We had a “Hail” of a good weekend, you can click through to read about it and see some pictures.
I’m feeling so much more like myself today. Yesterday it felt like the fog was starting to lift and I am absolutely YEARNING for this better feeling to last more than just to the end of the work day.
Last week Grace and I logged over 32 kilometers together and I think that went a long way in having a bit of a shakeout. It was all green, fresh exercise and any exercise with my dog beside me is a gold star in my book!
My goal tonight is 4.5-5k with Grace in the park (rain or shine) and then home to make dinner. Tonight it’s very simple to make, hamburgers baked in the oven with leftover roasted veggies. I’m going to avoid turning on the television at all tonight and get some of the things that have been bugging me done. Tidying, dusting, laundry finished up. I’m also going to get my gym bag packed up and ready to go.
As you may know, I’ve been struggling lately….I would say consistently having a hard time over the last 9-12 months. Trying to find my groove and being knocked down more often than not. It’s definitely getting tiresome. A friend of a friend on Twitter sent me a link to an article that really struck me right in the heart. It’s about having an “upper limit problem”. The article is a bit long but do go and read it, it’s wonderful!
http://www.marieforleo.com/2010/08/upper-limit-problem/
It talks about how we have limits to how much love, success and happiness that we allow ourselves to feel/achieve, or really, how much of those things we are capable of dealing with at any one time. I had been lamenting in my previous post about how I always, always get stuck here in this same spot that I’m in right now. That I’ll distract myself with other things for awhile to avoid noticing that I’m up against a wall. Because the trouble is, I don’t know how to get over that wall, it’s too tall and too solid. The ticket is, I realize, to stop trying to go over and smash through the wall, but to take a step back and look for the unlocked door and simply walk through.
In the past when I’ve wanted to change something, fix something, create something, I just jump in and get my hands dirty, work hard, dig deep and make whatever it is happen. Pain, time, effort be damned. No matter how hard I am trying to push myself right now though, it’s like my feet are cemented into the ground where I stand and no amount of shoving is helping move me.
So….I’m taking a different approach. Instead of trying to force myself to move from where I am right now, I’m going to back off a bit. Instead of trying to scold or curse or guilt myself into feeling a certain way or expecting a certain result, I’m just going to try and relax. I saw it written somewhere over the weekend that when you hang onto constant stress, your (fat) cells feel like they’re being yelled at all the time and so they become numbed to any sort of input. There is zero point in eating naturally and moving naturally and trying to live as low key as possible when your insides are having to listen to a Metallica concert 24 hours a day.
Instead of looking forward and trying to become someone else, I’m going to look at myself where and who I am and be the person that I am right now. I believe in constant improvement, constantly trying to better yourself, achieve more, succeed and win. I think I’ve been going about it wrong lately though. I’ve been trying to project ahead to that woman in the future. The problem with that is that it does a disservice to the woman that I am right now! There’s nothing wrong with goals and we should all have them. There is something wrong with having a goal and then beating your current self up because she’s not there.
Future Me: I want to eat clean and kick sugar once and for all.
Current Me: I do eat very clean, healthy and whole right now. I work all the time at limiting and reducing my sugar intake
Progressive Me: Continue daily living, question urges and motivations and pick instances that mean something before indulging in treats.
Future Me: I want a perfectly balanced relationship with equal give and take and lots of gratuitous affection.
Current Me: I have a man who loves me endlessly, a fulfilling relationship with lots of fun and togetherness.
Progressive Me: Reduce internal dialogue that doesn’t serve a positive purpose.
Future Me: I have very high goals of who I want to be/look like/achieve.
Current Me: I am healthy and able and fit and strong. I work hard and putting the Future Me in the forefront of my mind doesn’t allow Current Me to shine.
Progressive Me: Don’t let Future Me eclipse Current Me. Do the hardwork to better your CURRENT SELF, one day at a time!
Change is scary. I am not big on it (as I’m sure is a common feeling). In reality though, personal change occurs slowly, one day and one action at a time. Standing where I am right now and projecting ahead to Future Me is like standing at the bottom of a mountain and being told to jump straight up to the top. The reality is that it’s not a one time straight up jump. It’s a hike, a step, a slide, another step.
This post is all over the place, I realize that. But my head’s been in such a fog for awhile that when it clears, however temporarily, I have to embrace it!
Fitty vs Fatty 
I love this post – wish I could heed it’s advice. I remember feeling so fat and ugly on my wedding day only to look back at the pictures and realize how thin, fit and beautiful I was. I wasted so much time that day fretting about something that wasn’t even real. How stupid. I could have enjoyed that time in my life so much more if I had just accepted current me. I hope you are able to keep talking to your current self and reminding her how great you are!