“I will have a good day, today! Today, if something bad happens; I want to be able to process the bad in my mind; and I certainly want to find the good in it to move my life forward!”…This is my tip to me. My mornings begin with this short phrase. A short phrase, which, for sure, has an enormous impact on my day. I’ve been doing this for a few years now. This short phrase has now developed into a healthy habit in my life.
A bad thing happened here. All parties involved, thankfully, were fine. My daughter was shaken up. She was one of the parties involved. The accident happened four months ago. She still thinks about it and has become a more conscious driver. The bad in this has been processed. And, the good in this is that we are able to move forward in our lives. Lesson learned.
What do you say to yourself each morning before starting your day?
Workout finished. Not exactly the way I wanted it to. I hurt my lower back. Excruciating pain. No idea how it started. It did not happen during my workout, but right after. Maybe while I was putting away weights, steps or risers…who knows. (I heard that)…it has nothing to do with my getting older! 🙂
Having low threshold for pain, I immediately hit the websites – read, and read on lower back pain. Started treatment. Iced the affected area, then used heat. Alternated that for a good couple of days. Took ibuprofen as well. Consulted my dear websites, again. Next step – added some stretch exercises. (I heard that, too)…I’m not going to the doctor! And, stop telling me what to do!
After two days, I felt well enough to try my Body Pump class. Using my body weight for squats and lunges; and low weight (about 5 lbs) for the rest of the class; I finished the one hour class. For the rest of the week – I kept low weight and focused on my form. The week ended well. Pain level, in control! (Heard that)…Awe, that’s sweet! Thank you for believing in my research and treatment. 🙂
Source of my back pain – who knows! But I do know that nursing that pain, helped. I’m happy now – that much I definitely know.
When I crossed our main street to get to the sidewalk, Thomas, my beagle, pulled me to the left, a path we rarely take, as I, automatically, turned to the right, a path we usually take. I decided to follow his lead. He seemed happy. His tail wagging, he took his time walking.
Nice cool breeze on a warm wintry day kept embracing us. And, the mostly cloudy day felt more like spring, not winter. I felt my mind happily hopping. I heard a complex symphony of sounds in the background – The chirping of the birds flying over us; the humming of the cars whizzing by us; the soft bark of a dog coming from nearby distance; the rustling of leaves on trees around us.
As Thomas and I sauntered, I couldn’t help but chuckle remembering an encounter with an acquaintance – I had asked her about why she preferred walking alone. She had blatantly answered, “Sweetie, because I can fart freely!”
I, too, realize walking by myself is immensely satisfying! An accurate definition of myself would be – me and my dog! These walks are exclusive – My conversations with myself remain private; my quiet times remain absolutely and phenomenally soothing; my silly but unavoidable burps, spits, and farts become one with the nature :). Thomas and I walk completely immersed in our own worlds. I walk leisurely at my own pace. Actually, leisurely at Thomas’ pace :). But, both walking, joyfully.
My usual daily walk, this morning, was usual in every sense; except that it was not usual. On this particular walk, every time, I passed a walker or a dog-walker, I was made aware that TODAY is the LAST DAY of the year 2015. And, this fact made today’s walk an un-usual one. “Happy new year,” “Happy 2016,” “Have a great new year,” “All the best in 2016.” These were wishes wished to me by the people I passed.
I started to get into the spirit of this day. With my pace trying to catch up with Thomas, my beagle; I felt my thoughts trying to catch up with this passing day. All the wishes started to swirl inside my head – no homelessness, no poverty, no killings, no hunger, no rapes, no child abuse, no child trafficking, no abuse, no animal abuse, no misuse of power and money…OH! MY THOUGHTS BECAME UNSTOPPABLE! My pace and blood flow followed! I realized that I ultimately wanted only ONE thing for our world, our earth, our planet, for 2016 and years beyond 2016:
It’s the right thing to think that this planet is my Mother-Earth! But it’s not my right to own it. But it’s time to make that right turn to care for this planet.
It’s the right thing to think that I must devote my time to raise and love my offsprings! But it’s not my right to own them. But it’s time to make that right turn to set them free and let them spread their wings.
It’s the right thing to think that I must love myself. But it’s not my right to own myself. So, it’s time to make that right turn to open my heart to live, laugh and love. And, towards the end make that right turn to become one with Mother Earth, who ultimately has the right to own me. And, that is the right thing to do!
It’s been cloudy and raining, intermittently, all day since yesterday. Still, a nice fall day. Today, however, it’s chilly, due to cold gusty wind. I’m all ready for my walk, dressed in layers, for this day. But my walking companion, Sir Thomas, still in the same spot since 7:30 AM. It’s 11:15 AM, now. He looks like a hot-dog stuffed in a bun on our couch.
Hot-dog Sir Thomas
“Let’s get you ready boy, and go for our walk,” I say to him. He gives me a stare, which, I can hear loud and clear, “I am not going anywhere, today; you carry on alone, without me…I’ll try losing my extra pounds later.” “I’m not giving up!” determined, I said. Enough bugging from me finally gets him off the couch. Without wasting time, within seconds, I get him ready. We head out the garage door, and I turn left to walk out of our neighborhood. Suddenly I’m pulled! In the opposite direction!
“Let me…” Sir Thomas seem to say to me, pulling me to a spot in the middle of our front yard, “Pee!” Relieved, he looks around, and sets his stride back toward the garage door, to go inside. “No! We haven’t even started our walk!” I scream.
It’s ever-so-slightly sprinkling, and the wind has picked up…it’s gusty, for sure. He really wants to skip this walk! I pull him away from our house to get out of the neighborhood. He pulls me toward the house. I pull him away. He pulls me toward…I pull him away…he gives in…he has no choice. Sweet thing. I love him.
Off we go, outside our neighborhood. We hurriedly cross a street to get to our walking path. Those darn trees! Sir Thomas takes forever to move from there. He sniffs every angle of this one particular tree trunk. Then, of course, marks a spot on it.
“Hi, it’s not too bad out here.” Enjoying the sniffing.
We make a move again. He’d rather be snuggled, today, comfortably on the couch. He’s walking, today, because of me. He loves me!
Despite the weather today, we are enjoying the nature. We hear the birds chirp, the leaves rustle, the wind whistle, whisper and swoosh. We see no one else out here, today. But, we see hundreds of leaves here today, flying and falling to the ground.
“Leaves, leaves, and leaves! Every leaf has a potential to be sniffed and marked, by me. “
As we head back home from our walk, Sir Thomas’ pace gets faster. I smile at his eagerness to get home. Once inside the house, I notice his tail go up, completely.
“Glad that’s over!” Sir Thomas tells me; actually, his eyes tell me that! He hits the couch; yawns, stretches and gets ready to snooze. “Life, you are too good! If you leave, I’m following you.”
Never! Ever (ever) EVER am I leaving this couch!
Just so you know Sir Thomas, I had a wonderful time today. Those moments are now in the past. Those beautiful moments are behind us! This weather – if you leave me – I know you’ll be back again. This gusty wind and this chill – if you leave me – I know you’ll be back soon. Time – if you leave me – you are not coming back. Life – if you leave me – you are not returning. And, that’s the reason I take the time to enjoy my life with you, Sir Thomas:) Our walks are always interesting. We won’t let our walks leave us! We will walk tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and everyday after that!
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “If You Leave.”
No reactions, no hot headed-ness, no judgments, no arguments, no attitudes. Kept my cool and did not react instantly. Was a busy day, but ended up having a good day, today!
8 AM: My husband dropped my daughter to school. Gave me extra time to enjoy my breakfast.
8:30 – 10:30 AM: Workout time!
11:30 AM: Checked out my daughter from school for physical therapy for an elbow injury.
12 PM: My daughter had lunch at a local restaurant. I filled out paperwork for therapy session.
1:00 PM: Therapy time! The therapist asked my daughter her expectations from the session. I quickly answered, “Good news. She wants to hear that she can go to gymnastics again.”
2:00 PM: Therapist said, “She’s all good to go to gymnastics, but she still needs to be back for two more sessions. That’s to make sure everything is going good as she eases into it.”
2:40 PM: My daughter goes back to school.
2:45 PM: I had my lunch – late! Salad with chicken, strawberries, dried cranberries. Yummy.
4 PM: My daughter returned home from school, played with the dogs, then got ready for gymnastics. Totally excited since she had missed several weeks of it.
4:15 PM: I called a photo studio to register my daughter for her senior picture session. After holding for 15 minutes I got a representative. But our connection cracking! Heck, I was not going to call again and wait again. Finally got good connection, I had to be outside my house. I felt a big relieve!
5 PM: I called the gymnastic place to make a payment. The director said that she will not charge me until she sees how my daughter does today. I was impressed…great customer service!
5:30 PM: Took my beagle for a walk. My husband took our pit bull. Great walk!
6:30 PM: Dinner time! I skewered marinated chicken. Then grilled it with peppers, onions. Baked a potato and split it in half. My husband sautéed peas. He loves peas.
7 PM: Had dinner out on the deck. Gave dogs chewy treats. Lit a candle. Enjoyed a beautiful cool evening.
8 PM: My daughter returned from gymnastics. All went well…she can continue. Good news! She had dinner…Edamame Pasta and Fruit smoothie.
9 PM: Daughter started on her homework. Dogs decided to rest. Husband went to play tennis. I sat to blog. Son rehearsing saxophone with a group of friends, should be coming home soon – 15 hours at school! Yikes.
Day is over. Evening has gracefully given into quiet sleepy night.
I really wanted to blog about this day. Everyday can be like this. Advice: Need to keep my cool, and not react instantly in any situation! Since I want good days like today, I’ll be reminding myself of this advice frequently. Good days to you all too:)
….thank you for visiting my blog…until next time:)
Quietness surrounds me; concentration pulls my thoughts together; vision focuses to my notes and my laptop. My body sits still on the bar stool, while my fingers do a tireless dance on the keyboard spewing words on the screen. And, the next thing I know, I’ve written something. I read, re-read, edit, edit again, and once I enjoy my writing, I post!
Before I post: I grab my space in time to write, because time keeps fleeting fast . I write in between my responsibilities. A habit that’s becoming addictive. I miss it if I don’t do it.
My iPhone is always with me, wherever I go. (I might as well embed it into my skin.) In the house, I keep my laptop right on the kitchen counter-top, few steps away from the stove. I have a drawer near the stove-top that carries my hand-writing supplies. Paper, pen, pencils, and Sharpies. I frequently jot down ideas on paper. Later when I type, I refer to my paper notes. A good system for me.
When I sit down to write, I shift my mental gear. I close all other thoughts and get focused on my notes, and start to elaborate on each point as I type on my blog.
Enjoy your writing!
…thank you for visiting my blog…until next time…keep smiling:)
Writing is like a good workout. Hard and rewarding! My workouts involve me riding on a stationary bike. When I’m riding uphill on this bike, I struggle to peddle. I find myself pushing them with all my might. I’m profusely sweating from head to toe! I feel the pain and pressure building in my legs and glutes:) It is during this struggle that good change happens to my muscles. This is the reward! I reach the top of my climb, I let go of the tension, and I start rolling downhill. I’m peddling at a high-speed with good momentum …it’s exhilarating! It’s the best release for all stress!
Writing is the same way. The pressure, tension and climb keeps building inside my head as it continues to pop ideas. Narrowing down these ideas take hard and clear focus. It’s at this point I feel that I have climbed a steep hill and made it to the top! I KNOW I made it! I’m sweating insanely in my brain:)! It’s time to pen down my thoughts. I start writing, and instantly feel the pressure and tension easing, and a good momentum building. I feel the release! I’m exhilarated that I’m able to express myself this way, with words. And, this is why I write!
I’m finished writing. It’s time to socialize and share:) Time to meet my blogger friends. This is my reward!
The Unstoppable Optimist! 