April 2011

“It’s not about you, it’s about them.” ~ Seth Godin

“Nothing others do is because of you.” ~ from The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

A while back someone said to me: “It’s all about YOU!” There was a litany of other accusations and a final statement about being concerned about what I had become.

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Last week Carla over at MizFitOnline invited me to write  a guest post about about my book – AFTER (the before & after) – for her readers…and to give one away! And so without further ado, the winner is…..

Pretty Pauline, who writes Pushin’ Through The Pain!

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When I heard about the word for this month’s Self-Discovery, Word by Word (hosted by the lovely Mara Glatzel at Medicinal Marzipan), I knew I wouldn’t be able to let this one pass me by.

This month’s word is CHANGE.

In and of itself, I am not averse to change. In fact, I rather like it. I like to change my clothes. I like to change my mind. I like a change of scenery. I like to change things up. I feel stagnant if I can’t change things around once in a while.

But I also like certain things to stay the same. I don’t want to change my husband, I don’t want to change my family. I don’t want to change my friends. I am also finding, as I get older, that I like my routines. As much as I love to travel, I prefer my own bed and to eat my own predictable food.

It’s only been in the past couple of years that I have come to understand change in a different way…specifically as it concerns who I am mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I used to think that happiness would only come when I changed myself sufficiently enough to be thinner, richer, healthier, more successful…you get the picture. I didn’t view those things as being possible without significant change.

Then I learned about the paradoxical theory of change, which states: change occurs when we become what we are, not when we try to become what we are not. Change does not take place through coercion, either by ourselves or by someone else trying to change us, but it does take place if we take the time and effort to be what we are – to be fully invested in our current positions. By rejecting the role of change agent, we make meaningful and orderly change possible (paraphrased from Arnold Beisser, M.D., from The Gestalt Therapy Page)

So far, this has proven itself time and again in my life: the most significant and lasting changes I’ve made have come NOT from trying to change – they have come from being at peace with myself.

“We cannot change anything until we accept it.
Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.”
~ Carl Jung

Does this resonate with you? How do you feel about change? What has been the most effective method of change for you?

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Guess what? I haven’t exercised consistently in over two months and the world has not come to end!! Nor have I gained weight (well, at least none that I can detect via my waist measurement or by the way my clothes fit). In fact, I think I may have even lost some weight.

I chalk it up to the fact that food and I have an excellent relationship. It doesn’t control me and I don’t need to control it. I’ve been eating less because I need less. Add to that all the nervous/excited energy that I’ve been expending: new book, new grandson, new experiences all around! I’ve probably lost a little ground strength-wise and muscle tone-wise, but overall, I feel great and I know that I will be able to make up that lost ground quickly!

I continue with my physical therapy for my shoulder (which is much better) and my elbow (which is better but not where I need it to be), I take walks, I’ve swung and snatched my kettlebells a time or two, I’ve danced a little bit, and I (mostly) do my yoga two or three times a week. But this is nothing compared to the regimen I used to maintain. As the days get longer and warmer, I am looking forward to getting outside with my kettlebells on a more regular basis, not to mention the fact that I am going to participate in the 2011 Walk Across Southeastern Connecticut in October to support the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation…so I need to start walking more.

In other news, I saw both my naturopath and my “anti-aging” doc (the hormone guy…I keep telling him he should use the term “pro-youth” instead) a couple of weeks ago and my cholesterol numbers continue to improve without the use of a statin drug! My other important numbers are continuing to improve, as well.

This is what it means (to me) to have a body in balance.

What does your body look/feel like when it’s in balance?

Related posts:

Catching Myself Sooner

I Accept It

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