Find Joy In The Journey

I just want to preface this with the fact that I was never any sort of athlete or even a coordinated individual until after I had kids.  😉

Challange

     There are many different personal journeys that you could be taking.  The journey that I am recently finding my joy in is my health journey.  My husband and I have always made our health a priority.  We have a mix of diabetes and heart health that are against us.  We have worked hard to create a beautiful family that we plan to be with as long as we can possibly can.  

     Our kids see us as being active, as well as our grandkids, and that is important for them to see.  We were challenged by them to a fitness competition this past December.  Everyone received a calendar for the Month.  All that needed to be done was 30 minutes or 3 miles every day…3 for 31…easy right?  Well, easier said than done.  Life gets in the way.  Kids, work, travel, sickness, pain…Life.  But all that needed to be done was to move your body.  You don’t need to run or bike or strength train, you can do yoga, you can stretch, you can walk.  You can play with your kids, you can hike, just move your body.  

     If you start moving your body and keep it moving when you are young, it will be easier to keep going.  If you didn’t start when you were in your 20’s or 30’s, you can start in your 40’s and 50’s.  It is never too late.  Believe it or not you can even start much later in life.  It may take longer to feel strong and be comfortable, however you can do it, and it will make a difference in your emotional being as well as your physical being. 

                                                            Graceful

     Grow old gracefully, or sometimes not so gracefully.  It doesn’t always look graceful working out as a 58 year old.  It is not pretty.  When you get to be 58, you get to the point when it doesn’t matter what you look like at the gym.  It just matters that you’re there and staying strong, or working off some anxiety.

                                                       Fortunate

     Eric and I are fortunate in that we have role models to look up to.  We didn’t get this way on our own.  Erics mom is 80 years old.  On any given day you can find her biking, walking and best of all kayaking.  She, with her strong will, raises and lowers her kayak, by herself, on and off of her car.  The first time I watched her do this I offered to help.  There was no way she was letting me. “I need to be able to do this by myself!”   She has always been a very active person!  I took her on a trip overseas 11 years ago and I personally could barely keep up to her.  To know her is to appreciate the amount of health that she radiates.  This is a great example of someone not giving in to growing older.

Optimisim

     My dad will be 86 next month.  I always remember my dad on Sunday mornings leaving to go play tennis.  He always kept his health a priority through the many ups and downs life gave him.  Up until not very long ago I would call him and he would say “Hi Honey, I’m on the treadmill, can I call you back?”  The smile on my face when I would hear that made me push myself more.  He has recently had some issues that have required him to slow down a little bit physically, but his mental health is 100%. His optimism amazes me every day.  Mental health comes from strength within which also can stem from physical health. 

Mobility

     Staying mobile at any age is extremely important.  Mobility is something that you can control, until you can’t.  Sometimes things happen that are beyond your control.  But as long as you can get through the thoughts of  “I can’t” and do what you can, that’s all that matters. It doesn’t have to be running a marathon or even a mile, Just movement is going to make all the difference in the world. 

Please just remember it is never too late to start, or regroup and restart.  The stronger you are inside and out the easier life will feel.  

Just remember

“The Joy Is In The Journey”