My James 4:17 List

Well, I was determined to keep up with this blogging thing and I have NOT been following through on that. 

This brings me to a self examination moment. A question about myself that I prefer to ignore most of the time. 

WHY DO I SLACK? WHY DO I PROCRASTINATE? 

Why do I put off things that I WANT in favor of completely useless things? Why do I read internet news stories about things I could not care less about instead of blogging? This is not a new issue. This is something I have done for as long as I can remember and I have NO clue why I behave this way. 

I may need to have James 4:17 tattooed on my hands. It reads, "Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."  I know the good I ought to do, and yet I frequently fail to do so. 

Thus, for your viewing pleasure, I present my James 4:17 List! 
The good I ought to do: 
1. Use the gift of language the Lord has given me to His glory. 
2. Treat my body in the manner befitting that which belongs to the ruler of the universe. 
3. Read more things that broaden and strengthen my mind; read less internet banality. 

I like this idea of a James 4:17 list over a traditional To Do list as it keeps the purpose of doing these things in focus. I'm tempted to make some James 4:17 stationary sheets to write daily Good I Ought To Do lists on.  

Nutrition of Words

“Because even the smallest of words can be the ones to hurt you, or save you.” 
― Natsuki Takaya

 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 

-Ephesians 4:29

How much do words matter? Does it really matter what terminology we use in conjunction with regards to our health and fitness? 

I am a book person, a word lover. I adore the art of words; the nuanced difference between lovely and beautiful, ancient and old, rain and downpour. So naturally, on my journey to better fitness, I find myself considering the power of the words I use in relation to that endeavor. This is not new ground, many have done studies on the words we use and their impacts on our success, for example the difference between can't and don't. Scientifically speaking it seems words matter a lot and that the terminology we use can make or break a decision to get healthier. The words we use speak directly to our subconscious. When we tell our brain, "we can't do that" it rebels. It feels restricted and punished, consequently we feel miserable. When we tell our minds, "we don't do that" we are telling it something strong. We tell our brain, "we are strong enough to not do that." This is also why I don't like "cheat" days. You're setting yourself up to feel bad about the choices you make that day. The word cheat implies that you are doing something wrong. Weak, villainous, jerks cheat. Heroes don't cheat. Thus you are telling your brain that you're not strong enough.  

With this in mind, I hereby resolve to be more conscious in the words I use. I resolve to replace can't with don't. I resolve to tell myself something empowering everyday. I resolve to stop calling myself fat and to stop using words that make me feel guilty for normal behaviors, such as "cheat". 

Just as we  must feed our bodies nutrient rich foods, we must feed our souls nourishing words. Tell yourself positive and encouraging things everyday. Likewise, as we must strengthen our muscles by lifting heavy things (dumb bells, bar bells, or our own bodies) we must strengthen our spirit with weighty words. Words that make us FEEL strong (like don't as opposed to can't). 

My Awesome Buffy Fitness Quest

For a very long time I have been a super duber uber fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For about as long I have been trying to get more in shape, trying to lose weight, and have only ever experienced mild success. 

Recently I found this: Nerd Fitness. I have read an absurd number of Steve's posts and am now addicted to the Nerd Fitness forum, but this particular post on determining your "profession" in regards to your personal, real-life fitness game really got me thinking. What profession did I want? The answer was clear: SLAYER! And after that developing a fitness plan became way more fun than it ever has been. 

This is the first level I set up for myself: 

After completing each task for the level I replaced it with a fun quote from the episode. Here's what the final level looked like: 

I am loving this game and look forward to certain episodes so that I can write some of my favorite quotes out. Silly? Yes. Effective? Also, YES! 

Tomorrow is #MotivationMonday and in a wonderful stroke of serendipity I will be starting Level 2. Here's a look at what that will be: 

The most important thing I have learned from Nerd Fitness is that no matter what, there IS a way to make fitness fun for you; you just have to find it and sometimes that means finding a group of people that speak the same language as you.  (Maybe not the same dialect, but the same language. I'm not into a lot of what the other nerds on Nerd Fitness are, but there's enough common ground for me to GET IT.) 

Have you found your fitness language yet? 

Mission Statement with Music

As promised: A more in depth look at the mission of this blog!

My daughter and I start every morning off with the same three songs; these three songs also happen to capture the essence of what I want this blog to be, so I am going to break down the mission of the blog via those songs: 

1. Happy: This blog is going to be a motivating and positive place. I will make posts about things that motivate me or that simply make me happy. This is going to be a place to embrace life, to be excited, and to sing as loud and off key as you like. 

2. Roar: I am also going to be focusing on my journey to better fitness and writing success. You will hear me roar a lot here. I intend to do more than just achieve my goals, I intend to obliterate them. With such passion and drive, roaring is to be expected. 

3. Didn't I Walk On The Water: Last but in no way least, faith. While I welcome readers of all faith backgrounds, I am a Christian and that will be a large element behind the content of the blog.

So there you have it, a blog about how I am trying to live the healthiest life I can by being prayerful, active, positive, and helpful to others. 

Motivation Monday

#MotivationMonday! 

This is one of my favorite hashtags. I love the idea of replacing all the negativity surrounding Mondays with some positivity! If our outlooks have any impact on our lives at all, most of us are sabotaging our weeks by starting with such gloomy outlooks. 

The past few weeks I have set big Monday fitness goals for myself. This way, the rest of the week looks easy! No big workout to dread, just easy ones compared to what I have accomplished. Also, those goals keep me focused on something worthy of my attention, which in turn keeps my attention away from all the negative Monday mumbo jumbo. 

Every Monday I am required to get at least 20,000 steps logged on my FitBit to progress to the next task in my real life fitness game. (I'll write a post detailing all of this later in the week... possibly tomorrow depending on time, it should suffice to say that I have broken my fitness into tasks which make up levels just like a video game.) However, each Monday I have also been increasing my daily goal by 1,000 steps. So in order to progress in my little game I need 20,000 steps but to meet my Monday goal I need to get 23,000 steps. It's a lot and it won't be easy but I know I can do it! 

I plan to make my Mondays EPIC! I will NOT participate in this Gloomy Gus nonsense  any longer! 

Want to join me in celebrating #MotivationMonday? Just comment here with your BIG goal for the day!! 

Real Friends

       My 15 month old has started carrying around a stuffed tiger. She takes him everywhere, hugs him, kisses him, tried to feed him, and sleeps with him. He's just a toy. BUT he is her friend. Some might argue that he is not a "real" friend. He's not alive. He's just a toy. 

I am left to ask, then what DOES constitute a "real" friend? In our technology fueled world we are often informed that friends made through the internet are not "real" friends. They are online friends. There is a distinction. Does that mean that a real friend must be alive and have been seen in person? 

I disagree with these stipulations. I don't think there are very many limits on what makes a friend real. 

Here is my list: 

1. A real friend provides emotional support when you need it. 

2. A real friend will stick by you regardless of your mistakes or flaws. 

3. A real friend will give you everything they possibly can. 

My daughter's tiger is there for her when she is sad, scared, happy, silly, or tired. He provides her with hugs when she needs them and let her hold him tight the last time she was at the doctor's office. He doesn't care if she throws her juice on the floor, if she spills her lunch on him or if her diaper is super smelly. He's still there for her and gives her exactly what she needs. He will give her everything he has, even if that may not seem like much. Her tiger is a wonderful and very real friend! 

Why am I telling you about her tiger? Well, today I was motivated to help a friend. I've met her in person, but I found her online. I was thinking about how much she means to me and that if I had bought into the idea that real friends must be found in person I would never have found this friend. We go months without talking at times, and yet I know she is always there if I need something and I will always be there if she needs me. That is real friendship to me. I have real friends that I met online, that I met at work, that I met in a coffee shop. I have real friends I talk to everyday and real friends I talk to once a year. No two friendships are the same. Each one has its own structure and rewards. 

So the next time you need a "real" friend, remember that you can find them everywhere. Even on the internet or in a zoo gift shop. Because all real friends have to do is make you smile and comfort you when you cry. 

Wednesday Wisdom

Today is Wednesday and that means a dose of #wednesdaywisdom. 

“Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.” ― Martin Luther

This quote is one I adore and follows with my personal belief that God can be found in every thing and every day. Every year Spring bursts forth proclaiming, in a bold and vibrant display, that resurrection IS the natural order of things. I wrote a poem a while ago that I feel goes along with this particular quote fairly well: 

Summer's heat sets the world on fire

and so the trees, Fall's flames do devour. 

Burning bright; yellow, orange, and red,

until the branches, bare, do cower.

Nothing left but Winter's white ash.

But fear not, for the Lord so loved us all,

with Spring comes rescurrection and salvation, 

new life for any that heed His call. 

So the next time you are outside looking at all the vibrancy of Spring, remember it is nothing compared to the splendor of the Risen Lord. 

*Want to see more of the places I find God? Search #Godineveryday on Twitter.