makes us crazy and looking forward to retirement. Thankful for the car that requires that high priced gas. Thankful for our home, family and friends. Maybe we should take a moment to remember what being thankful means.

As hard as your life seems, there is always someone who's life is worse. So take a moment to be thankful for the things we take for granted everyday.

Shirley 

Life is an Adventure!!

Life is full of so many different and wonderful things.  There is always something new or different to try. I have always wondered how people can say they are bored or unhappy with their lives.  Are you not in control of your happiness? Is it not up to you to relieve  your boredom? I have found that as I get closer to retirement I keep hearing questions like: what will you do or won't you be bored?

When did we let life become full of stressful work and no play?  Are we the sum of our jobs (which we may or may not like)? I think that in our quest for the "American Dream" we have forgotten how to relax and enjoy life. If you are close to retirement or not, why not start thinking about putting play back into your life.

About five years ago I started line dancing and found that it was a great way to have fun and to relax. Now when asked about taking trips or going to a play, my first response is when and where and not I am too busy. Several months ago I went on a off road adventure (in an open jeep up the side of a mountain) wth my daughters.  It was awesome. When are you doing to embrace the fun in your life? If not now, then when???

Remember life can be a joyful adventure if you take the time to make it one.

Shirley 

Relax and Enjoy Life!

Why it is so hard for us to enjoy life as adults? Do you remember when you were a kid and how easy it was to laugh and have a good time?  When did we as adults forget to play? When did our lives  become extension of our jobs?   Something is wrong with the picture when you want to go to work because you are bored at home.

If you remember, when you were a child life was far from perfect, however you still managed to have fun.  You found joy in running outside, biking, roller skating and jumping rope. How could we forget the fun we had hoola hooping?

Tell me, what do you do now for fun? I know we have to work hard during the week because of our responsibilities.  But, on the weekend, think hard about having fun.  Instead of making plans to clean the house, plan to be outside, hiking, biking or just smelling the flowers. Read that book about absolute nothing (but will make you laugh),  watch a movie, call a friend and go to dinner. Just get in the habit of  putting something fun into your life.  Remember, we have one life to live,  so enjoy every moment because you can't get those moments back!!

Shirley

What is your Aah Ha Moment???

Making changes is not an easy task.  But what is even harder is breaking old habits and starting new ones. Our head might know what we need to do but our body is not playing along.  We fall into bad habits that somehow become the norm and we don’t understand why we need to change.  For years I blamed my weight gain on having my children and that somehow made it OK to be overweight.  Well, when they became adults I had to find another reason for the weight gain.  So let’s see, college bills, my job, family issues, health issues, and the list could go on and on.   In other words there was always a good reason for the weight gain and that made it OK.

Have you noticed that instead of changing we adapt. For example, when I would go out to eat, I couldn't fit comfortably in a booth or on a stool, so I always sat at a table with room for me to maneuver. When I would fly I would try to sit next to my kids because they wouldn't care if I was sharing their seat. And guess what, I always had to request a seat belt extension from the flight attendant. I would always be the last person down the steps because I was walking slow and breathing hard and trying not to hold everyone up.  I did this for years, so you see rather than change I adapted.

My aah ha moment came one day  when I was at work talking to two of my co-workers who were 7 or 8 months pregnant. Imagine my surprise when  I realized that my stomach was as big as theirs and no I was not pregnant. That was when I decided to stop adapting to my weight gain and make changes to lose it. Even though change is hard, it gets easier as you work at it one day at a time. When you reach your Aah Ha moment  be ready to embrace the  changes that will make your life better.   

Shirley

What's My Motivation?

 

 

One of our Twitter followers posted a list called, “10 reasons for weight loss”.  I was so disgusted by that list!  I’m not going to share it because I don’t want to spread I what I consider to be negative ideas about people who are overweight.  But I will say that the list further promotes the stereotypes that our society seems to have about people with extra weight.  They lack confidence, don’t love themselves, and are embarrassed by their personal appearance.  WTH?  Do you have to have extra weight to have any of these issues? Aren’t these issues that anyone can have? 

After I calmed down, I started thinking about my motivations for losing weight.  The real motivations that moved me from trying to lose weight to actually losing weight.  They are:

·         Age

·         Health

·         Quality of Life

How many people do you know who started complaining about various ailments once they turned 40 or 50?  I know quite a few.   I told myself I didn’t want to be one of those people who start falling apart at 40. 

I’ve read too many articles, books, magazines that talk about the link between overweight, obesity and disease--cancers (some), diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and probably a few others. 

As I grow older, I want to enjoy the same quality of life I have now, if not better.  I don’t want to spend my mornings taking ten different medications; I don’t want to travel with an oxygen tank; I don’t want to spend three days a week in dialysis, and I want to maintain as much mobility as possible. 

So those are my reasons, my motivations not just to lose weight but to be healthy.  What are yours?

Antoinette