I love the teenagers in my life. The ones I teach, the ones I coach, and the ones I minister to on a daily and weekly basis. They are fabulous beings, the workmanship of our Creator. They have their quirks, and sometimes I don't necessarily like them, but I love them with all my little heart can muster.
So that means I hurt when they hurt, and I worry when I see them enter into a situation that I feel is not ideal.
Lately, I have had a sweet young lady dealing with some issues regarding her personal relationships. She has not chosen the perfect path (as many of us have not,) and she is angry and bitter, because more or less, it has caught up with her. One of the adults that help work with our youth group spoke with her privately about this matter in such a way that she would be corrected, (not cornered,) and she has come to realize she has much to deal with. It breaks my heart to see this beautiful young girl (17) feel so worthless and broken. You can see it on her face. I personally feel like she has chosen these particular relationships because she doesn't feel like she is good enough to wait around for the right boy. She feels like she should "take what she can get."
I have also become very close with a young man who is dealing with terrible peer pressure. His self-esteem is such that he feels the need to go along with what his "friends" suggest. I sat with him a month or so ago as he cried his eyes out and admitted to things I could only imagine he would ever become involved with. It absolutely ripped my heart out, and I shared my past (not-so-stellar) experiences, and cried with him.
...What a gut-wrenching thing to behold.
My question is: How are these "good" kids who come from stable Christian homes, raised in church with stable guidance and every resource so broken? How are we as adults failing to minister to these kids, meet their needs, and teach them that they are worth so, so, so much more?
I understand that being a "good" person and being "raised in church" does not determine your outcome, but as Christian leaders, it is our job to "train up these children" in the ways of the Lord, and instill in them the beauty of His grace, love, and mercy. I know that they are growing and experiencing harder and harder things each day, and I know that each of us have to make our mistakes and learn from them. I know that we all possess a sinful nature, and that life is not always going to be sunshine and roses. But I do feel like in some ways I have failed them.
No, I can't stand beside them every day, and coddle them, and make their decisions for them; nor can the pastor, their parents, their siblings, grandparents, or the church family. But shouldn't we be guiding them in their decision making process? Isn't that part of discipleship?
I feel so discouraged and like such a failure. I want them to know the love of Christ fully and ultimately; even more fully than me or the other adults.
How do I teach these kids their worth? How do I teach them that they are loved?
*sigh*
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Friday Night Lights (as told on a Monday morning)
I love football. Truth be told, if I had completed my original major in journalism, I would absolutely love to be writing a regular column for some newspaper with a woman's take on the game. One thing I look forward to just as much as the thrill of a game, is the Monday morning water-cooler chat, which for me, as a teacher, actually takes place at my pencil sharpener. The conversation usually goes something like this:
Student: "Mrs. Caskey! Did you see the game Saturday night?"
Me: "Which one? Tigers and Demons or Panthers and Cardinals?"
Student: "Tigers and Demons! I can't believe LSU finally gave up a score to NSU!"
Me: "Yeah, it was a moment of weakness. But look at it from NSU's point of view! That was a historic field goal!"
Student: "Well, what did you think about the Panthers and Cardinals?"
....and so on.
I love it. Because as much as I love football on Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday afternoon, and Monday night, I love bonding with my students even more. Sure, I don't talk about football with all of my students, but sometimes, there is a special student, where there is nowehere else your lives can connect. Sometimes, your mutual love of a game that leaves a rush of excitement even after the game is done is enough to make you legit in that 13 year old's eyes. And sometimes, finding just a little common ground, even if it's totally irrelevant, makes all the difference.
Sometimes great days happen in unexpected ways. :)
Student: "Mrs. Caskey! Did you see the game Saturday night?"
Me: "Which one? Tigers and Demons or Panthers and Cardinals?"
Student: "Tigers and Demons! I can't believe LSU finally gave up a score to NSU!"
Me: "Yeah, it was a moment of weakness. But look at it from NSU's point of view! That was a historic field goal!"
Student: "Well, what did you think about the Panthers and Cardinals?"
....and so on.
I love it. Because as much as I love football on Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday afternoon, and Monday night, I love bonding with my students even more. Sure, I don't talk about football with all of my students, but sometimes, there is a special student, where there is nowehere else your lives can connect. Sometimes, your mutual love of a game that leaves a rush of excitement even after the game is done is enough to make you legit in that 13 year old's eyes. And sometimes, finding just a little common ground, even if it's totally irrelevant, makes all the difference.
Sometimes great days happen in unexpected ways. :)
Friday, July 15, 2011
Reasons to Smile :)
Anonymous once said, "Nobody cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy." That Anonymous was a smart guy.
Since my last post was fairly... horrible.. I decided that today should be a post about things that make me smile. Big things, little things.. it doesn't matter. They just have to make me smile. So, in no particular order, with or without explanation, here they are:
1.) My God. Pretty self explanatory, but when things seem dark, He always has a way of giving clarity, even if it's just for a split second.
2.) Football. I love a crisp autumn night surrounded by the sounds of fans cheering, lights buzzing.. I love the smell of the damp, fresh cut grass, the smoke from the grill, and the distinct scent of buttery popcorn. I love the "Let's... Go.. Tigers.. Let's Go!" chants in syncopated rhythm, and the crash of helmets and pads on the field. I love feeling my heart race as my favorite team nears the goal line, and even the sinking "woosh" of air from my lungs when a key pass is dropped. I love knowing that you win some, you lose some, but it doesn't determine your worth or importance. I.LOVE.THIS.GAME.
3.) Keith. :) He takes good care of me, even when I don't feel I need taking care of. (Yes, I know, I ended a sentence with a preposition.)
4.) Good grammar.
5.) My family - they're always supportive, even if sometimes slightly irritating, and they always know what to say when I need them to say it.
6.) My friends -- although I don't consider myself to have many true, true friends, I am blessed beyond measure to have the ones that I do. I am also incredibly blessed to have an entire community of sweet, and supportive acquaintances, who although I don't see them often, never cease to amaze me in times of need of encouragement, love, and acceptance. I may not know my "acquaintances" well, but they are special.
7.) My puppy girl, Asa. Her sweet bark lets me know that I was missed after a long day, and when she bowls me over and nearly knocks me down when I come through the gate, I know it's because I am loved. :)
Since my last post was fairly... horrible.. I decided that today should be a post about things that make me smile. Big things, little things.. it doesn't matter. They just have to make me smile. So, in no particular order, with or without explanation, here they are:
1.) My God. Pretty self explanatory, but when things seem dark, He always has a way of giving clarity, even if it's just for a split second.
2.) Football. I love a crisp autumn night surrounded by the sounds of fans cheering, lights buzzing.. I love the smell of the damp, fresh cut grass, the smoke from the grill, and the distinct scent of buttery popcorn. I love the "Let's... Go.. Tigers.. Let's Go!" chants in syncopated rhythm, and the crash of helmets and pads on the field. I love feeling my heart race as my favorite team nears the goal line, and even the sinking "woosh" of air from my lungs when a key pass is dropped. I love knowing that you win some, you lose some, but it doesn't determine your worth or importance. I.LOVE.THIS.GAME.
3.) Keith. :) He takes good care of me, even when I don't feel I need taking care of. (Yes, I know, I ended a sentence with a preposition.)
4.) Good grammar.
5.) My family - they're always supportive, even if sometimes slightly irritating, and they always know what to say when I need them to say it.
6.) My friends -- although I don't consider myself to have many true, true friends, I am blessed beyond measure to have the ones that I do. I am also incredibly blessed to have an entire community of sweet, and supportive acquaintances, who although I don't see them often, never cease to amaze me in times of need of encouragement, love, and acceptance. I may not know my "acquaintances" well, but they are special.
7.) My puppy girl, Asa. Her sweet bark lets me know that I was missed after a long day, and when she bowls me over and nearly knocks me down when I come through the gate, I know it's because I am loved. :)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Suck it, Ohio.
Today I'm very upset. I wish I had some profoud explanation; some word of wisdom for coping. I don't. I'm just upset.
Keith wants to move to Ohio. I shudder at the thought of Ohio. For one, my family doesn't live there. I know that as a "good wife," I'm supposed to want to pack up and trail my husband wherever he thinks we should go. I know I'm supposed to say, "We've broken away, and we're our own family now." However, I don't feel like moving to Ohio is the right thing. I can't imagine raising a family without my future hypothetical kids having MiMi, Uncle Jim, and Melissa, and Madeline ready and waiting to see them every Sunday after church. I can't imagine my hypothetical children having a childhood where they're unfamiliar with "MaMaw" when she's in the latest years of her life just now. What if they didn't know MaMaw at all? MaMaw was one of the most important parts of my childhood. What if they didn't know Uncle Reggie, Uncle Bubba, Aunt J, or Uncle Stan? No family cookouts on birthdays, and no big Christmases that leave you just as frustrated with your relatives as you are glad to see them...
Second, my job isn't there. I don't have a job that I can do just anywhere. Being certified to teach in Louisiana is just that: certification in Louisiana. It's non-transferrable. What if I had to go back to school? I have a Master's degree for Pete's sake! What if I needed endless tests and periods of audit just to get a job in a place where I would only be for a few years? And on top of that, I LOVE my job. I was lucky/blessed enough to be placed in the single best school in the entire parish where I work. We have the fewest number of discipline problems, some of the highest test scores, and all of my co-workers are amazing -- several of them life-long friends of mine! They lobbied to get me hired in my current position, and I LOVE it. How could I give that up?
I also have a job in my church. My church family is incredibly important to me -- nearly as important as my own flesh and blood family. I work with the youth in my church, and it is wonderful. I enjoy talking to them, taking them places, helping them understand things, and relate to the world around them. My youth are the perfect combination of my job and family. Even though at times (like tonight) they can be infuriating, I still love them, and I wouldn't want to leave them.
And friends? I don't even have friends in Winnfield. I don't find that I make true friends easily. Most of my friends that I hang out with on a regular basis either fall into the church family category (which crosses into my job category, because most of us who work together go to church together as well...) or my former co-worker category. The friends whom I see most often worked with me at CCA. Although CCA is practically defunct now, I still cherish my time with the girls I taught with, or who worked at the school in a volunteer capacity. I see them about once a month, and that is the extent of my "girls' time." That being said, if I can't make friends close to home, where I have connections, how alone am I going to be somewhere where I have nothing?
If I can't work, and I don't have friends, what will I do all day? Will I sit and stare at 4 walls? That sounds horrible.
On the other hand, he's mentioned moving without me. You know, live there 3/4 of the time.. and split the rest with me back here. That thought also terrifies me. I know that probably sounds silly, -- I lived on my own for years before we were married -- but it does. And honestly, I am more scared to stay alone here in W-field than I was when I lived in a bigger town before. What happens when someone breaks into my car on the carport in the middle of the night and I am all alone? You laugh, but it has happened before!
How can you have a marriage with a person who lives a thousand miles away? What would that be like? It seems like it would be horrible, and not a marriage at all. What about those hypothetical kids? No chance of having any if we sleep in separate beds, let alone separate states. And if I did get pregnant? I imagine it would be SUPER fun spending a pregnancy alone, and then raising a kid all by myself. Would the hypotehtical kid even recognize "daddy" when he came home? HORRIBLE.
So yeah, I'm upset today. I wish I knew what to do about it, but I don't. So. *sigh*.. there. Suck it, Ohio.
Keith wants to move to Ohio. I shudder at the thought of Ohio. For one, my family doesn't live there. I know that as a "good wife," I'm supposed to want to pack up and trail my husband wherever he thinks we should go. I know I'm supposed to say, "We've broken away, and we're our own family now." However, I don't feel like moving to Ohio is the right thing. I can't imagine raising a family without my future hypothetical kids having MiMi, Uncle Jim, and Melissa, and Madeline ready and waiting to see them every Sunday after church. I can't imagine my hypothetical children having a childhood where they're unfamiliar with "MaMaw" when she's in the latest years of her life just now. What if they didn't know MaMaw at all? MaMaw was one of the most important parts of my childhood. What if they didn't know Uncle Reggie, Uncle Bubba, Aunt J, or Uncle Stan? No family cookouts on birthdays, and no big Christmases that leave you just as frustrated with your relatives as you are glad to see them...
Second, my job isn't there. I don't have a job that I can do just anywhere. Being certified to teach in Louisiana is just that: certification in Louisiana. It's non-transferrable. What if I had to go back to school? I have a Master's degree for Pete's sake! What if I needed endless tests and periods of audit just to get a job in a place where I would only be for a few years? And on top of that, I LOVE my job. I was lucky/blessed enough to be placed in the single best school in the entire parish where I work. We have the fewest number of discipline problems, some of the highest test scores, and all of my co-workers are amazing -- several of them life-long friends of mine! They lobbied to get me hired in my current position, and I LOVE it. How could I give that up?
I also have a job in my church. My church family is incredibly important to me -- nearly as important as my own flesh and blood family. I work with the youth in my church, and it is wonderful. I enjoy talking to them, taking them places, helping them understand things, and relate to the world around them. My youth are the perfect combination of my job and family. Even though at times (like tonight) they can be infuriating, I still love them, and I wouldn't want to leave them.
And friends? I don't even have friends in Winnfield. I don't find that I make true friends easily. Most of my friends that I hang out with on a regular basis either fall into the church family category (which crosses into my job category, because most of us who work together go to church together as well...) or my former co-worker category. The friends whom I see most often worked with me at CCA. Although CCA is practically defunct now, I still cherish my time with the girls I taught with, or who worked at the school in a volunteer capacity. I see them about once a month, and that is the extent of my "girls' time." That being said, if I can't make friends close to home, where I have connections, how alone am I going to be somewhere where I have nothing?
If I can't work, and I don't have friends, what will I do all day? Will I sit and stare at 4 walls? That sounds horrible.
On the other hand, he's mentioned moving without me. You know, live there 3/4 of the time.. and split the rest with me back here. That thought also terrifies me. I know that probably sounds silly, -- I lived on my own for years before we were married -- but it does. And honestly, I am more scared to stay alone here in W-field than I was when I lived in a bigger town before. What happens when someone breaks into my car on the carport in the middle of the night and I am all alone? You laugh, but it has happened before!
How can you have a marriage with a person who lives a thousand miles away? What would that be like? It seems like it would be horrible, and not a marriage at all. What about those hypothetical kids? No chance of having any if we sleep in separate beds, let alone separate states. And if I did get pregnant? I imagine it would be SUPER fun spending a pregnancy alone, and then raising a kid all by myself. Would the hypotehtical kid even recognize "daddy" when he came home? HORRIBLE.
So yeah, I'm upset today. I wish I knew what to do about it, but I don't. So. *sigh*.. there. Suck it, Ohio.
Monday, April 4, 2011
My "Workout"
Earlier this week, my school received some workout equipment from a "Healthy Living for Teachers" grant. We got a treadmill, a stationary bike, free weights, resistance bands, an ab glider, yoga mats, workout DVDs, and one of those back-stretcher inversion table things. Our principal set it all up in our new lounge (we took in an un-used classroom), so now we have a regular little gym!
I'm off work today. I'm heading to Lafayette later today to serve as MOH in a friend's wedding. After a meeting at the school board office yesterday, I went back up to the school around 6 to get stuff together for my sub. While I was waiting on about 150 copies in the room connected to the lounge, I thought "Hey, this would be a good time to sneak in about 20 minutes of exercise!" I did the ab glider thing for several reps, and then did some resistance stuff. Then I see the inversion table. I thought to myself, "Ok, I'm not actually going to get on this thing, but I'm going to look at to see how it works, so if I want to do it during school, I will know how it works and I won't look like an idiot." I mean, really, guys. What's the harm in seeing how this thing works?
I walk over to this thing that looks like a standing weight bench crossed with a Chinese torture rack, and I'm checking it out. I look at the foot rests, feel how sturdy it is, check out how easily it inverts.. it moves slowly. I'm thinking, "Ok, so this is like a gradual thing." ...So, I'm looking, and I'm thinking "You must put your feet in here, and it hooks your ankles.., then you grab the handles and gradually put yourself back." I'm feeling of it, and it feels like it raises up a whole lot easier than it goes back. I think to myself, "Ok, I'm just gonna stand on the bottom bar and see how you do the foot thing, but I'm soooo not doing it." So, I put my feet on the foot rest, and I'm standing on the bar. I have this fleeting thought, "Ok, so at this point you must pull yourself backwards with the handles." I briefly glance up toward the ceiling. No sooner than I even THINK about looking up at the ceiling, this thing GRABS me by the ankles, and I am now DANGLING by them with my head 6 inches from the floor!
My initial thought is "Wow, this feels kinda good!" My next thought is "OMG! I'M HANGING BY MY ANKLES!" My *next* thought is "OMG, IF I FALL I'LL LAND ON MY HEAD, BREAK MY NECK, and DIE!!!" Ok, take a breath.. I think to myself "It's ok, it's ok! This is how this thing works! People do this on purpose! If it goes back this easily, it must come up like nothing!" I grab the handles and try to raise myself up. Nothing. At this point, I begin to panic. What if I can't get up? What if I'm hanging here at 8 AM when everyone gets here? What if I fall and break my neck!? The headlines will say, "Teacher dies upside down in torture rack because of her own stupidity!" Then my internal dialogue is something like this, "You're going to die! You're such an idiot! What were you thinking? Grab the handles lower.. you'll have more leverage. Omg, you're going to die!" I take a deep breath and grab the handles lower and start to pull myself up. Hey! It's working! Until something makes this popping noise and it bangs back down. My left foot comes loose. Now I am dangling UPSIDE DOWN BY ONE ANKLE!
At this point, I am really about to have a heart attack. I'm locked in this school, by myself, in the almost dark (no, I didn't even turn on the main overhead light!), and I'm hanging upside down, head six inches above the floor, by ONE ANKLE. I wiggle around trying to get my foot back in to try and set myself up once again, and then the inevitable happens.. my other foot starts to slip. BANG. Right on the floor. First thought, "OUCH!" Second thought, "I'm FREE!" Third thought, "Am I dead?" Thankfully, I slipped slowly and I was able to tuck and roll a little, but the stupid thing had caught my leg and scraped this HUGE amount of skin off my leg.
I somehow crawled away from it and make it back to upright standing position with 100% certainty of two things: 1.) They weren't going to find me dead the next morning, and 2.) I AM NEVER GETTING ON THAT THING AGAIN!
Hope you enjoyed your laugh at my expense for the day!
I'm off work today. I'm heading to Lafayette later today to serve as MOH in a friend's wedding. After a meeting at the school board office yesterday, I went back up to the school around 6 to get stuff together for my sub. While I was waiting on about 150 copies in the room connected to the lounge, I thought "Hey, this would be a good time to sneak in about 20 minutes of exercise!" I did the ab glider thing for several reps, and then did some resistance stuff. Then I see the inversion table. I thought to myself, "Ok, I'm not actually going to get on this thing, but I'm going to look at to see how it works, so if I want to do it during school, I will know how it works and I won't look like an idiot." I mean, really, guys. What's the harm in seeing how this thing works?
I walk over to this thing that looks like a standing weight bench crossed with a Chinese torture rack, and I'm checking it out. I look at the foot rests, feel how sturdy it is, check out how easily it inverts.. it moves slowly. I'm thinking, "Ok, so this is like a gradual thing." ...So, I'm looking, and I'm thinking "You must put your feet in here, and it hooks your ankles.., then you grab the handles and gradually put yourself back." I'm feeling of it, and it feels like it raises up a whole lot easier than it goes back. I think to myself, "Ok, I'm just gonna stand on the bottom bar and see how you do the foot thing, but I'm soooo not doing it." So, I put my feet on the foot rest, and I'm standing on the bar. I have this fleeting thought, "Ok, so at this point you must pull yourself backwards with the handles." I briefly glance up toward the ceiling. No sooner than I even THINK about looking up at the ceiling, this thing GRABS me by the ankles, and I am now DANGLING by them with my head 6 inches from the floor!
My initial thought is "Wow, this feels kinda good!" My next thought is "OMG! I'M HANGING BY MY ANKLES!" My *next* thought is "OMG, IF I FALL I'LL LAND ON MY HEAD, BREAK MY NECK, and DIE!!!" Ok, take a breath.. I think to myself "It's ok, it's ok! This is how this thing works! People do this on purpose! If it goes back this easily, it must come up like nothing!" I grab the handles and try to raise myself up. Nothing. At this point, I begin to panic. What if I can't get up? What if I'm hanging here at 8 AM when everyone gets here? What if I fall and break my neck!? The headlines will say, "Teacher dies upside down in torture rack because of her own stupidity!" Then my internal dialogue is something like this, "You're going to die! You're such an idiot! What were you thinking? Grab the handles lower.. you'll have more leverage. Omg, you're going to die!" I take a deep breath and grab the handles lower and start to pull myself up. Hey! It's working! Until something makes this popping noise and it bangs back down. My left foot comes loose. Now I am dangling UPSIDE DOWN BY ONE ANKLE!
At this point, I am really about to have a heart attack. I'm locked in this school, by myself, in the almost dark (no, I didn't even turn on the main overhead light!), and I'm hanging upside down, head six inches above the floor, by ONE ANKLE. I wiggle around trying to get my foot back in to try and set myself up once again, and then the inevitable happens.. my other foot starts to slip. BANG. Right on the floor. First thought, "OUCH!" Second thought, "I'm FREE!" Third thought, "Am I dead?" Thankfully, I slipped slowly and I was able to tuck and roll a little, but the stupid thing had caught my leg and scraped this HUGE amount of skin off my leg.
I somehow crawled away from it and make it back to upright standing position with 100% certainty of two things: 1.) They weren't going to find me dead the next morning, and 2.) I AM NEVER GETTING ON THAT THING AGAIN!
Hope you enjoyed your laugh at my expense for the day!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Inspiration
Well, even though I began incorporating exercise into my routine last week, I slacked some on my diet and ended up not doing so hot. I tend to agree with the old quote, though "You haven't failed if you haven't stopped." Well, I'm not stopping, so I haven't failed. It's a small setback, but I'm getting back on track. Today was fine, and I have my entire menu planned out for the week and did all my shopping. I have my stuff together, so I'm already a step ahead.
I did end up clicking through some old pictures on facebook, though, and I came up with some inspiration for where I'm going here. I call it "Tracy, circa 2005-2006." Dang, I was lookin' good back then, and didn't even realize it. I'm going to post a couple of pictures below to get my motivation working. Here we go!
"Best Friends Forever Goodbye Dinner" May '06
Christmas Gala - LC Dec. '06
"Twilight Breakfast" LC May '06
23rd Birthday, May '07
I'm hoping to see a lot less of me, and a lot more of the former me very, very soon! Stay tuned!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Pounding the Pavement
Today I started a workout regimen. We officially un-joined our gym. Counter-intuitive? Not entirely. We never used the gym. It was basically sucking $50 a month out of our bank accounts. I went a few times, but honestly, I was always super intimidated by going to the gym here. I don't know why.. maybe it was just the set up. I never felt that way at LC or at my gym in Pineville,but nevertheless, I somehow always avoided it. But, I figure the gym isn't the end-all be-all of my personal fitness journey.
Last night I tweeted asking for suggestions for my iPod workout playlist.. I got a few, but could use some more. Anyway, I downloaded a few songs on iTunes, and loaded my "touch." Today's first step? Get up, and get moving. I've decided to start a daily Run/Walk. I'm inspired by my friend Brittney who is currently training for her first 5K. I picked up my iPod, laced up my shoes, and headed out the door. The result? 34 min 56 seconds of pure empowerment while I jammed on everything from Britney, to Bieber, to Lil John and the Ying Yang Twins. (On a side note, I'm not sure why, but working out always makes me want to listen to rap.. Get Low, Wobble Wobble, Salt Shaker. I think I have a problem.)
What I learned is that I still like walking, and I think I will eventually like running again. I learned that the hardest part is slipping my feet inside my shoes, and getting out the front door. I live in a gorgeous neighborhood that is very friendly and safe, and there's no reason I can't get out there in it. Walking in my neighborhood jamming to some awesome tunes is not a chore. It was actually very fun and stress relieving. The beautiful weather is an added bonus.
I'm not going to make any goofy vows about how I'm going to do it every day, and my life is going to improve drastically, and I'm going to run a marathon, or any of that. I feel like at this point, that would be unrealistic. However, what I will say is that I'm going to use this post to serve as a reminder that exercise is not torture. There are some active things that I find very enjoyable. I even felt compelled to dance around my living room when I got home and my favorite song was still playing. Exercise actually can be fun when you'r ein the right frame of mind, and I think I am getting there.
I hope to see some major improvements in my overall health over the coming months. I've already seen an improvement in my weight, and I hope the downward trend continues. I'm learning to eat smart again, and most importantly, I'm learning to do it consistently. That, my friend, makes all the difference in my mindset. :)
Last night I tweeted asking for suggestions for my iPod workout playlist.. I got a few, but could use some more. Anyway, I downloaded a few songs on iTunes, and loaded my "touch." Today's first step? Get up, and get moving. I've decided to start a daily Run/Walk. I'm inspired by my friend Brittney who is currently training for her first 5K. I picked up my iPod, laced up my shoes, and headed out the door. The result? 34 min 56 seconds of pure empowerment while I jammed on everything from Britney, to Bieber, to Lil John and the Ying Yang Twins. (On a side note, I'm not sure why, but working out always makes me want to listen to rap.. Get Low, Wobble Wobble, Salt Shaker. I think I have a problem.)
What I learned is that I still like walking, and I think I will eventually like running again. I learned that the hardest part is slipping my feet inside my shoes, and getting out the front door. I live in a gorgeous neighborhood that is very friendly and safe, and there's no reason I can't get out there in it. Walking in my neighborhood jamming to some awesome tunes is not a chore. It was actually very fun and stress relieving. The beautiful weather is an added bonus.
I'm not going to make any goofy vows about how I'm going to do it every day, and my life is going to improve drastically, and I'm going to run a marathon, or any of that. I feel like at this point, that would be unrealistic. However, what I will say is that I'm going to use this post to serve as a reminder that exercise is not torture. There are some active things that I find very enjoyable. I even felt compelled to dance around my living room when I got home and my favorite song was still playing. Exercise actually can be fun when you'r ein the right frame of mind, and I think I am getting there.
I hope to see some major improvements in my overall health over the coming months. I've already seen an improvement in my weight, and I hope the downward trend continues. I'm learning to eat smart again, and most importantly, I'm learning to do it consistently. That, my friend, makes all the difference in my mindset. :)
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