Lead By Example

I am a HUGE, HUGE believer in leading by example. If you want to show someone the right path, walk that path on your own, and they will be inspired enough to follow. And the next time you give advice, they will be more likely to listen and to apply the advice. And the next time you give advice, make sure it is something you actually apply to your life. Or sentence #2 and #3 wouldn't happen.

Why do I say this?

Because not too long ago, as you may recall, I completed the 40 day Paleo challenge. Then, I finished my 40 day post with a "don't worry, I'll continue blogging" kind of statement. Here I am, about 40 days after that post, and what have I blogged? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Since that last post, I've debated... what do I write about? Do I have anything interesting to say? Ultimately, I felt the answers were "nothing" and "no." The other blogs and sites I follow have a theme. Nutrition. Paleo. Working out. Nerdy stuff. And I felt that I, too, should have a theme. But I like ALL of those things... how do I settle for one?

I don't. I won't.

So tying back into my "leading by example" statement... my friend Josh @ Movies, Comics, Games, and Me wrote a post focusing on his goal to write 1,000,000 words in 5 years. And he touched on the idea that he wasn't quite sure what he was going to write about. Yet, he still endeavors to write.

So, thanks to Josh, for being an example. Because, I too, shall continue to write. And I don't need a theme -so there. =P

A random note to finish this post... to all of my science fiction friends out there: have you seen the movie "Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel?"  No?  Go find it! Watch it, now!! Or, find it in the future, then send it to yourself in the now. Either way.

I promise the movie is better than this picture makes it look.
And once you've seen the movie, come back to this photo. You will thank me.

Pre-40 Day Challenge!

Tomorrow we start the Paleo challenge! I'll do my best to post daily food diaries, as well as any resources or recipes that I'm using along the way. Tonight or tomorrow morning, my hubby and I are going to take before pictures and weigh ourselves. I suggest you do the same, it's always really great to have proof of your progress.

Until then, I'm enjoying one last glass of wine. Good luck to us all!

Tools for Success: Motivation

Motivation is such a powerful tool in bettering yourself. I love to research people, their abilities, and their results from finding or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It's amazing what the human body can do.

I'm dedicating this post to videos, blogs, and other forms of media that motivate me. You'll see a blend of fitness and nutrition. Feel free to post links in your comments to whatever drives you to improvement!

I'll update this page from time to time, so come back to see what I or other users have posted.

Enjoy!

Yoga by Equinox

Challenge to Yield Change

Blogs have taken over my world.  Well, let me explain. Not MY blog. I wish I had enough interesting, new ideas to share with the world. Sadly, I don't. But on the plus side - I have access to all of these resources that make my life so much more informed!

Here is how three separate blogs have influenced my life today:

Loving Fit - Athlete Body workout
This is the workout I did today. Kill-er.









PaleOMG - Chicken Bacon Alfredo
This is the delish recipe I made for dinner (well - a variation of this recipe).


Hole in a Field
And this is my friend's short story that I started reading. I'm through Chapter 15 - can't wait to see where it goes. His blog is called "Movies, Comics, Games, and Me."

It's A Great Day to Be Alive!

Well, I fell off the face of the Earth for a bit.  Not by choice - I contracted some weird virus and had to go to the hospital from Dec. 3 - 8. I had never been admitted to the hospital before, minus being born, of course. All in all, it was NOT a fun experience. I must say though, I was impressed with the staff. I felt very cared for the entire time I was there. So, that part was a plus.

Marcos and I celebrate two anniversaries. Anniversary #1 is December 1st.  On Dec. 1st (Saturday), we spent the day staining our pool deck (NOT to celebrate, mind you!).  Then we went out to dinner (this is the celebration part).  I noticed at dinner that the lymph node just under my left jaw was swollen. I mentally noted to take it easy the next day to avoid a cold or any other kind of sickness.  I do a pretty nice job of paying attention to my body's signs, and so I don't usually get sick.

'Tis the Season!

So cliche... but... I love this time of year. I love Thanksgiving - food, football, more food.  I love Christmas - cheerful moods, songs you can't help but sing along with, family traditions.  I just put out most of our Christmas decorations; we still need to buy a tree and hang the lights outside.  We're thisclose from being Christmas-ready.

Let's give you a glimpse into my Wednesday night.  Hubby is at soccer practice, so I get to do whatever I feel like. Which means I have Newsies playing in the background, and I'm sipping a glass of wine and eating some of my new favorite recipe: blueberry & chocolate chip bread.  I'm too lazy to go all the way to Whole Foods to buy Pure Pumpkin, so I use grated zucchini/squash instead (organic, always). Between the sugar rush and my love for Disney, I am one happy lady.

There is a method to the madness

I like to talk about things that make me happy, because if they make me happy, maybe they'll make you happy, too.  Maybe not - but that's the beautiful part of life. The trial and error, and discovery of what works for you. But one thing that makes me happy is when people actually use photos in their blogs. Expect more visual stimulation from now on. Sorry for the lack thereof in previous posts. :)

People are constantly on the search for newer and better and bigger and whatnot. Which is great, keep it up! However, too many people are looking for that quick fix that will produce a dramatic change instantly.  Unfortunately, that's not usually the case.

And while you can't take some magic pill or have a fairy godmother snap her fingers and change your life for you, continuously working towards a goal yields some excellent characteristics as a result.  Of course, there's that "woohoo!" feeling of achieving your goal.  It's a much more extreme feeling when a lot of effort was put into it.  Easy tasks don't gain much appreciation.  And because these changes don't happen instantaneously, you learn a lot more along the way.

So We Meet Again

Whoa. Fast forward a few years!  I've decided to remove all previous posts and start anew.  I'm married now, to the most amazing man I could have asked for.  He's my ideal match.  And life is good. All in all, life has changed a lot, but at the same time, not that much.

To cover some of the major life changes: got married, bought a house, changed jobs (for the better!). These seem like major life changes, but the most amazing part is... they just felt right. And because they felt right, they didn't feel like big changes. The fear that you might expect isn't there... and instead of a scary, hesitant step forward, you experience a natural transition to this new place. But don't get me wrong - it's not like you are numb while making these changes! There is an awesome adrenaline rush as a side effect.  And who doesn't love a good adrenaline rush?!