Rise Above It

Hey, everyone! Glad you’re liking the new layout. I’ll have another big change coming in the next week or two, and it’s going to be a pain in the butt, albeit a good one 🙂

Today is just one of those days. It’s bitterly cold outside, I’m coming off from a long weekend, and there’s a lot of work to do. Good thing Thao got me out of the office for a much-needed lunch at Three Sisters Cafe. Their sandwiches resemble a glorified Subway, but their soup selection is why people go. Every day, they have about six to eight different kinds of soups made fresh that day, and they are tasty!

I had a hard time choosing between the Southwest Chicken Tortilla and the Beef Hominy Chili, so it’s a good thing they let you sample any of the soups before you decide. I ended up choosing a cup of the chili to go with my half veggie sandwich on wheat + a side of saltines.

The chili warmed me up and put me in a slightly better mood.

Rising Above

As mentioned, it was just an off day today. The thing is, when it comes to work, it’s been an off month. I’ve been dreading every single day of work because of some of the (many) changes that have been made as of late. I’m normally a very hard worker who always tries to be the best, but that’s been ebbing away faster than I can reel it in.

I got to thinking about this during my drive to have dinner with my sorority family line last night (for some reason I think most clearly in the car, but I promise I pay attention to the road!). I realized, that like most things in life, a lot of the things I’m unhappy with at work are beyond my control, so it’s wasting my energy to lose sleep and stress over it. What I can do is focus on the things that I can control, like, say, my bonuses.

This applies to all aspects of life, and since this blog partially documents my journey to being fit and healthy, how it applies specifically to reaching your fitness goals.

A lot of times, the negativity comes from within yourself. We are all too familiar with the following thoughts:

-“I’m going to look ridiculous if I go to that new class; I have no freakin clue what I’m doing, so I’ll be the only one who looks like an idiot.”

-“I already messed up my diet for today, so I might as well just wait for tomorrow since I already screwed up.”

-“Everyone is judging me, so I might as well avoid the stares.”

These are all bad thoughts that we have to learn to ignore, clearly. Chances are most people will look a bit silly in a class, your minor slip-up wasn’t as bad as you thought, and more people are cheering you on for going to the gym than you’ll ever know. The more we continue to rise above our self-imposed negativity, the easier it is to get rid of that way of thinking.

Sure, it will creep up on you, but you have to force yourself past it. Every single time I head into the free weights area of the gyms I visit, I feel extremely self-conscious. I think all of the guys are looking at me wondering why I’m invading “their side” or that girls are looking at me like I’m trying to show off. Here’s the truth: NOBODY CARES. They’re too busy getting their sweat on, and if they’re not, then they have no reason to judge you. So, I swallow my hesitation and get my fitness on.

It’s not easy, and, sometimes, others will try to keep you from reaching your goals. Some people will make you feel guilty for spending less time with them, give you crap when you order healthier, or just not understand your sudden desire to live a healthier life. That’s okay. I (thankfully) haven’t experienced much of this, but those people are usually the ones who end up asking you for advice or being your biggest cheerleaders later on. You just never know, so stick to your guns and do what’s best for you.

Healthy living is contagious, so you’d be surprised how some of your new habits and activities rub off on others. You’d also be surprised with the people who tell you that you motivate them to make changes in their lives, too. To everyone I know who has sent me cheers, notes saying I’ve been motivating, or just been there to move me forward, either in person or online, from long ago or recent times, I am deeply thankful to have you in my life. You’re the folks who keep me going.

Before this gets too sappy, I’ve got to dash to the gym for a run and BodyPump 80. Let’s hope I’m still alive tomorrow because I didn’t get a chance to go to the release this past weekend. Until then, I’m out!

Question of the Day: What gets you going through rough patches in your life or your fitness goals?