It's about time.

Every day, every day, the thought goes through my head, sometimes making it to a list of things to do, that today is the day I am going to start exercising for the rest of my life.  Every night, I hit the bed without having done so.  What does it do to your psyche when, day after day, you break a promise to yourself and your health?  It can't be good.  

Today, I came across an article with 10 encouraging quotes to get us up and moving.  Several  resonated with me, one of which I posted on Facebook.  Along with a dear friend who posts a positive energetic message every morning, I am going to start posting an encouraging exercise quote daily to help keep this in the forefront of my mind and perhaps to motivate others, also.  So, today's quote from an unknown source is:

                 "No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch."

Perfect for those of us who are not up to marathoning yet.

To your health!

I just know.

Like you, I imagine, I make promises to myself on a daily basis about how I'm going to eat right and exercise, starting NOW!  Yet, at the end of every day, it is clear that, once again, the day has gone by and none of the steps I planned has been put in place.  Until now.

Exercising daily was and is part of that daily promise.  The amount of time and money I have spent trying to persuade and cajole and ease myself into exercising every day cannot be calculated.  My collection of books, magazines, print-outs from online searches, and DVDs could easily stock the fitness section of a small library.  Yet, aside from occasional short-lived spurts of activity, I have not been able to establish a lifetime habit of daily exercise.  Until now.

A little over two weeks ago, on Saturday, November 26, I had a short talk with myself and decided that, if nothing else, I would do one move a day, a modified sun salutation adapted from yoga.  That was it.  I have done it every day since and, for whatever reason, I know this will stick.  I don't know why.  I can't give you any insight into what made this time different.  It is and I just know.

I am up to doing 4 to 5 in a row each day.  Sometimes it leads into more yoga moves or into toning or aerobic moves and sometimes not.  But, it is happening every day and it will continue as long as I am able.  I don't know why.  I wish I could tell you what kicked it off.  I just know this time will stick, no hysteria, no beating or berating myself.

Maybe that is part of it.  My steady quiet conviction that this is now a daily occurrence for the rest of my life and that's it, no discussion.

What can I say?  Give it a try.

Keeping promises

What do you mean?  I keep my promises.  To others, yes.  What about to yourself?

Every morning, faced with the consequences of what I did or did not do yesterday, I go over what needs to be arranged for the coming day which will get my weight and my body to its best shape.  These are promises that you and I, who are trying to change the way we eat, make to ourselves each day.  Why, then, are we still carrying around extra pounds?  Because daily, time after time, we've broken the promises we've made to ourselves.  

This betrayal of ourselves erodes our spirit.  As faithful as I am to my word to others, I opt out time after time after time to myself.  It is a burden that I carry physically and spiritually.  It is a darkness and a dissatisfaction with myself that spills over into the rest of my life:  into relationships I hope will develop, into adventures in which I could participate, in so many small ways every day that narrow and limit my experiences.  What is left is sitting in front of the tv, eating, and struggling to find the energy and the strength to get the minimum done each day.  Is this a rich fulfilling life?  NO!

Enough!

Today's rallying cry is:

SEIZE TODAY'S OPPORTUNITY!

KEEP TODAY'S PROMISE!

Don't let the day or the promise go by one more time.

Those broken promises build up little by little into thick layers that hold us down.

Begin building the layers that will take you to the best places you can imagine.

Yeah! for the best we can be for ourselves.  Salud!