This post is about choosing to live instead of just existing. A focus on my body, mind and soul are the three areas that I will cover in the next three posts. Today’s post covers this from an introductory perspective and from a body perspective. Quite literally some food for thought!
I’m becoming a little more difficult as I age. I want more out of life. There is a difference between existing and living. There is a difference between making life happen and allowing life to happen to you. I’m no longer content with the routine of my days. I feel the clock ticking and I want to learn more, do more, move more and experience more. It all started with my surgery.
Call it an epiphany, a light-bulb moment, an inspiration or an “aha” moment. The problem with these “moments,” is that quite frequently we experience them and then forget to practice and incorporate these lessons into our daily lives. The good news is that some of these moments are truly starting to sink into my stubborn head. The key to living is to love yourself in a healthy way and to make that a priority in your life
Last Septembe
r I went to a gym that is owned by an old friend of mine. I pushed myself like I never have before and injured myself in the process. “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” For years I’ve been having issues with my left foot in the form of a Haglund’s Deformity and that one session just sent my Achilles tendon over the edge. I spent the last year in sporadic pain and completely quit exercising as a result. After numerous doctor appointments it became clear that surgery was my only option.
Thirty days later and the daily non-weight bearing frustration has created an appreciation for my body that I really never had before. It has also made me determined to get healthy in body, mind and soul.
Look…screw thinking one can be young again.
You can’t. No amount of botox, hair color, lipo, or exercise classes can put off the inevitable truth that we are all aging. When the construction workers stop whistling as you walk by it also means that the truth is staring you right in your laugher lined face! Those days are over, the days when youth was part of your identity and you could drop ten pounds in one week.
You know what makes you beautiful today? Your children, your interests, your experiences and your healthy body. A healthy body means that you use it. You walk with it, you feed it properly, you hydrate it and you experience life to the fullest with it. Living makes you interesting. This is what makes you beautiful. The superficial is “out,” and “living” is in.
Forget about skinny. Start thinking about your life. Start thinking about your health! I look at my husband’s 73 year old parents who are still running and winning orienteering competitions. At the same time they tell us stories of those people around them who can no longer get around.
I also have a friend that just finished an Ironman race. I am blown away. I am so impressed by her strength. It goes beyond her athletic accomplishments. During the times that I run into her at a school function or at a party, she always seems so calm and balanced. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I think she is strong and healthy and maybe, just maybe, she is a bit more centered as a result.
I want to LIVE. I don’t want to just exist…I want to live. Today I am choosing how to live out my days. It’s time for me to face the truth and that truth is that my body matters. The ability to walk on two feet, to run if I need to run, to dance when I want to dance and to hike if I want to hike are all activities I will no longer take for granted. My body is not a trash can for junk food, sodas or sweets. What use is investing and saving up for retirement if one does not invest in their body? These are the thoughts roaming around in my head. The time is now.
So the cast comes off and the walking begins. I will never take my body for granted again.
Here’s to living out your days strong and healthy. Start today.
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