Days Thirty-Two and Thirty-Three – Change Is Good

Saturday’s Schedule:
• Beach Boot Camp (2 hrs)
• Circuit Training (1 ½ hrs)
• Barbecue Social

Sunday’s Schedule:
• Circuit training (1 ¾ hrs)

Saturday was a beautiful day yet not too warm for our usual beach boot camp. In fact, I didn’t sweat that much! I think that means I didn’t work hard enough, except that I burned over 1100 calories. I even jogged in the sand a lot more than usual. We had to do this drill called “Suicide” in which there were 4 cones spread out equidistant from each other. Starting from the first cone, we had to run to the second cone, return to the first, run to the third cone, return to the first, then run to the fourth cone and return to the first. We were timed and had to do the drill four times; with each subsequent run we had to beat our previous run, but in between runs we did squats, pushups, and crunches. Well, gee whiz, you’re wearing me out and you want me to go FASTER? Yikes! Nevertheless, I did manage to shave a few seconds off of my time for each subsequent run. The Saturday boot camps usually last about two hours, then we head to the catering kitchen for lunch. After that some of us return to the gym for circuit training while others (i.e., the ones who like to run) head to flag football. Now, I’m quite happy to do the circuit training and NOT PARTICIPATE in the flag football, but I sure would like to watch. I could be the cheerleader, y’know, shaking my pom-poms and all that jazz.

After the workouts, we were looking forward to the first Barbecue Social at the apartment complex. Finally, a chance to wear non-workout clothes and look like a human being! Regrettably only a few of us were there, but for those of us that were, we all had a great time. It was so nice to be able to sit around and chit-chat and get to know each other and see what we all look like dressed as normal human beings. I laughed A LOT. I am never happier than when I’m sitting around just like that with friends getting to know each other and hear funny stories or share opinions about politics, current events, whatever. I also especially love when I’m with family and we play games and crack each other up. The only thing missing was some good wine or beer! If it hadn’t been so darn chilly I might have stayed out there a bit longer, but I was also tired and ready to get settled in for the night.

On Sunday we just had a 2-hr group circuit with V’ball Eric. I enjoyed it because he paired us up to work around 5 stations. Belinda from Mississippi had just arrived this week and I was happy to pair up with her and help her use the machines. I feel a lot of positive energy when we help each other like that. And Belinda is a HOOT! She cracks me up. Southern Belles Rule! She makes me want to use my Southern accent more than usual.

I headed back home after a quick trip to the Bike Shop to get my odometer fixed – so when I say I went 17 miles I have proof! On to the Internet. I had received an absolutely lovely private message from a high school friend with whom I was recently reunited on Facebook. Susie’s message, like so many of yours that I’ve already received, made my heart expand with joy. Two of the things that Susie mentioned are that the photos taken of me Saturday afternoon showed that I was more relaxed and that she admired my courage to change.

Until Susie said it, I hadn’t realized how much the extreme stress that I was under for the past few years was showing on my face. It certainly showed on my body as I kept gaining a few pounds every year. I am pretty much stress-free these days. I have no job and no debt. All I have to do is think about myself. I’ve never really been “self-ish” before. Do you know what I mean? Not selfish in the negative way, but ‘self-ish’ in that I’m taking care of myself and only myself these days. I’ve come to realize that this is OKAY! In fact, ALL OF US should be more ‘self-ish’ – if you don’t take care of yourself, then how can you take care of anyone else properly? I know most of you have full-time jobs, families, homes, extracurricular activities, but are you REALLY taking care of yourself? Are you drinking enough water daily? Not drinking sodas and diet sodas? Spending enough time with your kids? Spending enough alone time with yourself? I hope this week you find some ways to relieve some of the stress in your life. I don’t know what my next occupation will be, but I’m going to be sure that I will be able to put myself first. Work to live, not live to work!

Regarding change…well, I have had LOTS of major changes in my life. Just about every single major change was unexpected, but for the most part, they’ve all turned out pretty well for me. I never thought about having the courage to change; rather, each change in my life seemed necessary and involuntary. There were some difficult, sad changes…the death of my younger brother soon after my high school graduation was probably the first major change in my life. Besides making me acutely aware of drunk drivers and cyclists at an early age, it made me realize that we are in each other’s lives for some reason. Whenever I meet someone new or re-encounter someone from my past, I think about what I will or have learned from knowing that person. With my brother, I learned that you can say “I love you” without fear of embarrassment or being rebuffed, and so I am happy to say that to my friends (even the guys!) and family with sincerity. Another change which caused a broken heart was when I split with my fiancé. I had a terrible, TERRIBLE time with that, but had that not happened, I would not have eventually moved to Bermuda, made some amazing friends from all over the world, and started a website that helped a whole little country. Moving to Bermuda was a HUGE change! I went to Bermuda sight-unseen. I did a little research about it, but I didn’t make any preview trips before moving there and admittedly it was a little scary. However, living in Bermuda turned out to be one of the VERY BEST things that I’ve ever done. I know that I often preface sentences with “In Bermuda” but I hope that those of you who haven’t been there understand that living in Bermuda had a major, unalterable, POSITIVE impact on my life. Giving up my creation, the e-Moo.com website, was a difficult but positive change. To me, giving up eMoo was like giving up my baby (or my toddler as the website was six years old by the time I left Bermuda). I created the service simply to help friends who were apartment-hunting and it had become part of my raison d'être. However, that is exactly why I had to make that change…eMoo had completely consumed me and was affecting my health. Thus I made that change and gave it up (for a price, of course ;-). That change has led to my attending Camp Technique where I am making the most positive and healthiest changes ever. Right now, I couldn’t be happier (actually, there’s one thing that I’m still missing, but I’m not focusing on THAT ‘til after I leave Camp, and even then I’m not going to focus on it). I face small changes every week that I’m here, and they’re all good. So, my point about all this “change” is it’s all good. Don’t be afraid if you’re faced with a change. It’s more than likely that good will come of it. And just think about all that you will learn from it. You could make new friends, visit new places, increase your income, remove stress, develop a new skill, and so on and so on. This upcoming week, try to make a change from a bad habit to a good one, or if you’re faced with a change, just do it!

I must say thank you today to so many people who have made me laugh or feel happy this weekend. Jeni, Nicoletta, Albert, and Robert…omigosh, you absolutely cracked me up on Saturday. Thanks for your stories. Josie, thanks for taking some awesome photos of all of us. I didn’t feel so self-conscious as I usually do. Susie, thank you for your wonderfully kind message that filled my heart with joy and made me think about why my life is so great right now. And to so many of you who have written privately or publicly repeatedly…you make me smile and make me so proud. I love receiving your messages and I ESPECIALLY love it when you say that you were inspired to get off your arse and move it!

If you celebrate Easter, I hope you had a lovely Palm Sunday and are looking forward to the Holy Week ahead. And even if you don’t, have a great week, and go ahead and be “self-ish” and take care of yourself!

Lots of love,
Donna