Alright, well it’s officially been over one month since I paused to write a post here, and I can and probably would continue to come up with a thousand excuses and delay the inevitable, but alas, I am going to finally ‘just start’! Technically, even this short initial paragraph would suffice as ‘starting’. Here goes nothing…
The intent here is to not overthink. Just let my ideas flow…
Just starting can be the hardest part. I think back to starting back up with some serious consistent exercise ~ 2 weeks ago. Woah! That wasn’t easy! Brutal in fact! Everything hurt. My body simply shut down by 4pm and insisted I collapse on the floor to nap even if just for 10-15 minutes. Resuming the training program Adrian & I follow consisting of weightlifting and endurance work – phew! Needless to say, I definitely fell back out of shape, but starting back up was the hardest part. Now, we are far more consistent than we have been in awhile, and we are ALL feeling great! We found a new and improved way to include and incorporate Bryson into our morning workout sessions, and it truly is the best quality family time. Prioritizing our health. Modeling the importance of taking care of ourselves and our bodies on a regular basis even if some days that just looks like a long walk or a long playground play session. Who would have thought ‘running’ around with a soon-to-be 1-year-old could be SO exhausting?! Another reason to stay in shape! I want to be able to chase Bryson around as much as I possibly can before I need to ‘tap out’ and breathe for 10+ minutes. That is so important to me! I am grateful that I also enjoy exercising and it is not just something I know I have to do. I get to do it. I love doing it. I feel the best I feel when I do it. I just needed to get started!
There are a lot of things that I am planning on ‘just starting’…
I definitely see the value in recognizing and acting upon the notion of ‘there is no time like the present’. Just get started! Just do it! Thank you, Nike. Although I do acknowledge and accept that life does present unexpected ‘distractions’ and interruptions when we may least expect them. Alas, we need to ‘adapt and overcome’ like Adrian always tells me, and do the best with what we have in the moment. I always want to be in the moment as much as I possibly can, but lately I am allowing myself to embrace the fact that we will always have ‘stuff to do’. It’s a matter of prioritizing what we can do in the moment and what can truly be postponed so we are truly enjoying the life that we are working so hard to create.
Bryson recently reminded me of this simple concept of ‘looking up’. I observed how interested he was in the lights in the grocery stores we visit. It would never have dawned on me to look anywhere but at my shopping list, the food, and the people I am maneuvering around. I was always on such a mission before when we would go grocery shopping. More and more, I remind myself to just simply look up. Take a moment. There is no rush. Pause. Breathe. Enjoy. Shopping with a baby has been a whole new experience from the start though, as we are pretty adamant about ensuring it’s a memorable experience for Bryson from start to finish. There really is a LOT that can be learned when we go grocery shopping. We are not just there to pick up food. We explore. We read. We chit-chat with people. We smile at others. We wave. We clap. We marvel at the occasional balloons. We have fun. We enjoy ourselves. We embrace the moment. We look up.
I really love the notion of ‘how we do anything is how we do everything’. I try very hard to keep this in mind as I approach something as simple as driving to run an errand. If I feel myself rushing, or if I feel myself getting frustrated by other drivers who are texting (this truly does infuriate and worry me so much, but I shall save that rant for another day), or if I feel myself reacting to things that are quite obviously out of my control, then I have to pause and check myself. I want to be extra mindful of how I even drive my car because I aspire to be calmer and kinder and more gentle with others because I really have no idea what everyone else around me is going through unless they share with me. I want to practice more compassion for others, also including myself. I want to believe that everyone is just trying their best with what they have and know in that moment. How we do anything is how we do everything. How I exercise in the mornings is how I will approach other aspects of my life. If I give my workout my best effort, best attitude, and best attention, then I can apply that same effort, attitude, and attention to my teaching, for example. By intentionally moving slower and not allowing myself to feel the ‘race’ or ‘rush’ we all might feel we’re in sometimes, I can be more mindful of how I am treating myself and others around me. There truly is a ripple effect…
Just start!!!
Well, I did it!
I successfully wrote another blog post.
This blog is for me. This blog is my time. This blog reminds me that the ‘calculated chaos of my mind’ is OKAY. It’s good! I started, and I am so happy that I did. That was fun! That was a good pause for me to kickstart this beautiful, rainy, calm Monday morning. I just did it.
I’ll close with reminding myself of the Four Agreements: be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best.
More to come…
With love,
Izzy
I was JUST about to go back through and ‘check’ what I wrote, but nope, I am just going to hit PUBLISH.
calculatedchaosofthemind 