People of all shapes and sizes are out there enjoying their lives, and that is great! That is how it should be. There are some of us, though, who may not participate in desirable activities because we are concerned about the possibility of injury since we are out of shape. Perhaps we feel embarrassed for being overweight, or any number of other reasons that prevent us from leading a more active lifestyle. Now is the time to get in the best shape of your life and get out there and live it up! I’ve been asking myself, if not now, when? You may not be able to run marathons but get out there and do what you can do. And just because you cannot run a marathon today does not mean that you can’t possibly do it six months from now, or even a year from now, maybe longer. The amount of time it takes to prepare yourself is not all that important. However long it takes, if that is your goal, start working towards it. Whatever your dream is, figure out the best way to prepare for it and get started. You have one life, this one life to fill with the things that make you feel fulfilled, joyful, and that give your life meaning. Whatever it is that’s going to float your boat, you need to start by first getting your feet wet. So that is what I am trying to do.
When I was a teen, I remember thinking that I wanted to make sure that when I got to the end of my life and looked back, that I would feel that I lived the best that I could, not perfect, but that I made the best choices I could make. I never wanted to feel ashamed of myself, so things like stealing, cheating on a spouse, or intentionally hurting others were things that I knew I would never be a part of. I think I focused on the areas that I witnessed as a young child that had caused severe pain for people in my life. There was a lot of negativity around me as a child. But I have realized that it is perhaps more important to think of the positive things in life, the things that you want to do that will bring joy into your life. I want to try some of the things that I have watched from the sidelines, to be a part of this great, amazing world, to explore and live life with intention, with purpose. Perhaps most importantly, to not be afraid to fail for that is how we grow and learn.
This is nothing earth shattering, but I have always wanted to learn how to swing dance. You don’t see too much of it around anymore, but it’s still out there if you know where to look. Now I know that I will never be great at it, but that is not the point. I am going to try to learn what I can and have fun doing it. Dance floors are usually pretty crowded and everyone is doing their own thing, so I won’t need to feel too uncomfortable. This can be my “Congratulations, you made it!” gift to myself for reaching my goal. Who knows, I may get to the point where I will be able to dance on Saturday nights at the Royal Swing Big Band Ball at Disneyland. Goals!
There are so many activities that I have kept myself from participating in due to my lack of mobility and excess weight, but not anymore! It is now open season on outdoor fun and I’m going to get myself a license! Kayaking is an activity that I enjoy, but for the last several years I have felt too embarrassed to go out to local areas and be a part of it. Now I fully intend to get out there and enjoy the beauty and the wildlife and paddle all around the bay. Nature hikes, too—a favorite of mine for years, but it got to the point where it was too painful. I am going to train and prepare myself to go hiking and enjoy the great outdoors. You may just happen to see me hiking the trails, binocs in hand, pointing out a Great Blue Heron one day.
Once my goal weight is attained it will be less scary for me to be around people again, you know, those nasty germ-carriers. In the age of Covid I am afraid that many of us have become all too familiar with our own interior walls. We have sequestered in place for so long that it almost doesn’t seem necessary to get out there and mingle. This is particularly true for us more introverted types. I am almost never bored. I always have things that I enjoy doing and can do them with others or alone. I am happy as a clam either way, but I do want to get out there and not be afraid of getting sick. I am fully vaccinated and boosted, and I always wear a mask in public, and since I will be a part of the favored Team Thin, I won’t have to fear Covid so much anymore. I want to participate in life, not just observe it.
My daughter loves sailing. She has tried to get me to go with her for the last few years. I didn’t go because of my weight. I thought it would be too difficult for both of us and too embarrassing for me. But now that I am getting nearer my goal weight, I’m starting to think about how good I have always looked in navy! Yes, the sea is calling to me. It is saying, “Come on, let yourself go! Enjoy your life!”
I am developing an interest in healthy cooking. While cooking has never been my favorite activity, that doesn’t mean I can’t grow in my abilities. I used to love to bake, but that’s not what I’m into now since that contributed to my weight problem by the choices I made of what to bake. I am eating healthier with no or very low added sugars. Maybe I will take a few of my old favorite recipes and see how I can alter them to make them without added sugar by using fruit, and without unhealthy fats and processed carbs. I don’t think becoming a better cook is going to add significantly more meaning to my life, but I may enjoy learning a bit more and certainly will appreciate eating a variety of tasty healthful foods. The point here is that if I want to develop new skills or have new experiences, then I need to just do it.
One of the things I have long desired is to go to graduate school and earn my master’s degree. This was initially put on hold due to the pandemic but is now waiting until my challenges from having long Covid are resolved. Most problematic is the cognitive impairment I am dealing with. My memory will need to be one hundred percent before I will be ready to tackle the academic rigor of a master’s program. Some of the problems of long Covid are thought to be stress related, so I cannot subject myself to greater stress until I am strong and healthy, but when that day comes, I will be so excited. I love college and learning and will thrive once again in that environment.
It is also important to make time to give back. We have so much to be grateful for and when we are in a position to help others, be thankful and do it. In my opinion, a life of purely hedonistic pursuits is empty and meaningless. Have excitement and adventures, but also remember what is important in your life. What do you value? Once you know what you value most, you can look for ways that you can help in that area. Many groups, organizations, and individuals need help, particularly now with so many needs and fewer people available to help. Find a need and fill it.
It is probably coming through loud and clear that I am no athlete. I love baseball, but I can’t catch or throw…so embarrassing. In junior high school we were tested annually for the Presidential Fitness Award, and I could never throw the ball more than a few feet! I never received one of the cool patches that most of my friends earned. Friends tried encouraging me and tried to show me how to throw, but that meant people looking at me! Yikes! Can’t have that. I would just quickly throw the ball the few measly yards and go to the next activity. My heart breaks for my younger self. I was painfully self-conscious and that robbed me of many things. If you’ve ever seen the movie The Sandlot, my favorite baseball movie, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what throwing a ball was like for me. I threw like Smalls, complete with the cringeworthy way he ran the ball back into the infield. I am pretty sure my basic problem was in the release of the ball. I think that I probably could learn to throw a ball now, so that is now a goal. A small, insignificant goal, but a goal, nonetheless. They eventually eliminated the softball throw from the Presidential Fitness Award. Apparently it was intended to replicate throwing a hand grenade and was considered more of a skill than a sign of physical fitness. I just thought it was about baseball.
I played tennis in high school, and I did enjoy hitting the ball back and forth. But I was never interested in competitive tennis. I always thought of myself as more of a recreational player. I am just not a very competitive person. I enjoy playing the game, but winning? It’s fun to win, but not so important to me. One sport that I loved in high school was snow skiing. From the moment my skis first hit the powder, I was hooked. I flew down the hill. As the distant parking lot loomed ever nearer, I realized that I had no idea how to stop…Houston, we have a problem! I shouted out to skiers around me, “How do I stop?” and they shouted back “snowplow!” Great! Skiers are a friendly, supportive group. The only problem is this was my first time on skis, and I had no idea what a snowplow was! I saw my mom and stepfather number three waiting for me at the bottom of the hill, smiling and waving. It was initially exhilarating, but now panic overtook me as I was just moments from skiing into the busy, crowded parking lot. I cried out for help and my immensely strong stepfather leaped out and grabbed me and was able to stop me from certain peril. Unscathed and undeterred, I now watched how other people stopped, then went back up the mountain. I managed to ski all day and I never fell once. I found my sport! Here’s a tip, always take a lesson before going up the mountain. It can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing, and most of us are not born knowing how to ski! I would love to ski again. This time I will take a lesson as a refresher since it’s been eons, and then hit the slopes. When I think of having a positive goal, like skiing again, it makes the idea of exercise easier to deal with. There is a purpose to building flexibility, strength, and endurance, and I can work towards that end.
Traveling is an activity I love, like so many of us. It has been so long since I have been anywhere new, and I long for adventure. Even if it is just a road trip, there are still twenty-four states that I have never been to. There are some slightly embarrassing, maybe goofy things that I want to do, but I want to take pictures at every baseball park in Major League Baseball. There are thirty parks, and I’ve only been to a few so far. That may never happen, but I still want to make the attempt. I also love to collect waterfalls. There is something so magical and romantic about beautiful, cascading water. I take photos of every single one I see, and National Parks are great places to see waterfalls, wildlife, and more. Exploring the many National Parks would be a great adventure. I still have two more continents to explore, too, not counting Antarctica, which is not on my bucket list. Of the six major oceans and seas on my list, I only have one remaining to visit, the Indian Ocean. I do not have a desire to take a dip in the Arctic Ocean, but if I am ever close by, I’ll see what I can do. Visiting the eight wonders of the world would be thrilling, but so far I have only been to two: the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Colosseum in Rome. There are definitely more passport stamps in my future! For now, I think I will work on visiting the remaining states that I have never been to, and collecting more National Parks, waterfalls and ball parks. That may be fairly tame, but hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
What is your dream? Is there something that you have always wanted to do but for whatever reason you never got around to trying? As long as it is healthy, legal, and more or less workable for your budget, I suggest you figure out how you can prepare for a great adventure and let yourself go! What do you have to lose? Don’t spend the rest of your life hanging on to old fears and hang-ups, and wishing that you would have, could have. Living a life filled with regret is tragic. Not completing my college education was one of my biggest regrets. I thought that going to college in my 50s was going to be difficult, maybe overwhelming, and I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I did not let that stop me. Well, it was difficult, and a few times it did get a bit overwhelming, but I did it. My father, the one who chose me by adopting me, is a World War II Marine veteran, so my motto, borrowed from the U.S. Marine Corps slogan, became Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. And that is exactly what I did with every obstacle that got in my way. I loved it. It is the best thing I ever did for myself and for my family. Did you know that education levels completed are directly linked to the education level of the mother? By completing my college degree, I helped to ensure that my children will complete their educations as well. The mistakes and misfortunes of the past contributed to making me the person that I am today. Embracing and understanding that person has given me the strength to change the areas that were not working for me. This is the time to live life, my best life, where past regrets may now illuminate the path towards reaching my best dreams.
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