Go up in a swing and drink lemonade

Tonight I’m writing.  This is for Wednesday.  How to stay emotionally fit?  I think I’m a person that likes to be in control, that keeps emotions to myself, and one that struggles when I  can’t figure out the solution to something, or have what I want.  I’m a little sleep deprived as I write and in a few short minutes I’ll be dreaming.  Not to vent or anything, but when you stay up most of the night with a sick child and watch them suffer and you can’t do anything about it, your heart breaks.  My heart hurts.  Exercise has been my happy endorphin, my peace , and a boost for my emotional health.  I’m a little broken too.  The BIG gombu has hit our house, some getting it worse than others.  My ribs are sore to the touch from coughing so much.  I’m better now, but I need to wait out the soreness.  I tried to run tonight and couldn’t accomplish what I had expected and it frustrated me and made me sad.  SOOOOOOOOOOO…..what to do when life gets you down?  Ohhhh, you make lemonade.  Being injured is never fun!  But of course my favorite college quote comes to my mind….this will all be but a brief moment.  And it will.  Happiness is a choice of course.  Here is my impromptu How To Be HAPPY LIST when you are injured!!!

SMILE

THINK OF BLESSINGS

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

HELP ANOTHER

BE OUTSIDE

READ A BOOK

KEEP BUSY

FRIENDS

SWING

My Mom used to sing me a song when I was little that was passed down from her Mom and that I sing to my kids.  Too bad I can’t sing the melody on a blog, but here are the words:

How would you like to go up in a swing?

Over the ocean blue.

Oh I do think it’s the most wonderful thing

ever a child could do.

Oh, up, up in the sky

over the hill

till I can’t see no more

Higher and higher and higher you’ll go 

over the ocean blue!!

For all you NON injured folk, I came across something GREAT on bodybuilding.com.  Check it out HERE!!!!

It has everything!!  I will be using this for sure.  Lots of basics on nutrition, weight lifting exercises, meal plans, and workouts.  Jamie Eason is my fav. and I’ll use a lot of this information with my own personal training!!  Time to sign off.  I hope I hear no coughs tonight.  This is a busy time of year.  All good times and wonderful learning experiences to grow from.  Lift Heavy.  Work Hard.  Smile (:

I’ve got it figured out

Happy President’s Day!  It’s nice to have a holiday now and again.  A day for cousins to play and run through the house and a day to do house projects.  My kitchen is covered in tarp to finish up some granite work.  I’ve been thinking about the weekend and my lack of will power with my healthy eating goals.  I’ve come up with a few ideas.  First of all, I want all of you to know that I don’t always do what I say I’m going to do!!  I throw out different eating ideas, goals, and fitness regimens and then I do whatever the heck I want.  Very inspiring, huh?  I struggle like everyone with several weaknesses.  Sometimes it’s a daily effort to train my brain to get through them.

A few years ago I was staring into my closet looking for something and a thought came to me.  I hoped and wished that my daughter would not turn out like me.  I worry and think too much about being a certain size and I don’t want that to happen to her.  Over the weekend we went shopping and stopped at the chocolate store.  Everyone is buying something and I’m saying, no I’m o.k.  My 12 year old daughter is holding something drizzling with chocolate and caramel in my face and saying, “Please Mom eat this!  I’m tempting you!”  I don’t want her to think I’m that worried about eating a treat.  I give in… and then I eat more later that night and into Sunday.  So, I fail and fall.

The thing I need to learn better is that IT’S O.K.  I want everything to be happy and perfect in my life and sometimes it isn’t and I need to be o.k. with that.  When I get frustrated with myself or I just don’t understand my thoughts, I think of something happy!  I was happy this morning going for a run with 2 of my friends.  Happiness is a choice!  I have a few down moments and then it moves on and I find something uplifting again.  Figure yourself out, what makes you tick and what builds you up.  Don’t be too hard on yourself, focus on others, and do what makes you happy EVERY day.  A few things that make me happy: naps with my 4 year old, flowers, smiles, friends, family, exercise, clean houses, hugs, FOOD, church, LIFE!!!  Breathe it in and live it up!!!  Menu for the next 11 days is South Beach.  Meat, dairy, nuts, veges, and eggs.  I’ll let you know when I hit 127 🙂

How to find JOY in heartache

Life is  always changing, full of surprises, challenges, AND pure joy!  Experiences and opportunities help us become more understanding and caring to  lift others around us.  Despite my crazy busy life as a Mom of 5 kids, I hope and pray I will not get caught up in my own worries and selfishness to forget those in need of comfort around me.  Absolutely EVERYONE has struggles, hard times, despair, and lack of happiness throughout the journey of life.  When we show compassion and empathy for another it helps us with our OWN trials and brings us greater JOY!  I look around at the people I know and see sadness from miscarriages, deaths of loved ones, financial trials, marriage troubles, and the list goes on.  Most people don’t outwardly ask for help.  It doesn’t take much to say a kind word, to listen, or to make a REAL phone call and ask, “Is everything o.k. or How are you doing?”

Today I was up and running (not literally) at 7:00 a.m.  I haven’t done the dishes, put away laundry, or many many others things that I NEED to do and that’s O.K!!!  I want to stop hurrying around and notice what really matters.  Here are a few ideas to help bring LIGHT to ourselves and others!!

• Call your Mom or Dad.  They love you more than anyone.  Ask how they are doing and tell them you love them.
• Make cookies for your friends.  If they are health nuts, make the effort to alter the recipe (:
• Read the scriptures and pray.
• Take time to BE with your kids.  Put away the phone, ipad, itouch, laptop, or any other distraction and be THERE listening, talking, and helping them with something.
• Go for a WALK and listen to music.
• Make food at home!  You’ll be proud of your dinner, it’s healthier, and MAYBE you can actually sit down together and enjoy the meal.

I could add many more!  What helps you when life gets tough?

Here are a few inspiring words from Harry Potter, a favorite of mine.

REMEMBER

Laugh and Smile!  Worries and Hard Times will be but a brief moment!  ALWAYS SMILE!!