I was hanging out on twitter yesterday. I often find amazing inspiration or laughs from my twits. Yesterday I found both. I have been following the crazy antics of Team Double Knots. They ran an incredible race in upstate New York. A 200 mile relay that took them 31 consecutive hours to complete. Super human motivation happening there! It was all part of the Ragnar Relay series. There was a time in my life, last May, when I did not understand the need or drive to run. Never mind running huge distances like marathons or relay races. In my quest to have the outside me match the inside me, I get it now. Reading and understanding these monumental goals is like breathing to me now.
I it strange to me that this journey has evolved from becoming a healthy weight to becoming healthy in Body, Mind and spirit. Goal setting has become my lifes purpose. Odd as it sounds, it has become truth. The Goal has become the Momentum. I don’t seem to need any other motivation. I have become all consumed with meeting my goals. I line them up, have several in the fire for when I am ready for the next one. People I have met and Cognitive Behavior Therapy have taught me the importance of goal setting.
That brings me to my obsessive behavior towards my goals. I love swimming. I will not give it up for love or money. I have had to reduce it to 3 times a week and am kind of annoyed about it. My schedule does not allow for long swims anymore. Soon my group will be over and I can continue with hour long swims on Mondays. I cannot wait for that to happen! Group, as much as I hate it, I have learned life changing behavior. I now understand things I never did before and am grateful for the push to attend.
That gives me Swimming 3 times per week for a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Then there is my goal of walking in the Intact Edmonton 1/2 Marathon. Training for that puppy is 5 days a week. 3-4km Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with my long walk on Sundays. That long walk will increase from 7K to 9K next week. By the time my birthday rolls around in August, I will be walking 30-40K per week.
Then there is my goal of Mind Body and Soul connection through Yoga. I do poses every morning but attend yoga practice on Thursdays for the best experience of my life.
Non fitness goals include completing 2 university classes by August 21. 5 major assignments, 3 major papers and several minor assignments.
I have career goals that are in the works, but school needs to move farther along for me to achieve any real purposeful change. My eyes and ears are always open for opportunity, so we shall see where that takes me.
I have two teens that need love and support. I no longer feel guilty that they are not in the forefront of my mind. They have lives of their own and I believe I have a found a healthy balance between putting them first and not leaving me on the bottom of the pile.
Along my journey I have found love and support in the most unlikely places. I no longer feel alone and lonely. I know I can call and count on several wonderful people in my life. I am so grateful for them!! Thank you to all of you.
But that leads me to my obsessive part. I have pneumonia. Yet I still kept up with my schedule of crazy. Then I read THIS on Twitter :
GOAL: relax and recharge. Don’t let exhaustion get the better of you. Breathe. Meditate. Connect from within.
Another Goal Setter wrote that. The Universe sends me messages all the time. Lately I have been awake enough to see they are indeed for meant for me.
This meant, my short walk should be cancelled and my long walk needed to be cancelled. I want to feel healthy. Stress always makes me sick. I am addressing the stress but really need the summer when I can devote major blocks of time to work it out and change it. It will be painful but the stress is killing me. I don’t live on the bottom of the pile anymore.
I feel like I am about to emerge from the dark cocoon and fly out into the blue sky. Something is pulling me. I use to be in a rush to get everything done. I realized today, missing a couple of workouts is not the end. I have a life time to achieve my goals. 2 days rest may in fact make me stronger.
On Thursday at Yoga, my Yogi handed out Goddess cards. We each got to pick our own. They were face down and we were suppose to pick the card that “spoke” to us. I reached for my card, turned it over and gasped. This is what it said:
Goddess Oonagh
Easy Does IT
There is no need to hurry or force things to happen. Everything is occurring in perfect timing.
HOLE LEE MOLE LEE!!!!
The Universe agrees I am doing a lot, but I don’t need to do more, nor do I need to be fast about it. Everything that is suppose to happen WILL happen for me. That is comforting. It doesn’t help me relax though. I am anxious to to see the end and how it all turns out. But the message for me is THE JOURNEY.
So the time has come for me to have a bubble bath, curl up with a good book and heal myself. Mo, can you make me some chicken soup please? I am taking a much needed break.
Me and Mo 