Change of Perspective

Isn't funny how when you're a little kid, the idea of getting up for school before the sun rises was torture?  I remember my mom dragging me out of bed at 6am, and still being asleep as I fumbled around looking for something somewhat clean to wear.

This morning, I got up at 6:20am and rode my bike to Pilates class and was out of class by 7:50am and watching little kids pile off the school bus into the elementary school down the street.  I felt great!

I'm not gonna lie, the idea of getting up in the morning still makes me hesitate the night before, because I do tend to enjoy my evenings and try to make them last as long as possible.  But while I was stretching and doing my 100's at Circuit Pilates, I didn't regret getting up with the sun at all.

If you had asked my 6yr old self, 'What do you imagine you're life being like 20some odd years from now?'  I'd most likely have answered, 'Sleeping late, eating cookie dough for breakfast and owning a bunny farm.'  Well, 6 yr old self.  You can thank me later!  Perhaps there's still a chance for that bunny farm...

All or Nothing...or is it all nothing?

I've gone and done it.  Jumped on the healthy train.  I restarted training with a personal trainer and now I'm going all out with a juice cleanse.  I love it!  I feel focused and ready to sore!

While making my first juice for Day #2 of juicing I had a revelation about myself.  I made a juice last night that tasted so horrible, I had to try with all my might not to gag with every sip.  But, I forced it down knowing it was full of good for me things.  Today, though, I was determined not to make juice that is hard to swallow, because if i follow that pattern, I'm sure to fail.  So, I simplified.  My problem last night was that I tried to put every ingredient and it's mother into the same juice.  Well...lo and behold, not every fruit and vegetable tastes all that lovely when mixed with each other.  Here's what I put in this morning's juice:  Kale, Carrots, Cucumber and Pineapple.  Perfection.  Still lots of veggies with the sweetness of the fruit.  Not bad.

What I realized after thinking about my 'gung-ho' juicing attitude was that, simplifying is a glorious thing!  I applied this to my life.  I do so many things in a day/week/month that are good for me, but end up feeling spent and unfocused and altogether unaccomplished, my days become hard to swallow.  Well, I need to simplify and try not to cram all the good for me stuff into one months time, but rather spread it out a bit.  That way I can enjoy the flavor of each activity on it's own and give it one hundred percent of my attention as opposed to whatever I have left.

My challenge for myself over the next few weeks is to really concentrate on the things that make me feel good.  I'm not going to say yes to every favor or every activity that comes my way because I think it's a 'good cause', but because I truly feel that I can give it my full attention and brain power and therefore better myself and the world around me. 

Check out Jeff Phillips website: http://www.jeffphillipscft.com/  and click on the link to 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead'.  It's what totally motivated me to want to 'reboot'.

What healthy changes have you made lately?