A phone call brings me inspiration for the New Year…

A friend called last week to say Merry Christmas and catch up a bit. We exchanged lots about our families and what we had been doing…you know;  fun stuff, challenging and concerning stuff, and lots of  just plain simple everyday stuff. During the course of the conversation though, two things were talked about that inspired me. Two simple things really, nothing new, just things I already believe I need in my life. But because I am human, need to be reminded over and over again that these are the things that work.

1)     Stay in a hopeful place no matter the challenge

2)     The importance of routine in avoiding unhealthy choices in your diet

More about the conversation…

My friend and I talked about all the fun and yummy treats we are surrounded by at this time of year.  Neighbors and co-workers want to say “happy holidays” and often do so with homemade treats. Since my friend lives and works in the same building, it sounded like there had been lots of these homemade gifts given. One was mentioned however that made me have visions of sugar plums… you know “as in dancing in your head”, and I was doing a lot more than dancing with it in MY Head. Home-made Reese Cups. I have encountered these before and know first -hand how good they are, so when I heard,” I have not tasted these yet…but they look really good”, I was impressed by the self-control it must be taking to not partake. As my friend explained why, I had one of those Aw Ha! Moments. My friend was in a “place of routine” that kept the temptation at bay. A place of routine. I have those. We all do and we can use this place to help have a healthier life.

Places of Routine…

We all have these “places of routine”, some bad and some good. I am thinking of the good ones where being there always keeps temptation at a minimum and much easier to deal with. We can have these good ”places of routine” whether we stay at home or we work, or both. We have to create them though. Having retired last April, I know that having something worth-while to do every day keeps my focus on eating healthy so much easier. I want to work on that place this coming New Year.

Once someone has inspired me I try to research stories, articles and quotes to reinforce how I can best use the inspiration to benefit my butterfly quest. I found a pretty simple and straight forward article in my research about having a healthy and simple daily routine that I thought I could use. For me the simpler the better. All the blue text here is from that article.

http://www.naturalnews.com/024500_exercise_wellness_health.html

There are four main components to a successful wellness routine. They are:

1.Exercise
2.Nutrition
3.Spiritual Practice
4.Rest and Relaxation

 I usually wake up thirsty and sometimes hungry. I get up and go for a drink first off. I am so grateful to say that it is usually cold green tea and not my old beverage of choice, coke. What an addiction I had to that stuff. The drink refreshes me so I can abstain then from eating until I feel alive again.

The green tea and a warm soapy shower have become the routine that resurrects my sanity.  I try not to eat until I can think clearly.  I am not a morning person. I wake up feeling like a duck…not knowing where I even am sometimes. This is one of my routines that is a must unless there is an emergency that keeps me from it. Life and death emergency I am talking here. J

Exercise…

I try to fit stretching into my daily routine every day. I lie on the bed and do leg lifts, sit ups and a few other things to mostly just get the blood flowing and my joints moving. When I am in a hurry I skip this part of my morning routine…if I skip this too many mornings I can tell that the stiffness starts to set in about noon. Ouch!  I did go swimming every day during the summer but I am too cold natured to venture to the recreation pool now. I have tried it and my teeth chatter so hard that I can hardly breathe, so I am going to add something new to my winter evening routine this New Year.   There is a weight room here at the apartment complex where Peggy and Mark live so I will go there to ride the bike and use some weights before dinner each day. This should only take me about 30 minutes and should make a big difference I hope. I also love music and dancing and would like to add some zumba to my life. I can think of only one other thing that affects me like music and that is nature. I will keep you posted on this. Donna has some zumba cds, she would probably help her mother out don’t ya think? J

Your daily exercise should be doable and not require you to take a fitness class to accomplish. This type of exercise is more about moving your body than giving yourself the most challenging workout of your life. Examples of a daily exercise routine include:

1. Taking a walk around the neighborhood in the morning or after work.
2. Performing a simple yoga or qi-gong exercise in the morning or evening.
3. Riding your bike to the park.
4. Dancing to your favorite music in the comfort of your living room.

The important thing to remember is that you need to move your body each and every day to stay healthy and happy. Don't make exercise in to a huge obstacle to overcome. Find a way to fit more movement into your daily life and your body will thank you for it.

Nutrition…

I try to keep this simple and doable as well. I have not made a lot of drastic changes to my life with nutrition… There are simply some things I do not eat any more. Anything refined needs to be limited for me to almost null.  I have kept the things I love that are good for me as I mentioned before, salsa is a keeper for me.  Protein, salad and veggies are keepers. I need more fruit and I know that. I will have to work on that one. The problem is I love the summer fruits the best. Melons and peaches are some of my favorites. I do like Clementine’s and V8 juice a lot. Of course the salsa girl would love V8.

Diet and nutrition can be an overwhelming subject. Unless you are one of those people who enjoy counting calories and spending hours in food preparation, adjusting your diet may seem impossible. Try coming up with a moderate diet that provides leeway and space for those moments when you have a chocolate craving. Rather than rigidly trying to subtract specific foods from your diet, add nutritious, healthy options to your existing plate.

Spiritual Practice…

I try to keep my goal and desires foremost in my prayers and thoughts. Always listening and looking for inspiration. I have found the closer I listen and look the more spiritual I feel. God wants to inspire us. We sometimes let our lives become so cluttered with noise and worldly priorities that do not include him. This noise and clutter keep us from seeing the forest for the trees; or hearing the still small promptings and tender mercies and miracles all around us.  I need to keep working on this in the New Year.

Daily spiritual practice is the positive habit of connecting with a higher power or ideal, whether that is God, nature, or the mystery of the universe. You do not have to be a spiritual person to have a spiritual practice. Atheists, for example, might engage in a spiritual practice that consists of mindful journal writing each morning.
The purpose of daily spiritual practice is to disengage from the petty irritations and distractions of life and open the mind and spirit to see the bigger picture. A daily spiritual practice should nurture, uplift, and inspire.

Examples of daily spiritual practice include:

1. Prayer
2. Journaling
3. Creativity (art, music, writing)
4. Meditation

The benefits of a daily spiritual practice are cumulative and over time will lead to more peace of mind and a greater ability to handle life's challenges.

Rest and Relaxation…

Sometimes I have a very hard time sleeping lately. I then feel tired the whole next day. I have found that drinking diet pop too close to bed time is bad for me. I am up going to the bathroom too much and then my mind becomes active and I can’t get back to sleep. I know feeling rested is important because I don’t make good choices when I am feeling tried. I would never try to make a life changing decision late at night…go to bed and sleep first. Life looks so much more uncomplicated the next morning.

In our hurried world, the benefits of rest cannot be overstated. Too often we are running on fumes – too little sleep and too much activity. Sleep deprivation has been associated with all sorts of problems, from anxiety and depression to unsafe driving. Some scientists are studying a possible link between sleep deprivation and obesity (the theory is that sleep deprivation disrupts the production of important hormones).

Relaxation is also important. Your mind needs rest and play. If all you did was work from the beginning to the end of the day, you would become less effective overall due to the stress. Spend time relaxing every day, even if it's just a half an hour to read a favorite book or partake in a hobby.

Keep things simple….and hopeful!

At one point in my conversation with my friend I was told to stay “Hopeful”. Hmmmm, I did not react too positive at first to this advice… but once I thought about what was being said to me, I realized I had become pretty negative during the course of our conversation. Wow…talk about putting me in my place. J  Thinking about this challenge from my friend, to stay hopeful, has inspired me this week.

Once you leave your hopeful place you are not effective any more. Not effective in conversation or anything else you are doing. We need to stay hopeful.  Remember that just like anything in life; living a healthier life style will never be easy. Someone once told me that anything worthy of my time in this life would have a challenge and a sacrifice attached and that would be how I would recognize it as worthy. There will always be things that make it hard to stay hopeful and positive in life as well as trying to do and say the right things. Hopefully though! (No play on the word intended) we will be brought back to our senses, if not by our friends, then by ourselves, to our hopeful place. In this case a place of routine….where life can be simple and hopeful. A life style that will bring health of body, mind and spirit.  

Happy New Year… and I challenge you to make some routines for yourself in this New Year where you will more easily be able to stay hopeful and positive about everything worthy of doing in your life.

Good night butterflies