I don't know about you, but this year has flown by for me. Less than 3 months until 2015...that's crazy! It seems like the days are long, but the years are short. My husband recently reminded me of how important it is to cherish our time and each moment that we are living in instead of rushing from one to the next. It really got me thinking about how I don't always take the time to stop and appreciate where I'm at. I'm always going, going, going and pushing on to the next big thing. When did I stop being satisfied with where I am? When did I stop taking in the day-to-day moments that make up my life? Why am I not cherishing my time instead of wishing it to pass more quickly? These questions fill my mind this morning.
Last week was a particularly rough week for me. A lot of unexpected things happened and I was stuck on the feeling-sorry-for-myself bus. One of those hardships was dealing with a co-worker's death. It was expected, but difficult nonetheless. I (thankfully) haven't had much experience with loved ones passing away and this particular co-worker was someone whom I loved. He was the sweetest man and his passing deeply affected everyone he knew. I went to his memorial service on Thursday evening already down in the dumps about the events of the week. Funny thing was that all my problems immediately seemed insignificant once I walked in the funeral home. Funerals have a way of bringing clarity to situations and reminding us of what's really important. I sat through the service and I felt the overwhelming reminder of how temporary life is and how our time here on earth is quickly fleeting, day-by-day and moment-by-moment. It occurred to me that I wasn't always as thankful as I should be for the life I've been given. I was too busy rushing around, worrying and doing, to really enjoy living to the fullest. Almost everything in my daily life, all my troubles and quandaries, are so brief. I get so consumed and focused on the little things in my life that I don't appreciate my time as I should and I let it pass without taking it in, without cherishing.
I left the funeral suddenly extremely grateful for my situations and my time. God has given me time that others don't have any more. And I don't always spend it as I should. I rush instead of taking the time to slow down and look around. I wish away time instead of cherishing moments. I complain about imperfections in my life instead of appreciating the things are that going right. I'm already 26 years old, married, and expecting my first child. Time has flown! Most days I realize how much God has blessed me (because He has beyond my wildest dreams), but it's also easy to get caught up rushing through this time period instead of appreciating exactly where I am. At the end of my life, most of the things that consume my mind on a daily basis aren't that important. The things I will remember most will be the moments where I took the time to slow down, put things in perspective, and allowed myself to fully enjoy that moment in time. I don't want to get to the end of this life and finally realize how blessed I was, I want it to be a daily realization. I don't want my vision to get clouded each day by trials and time. I want to see clearly.
So yeah, last week was pretty rough. And yes, it's easy to want to rush through this time period to get to the next (especially when you have a baby on the way!). It's easy to not cherish each moment as it happens, but that's where the joy is. And I want to experience that joy. None of us know exactly how long we have left on this earth, so let's make the most of each day we have been given instead of wishing it was tomorrow. Time doesn't have to be a bad thing, in fact, it can be beautiful.
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
"I Need To Be Skinnier"
I haven't written too much about health on this blog, but being healthy and in shape is a big part of my life. I've had my ups and downs with weight over the years. I've gone through very healthy and somewhat unhealthy phases. If you are a woman reading this, then I feel like you will be able to relate on some level. Women constantly worry about weight and appearance. The older we get, the worse this obsession becomes. I see so many women going to extremes to achieve their goal weight or a certain look. It makes me sick to watch. I'm here to share my personal health journey and hope that it will inspire some of you to see that leading a healthy life doesn't have to be all about counting calories and spending countless hours in the gym. It takes some self-love and dedication to not becoming skinny, but becoming healthy (physically AND mentally).
From the time I was young, I have always worried about weight. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 11 and was considered overweight for my age at that point. Before my diagnosis, I just thought I was rapidly gaining weight and can remember being conscious of what I put into my body at an early age. In the 3rd grade, I started drinking water instead of juice. I tried to eat more fruits and vegetables and to cut out sweets. I was already trying to "diet" because I didn't like how I looked. After I got on the right medication, the pounds began to shed and I got back to my natural weight.
I was on the track and cross county teams in middle and high school, so I was constantly running. That definitely helped me stay in shape in my teens, but I still stayed close to the scale to constantly check my weight. I have always eaten fairly healthy and had a love for healthy foods. I also have a love for sweets. So when I got to college, I was amazed by the plethora of food I saw everywhere. I had a 24/7 access pass to the dining hall and went out to eat Waffle House in the middle of the night regularly with friends. The pounds started coming back on. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was my heaviest in college. I would work out regularly, but I would also binge eat and go to bed extremely full on a regular basis. I overate and believed I needed way too many calories to keep my body going. I was truly uneducated about what being healthy really meant.
My senior year of college after Christmas break, I decided I needed to go on a "diet". My weight was at an all-time high and I wanted to get down to what I had been in high school. I started eating healthy and working out, but I was a bit obsessive about it. I went to the gym 5-6 days a week in college and felt like something was off if I wasn't there. I thought I needed to be there in order to not gain weight. While this isn't a crazy extreme, my mindset was unhealthy. A few weeks before graduation, I reached my goal weight. But looking back, I didn't do it in the healthiest way. I wasn't consuming enough calories and was pushing myself to the limit. I believed that if I just ate less, then I wouldn't have to work out as much and I could still be "skinny". While that was true, it was difficult to maintain. I gained some of the weight back after graduation and it was hard to step on that scale.
When I got engaged, I started losing weight again, not on purpose this time but because of stress and busyness. I began eating slightly less calories but also letting myself indulge. I didn't feel like I was depriving myself anymore. I was working out, but only 3 days a week, nothing extreme. It was through that method and putting less focus on weight than I ever had, that I got to my skinniest and healthiest state. Pretty ironic, huh?
I'm not saying this method works for everyone, but I can say that I have been able to maintain a weight I am very happy with while still being healthy for almost a year and a half. I work out, but I don't live at the gym. I eat healthy, but I also eat unhealthy sometimes. I am not constantly counting calories. Everything in moderation is my new personal slogan. I have seen a change in my body and my mind by putting less emphasis on the scale and more on being a happier person all around. I am happier, healthier, and skinnier when I take the pressure off of myself and decrease my intensity with trying to be thin. I changed my focus and it worked.
I was inspired to write this particular blog after constantly seeing women who hate on themselves and who put every ounce of their being into reaching their goal weight. Even if you look on Pinterest, there are a million recipes on how to make things differently to cut calories. I think healthy choices are very important, but eating a little less of something with a higher calorie content and feeling satisfied instead of deprived is okay too. Don't get caught up in everything "diet" and "skinny". Eat a piece of cake, just don't eat 5. Depriving yourself is NOT the solution to a healthy life, but loving yourself is. Everywhere we look; there is pressure to be smaller, to push ourselves, our bodies, and our minds to the extreme. Moderation is key. Lifestyle changes are more effective than diets. Eat in moderation, workout in moderation, and dedicate your time and energy to being thinner in moderation. The scale may not look different, but that doesn't mean that you aren't getting results. Throw the scale out if you have to in order to focus on being healthy (physically and mentally) not skinny. You will be a much healthier and happier person in the long run.
From the time I was young, I have always worried about weight. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 11 and was considered overweight for my age at that point. Before my diagnosis, I just thought I was rapidly gaining weight and can remember being conscious of what I put into my body at an early age. In the 3rd grade, I started drinking water instead of juice. I tried to eat more fruits and vegetables and to cut out sweets. I was already trying to "diet" because I didn't like how I looked. After I got on the right medication, the pounds began to shed and I got back to my natural weight.
I was on the track and cross county teams in middle and high school, so I was constantly running. That definitely helped me stay in shape in my teens, but I still stayed close to the scale to constantly check my weight. I have always eaten fairly healthy and had a love for healthy foods. I also have a love for sweets. So when I got to college, I was amazed by the plethora of food I saw everywhere. I had a 24/7 access pass to the dining hall and went out to eat Waffle House in the middle of the night regularly with friends. The pounds started coming back on. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was my heaviest in college. I would work out regularly, but I would also binge eat and go to bed extremely full on a regular basis. I overate and believed I needed way too many calories to keep my body going. I was truly uneducated about what being healthy really meant.
My senior year of college after Christmas break, I decided I needed to go on a "diet". My weight was at an all-time high and I wanted to get down to what I had been in high school. I started eating healthy and working out, but I was a bit obsessive about it. I went to the gym 5-6 days a week in college and felt like something was off if I wasn't there. I thought I needed to be there in order to not gain weight. While this isn't a crazy extreme, my mindset was unhealthy. A few weeks before graduation, I reached my goal weight. But looking back, I didn't do it in the healthiest way. I wasn't consuming enough calories and was pushing myself to the limit. I believed that if I just ate less, then I wouldn't have to work out as much and I could still be "skinny". While that was true, it was difficult to maintain. I gained some of the weight back after graduation and it was hard to step on that scale.
When I got engaged, I started losing weight again, not on purpose this time but because of stress and busyness. I began eating slightly less calories but also letting myself indulge. I didn't feel like I was depriving myself anymore. I was working out, but only 3 days a week, nothing extreme. It was through that method and putting less focus on weight than I ever had, that I got to my skinniest and healthiest state. Pretty ironic, huh?
I'm not saying this method works for everyone, but I can say that I have been able to maintain a weight I am very happy with while still being healthy for almost a year and a half. I work out, but I don't live at the gym. I eat healthy, but I also eat unhealthy sometimes. I am not constantly counting calories. Everything in moderation is my new personal slogan. I have seen a change in my body and my mind by putting less emphasis on the scale and more on being a happier person all around. I am happier, healthier, and skinnier when I take the pressure off of myself and decrease my intensity with trying to be thin. I changed my focus and it worked.
I was inspired to write this particular blog after constantly seeing women who hate on themselves and who put every ounce of their being into reaching their goal weight. Even if you look on Pinterest, there are a million recipes on how to make things differently to cut calories. I think healthy choices are very important, but eating a little less of something with a higher calorie content and feeling satisfied instead of deprived is okay too. Don't get caught up in everything "diet" and "skinny". Eat a piece of cake, just don't eat 5. Depriving yourself is NOT the solution to a healthy life, but loving yourself is. Everywhere we look; there is pressure to be smaller, to push ourselves, our bodies, and our minds to the extreme. Moderation is key. Lifestyle changes are more effective than diets. Eat in moderation, workout in moderation, and dedicate your time and energy to being thinner in moderation. The scale may not look different, but that doesn't mean that you aren't getting results. Throw the scale out if you have to in order to focus on being healthy (physically and mentally) not skinny. You will be a much healthier and happier person in the long run.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Best Valentine's Day Ever
Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Hope you all have a beautiful day filled with all types of love. I've actually never been very big on Valentine's Day. I like to do something special, but never over the top. I would rather give and receive love on random days of the year rather than on a day where people feel pressured to show love to one another. Over the years, Valentine's Day has altered its meaning to me. It has morphed from one thing to the next based on where I was in life. I can say that my view of the holiday this year has topped any typical "flowers, candy, and perfect dinner date" day I may have thought of in the past.
As a child, I loved celebrating Valentine's Day at school with my friends by exchanging cute paper Valentine's cards and receiving a little gift from my parents each year. But let's be honest, it was all about the CANDY as a child. In middle school and high school, it was all about showing off what your significant other got for you. Students would walk around the halls with flowers, massive teddy bears, candy and anything to show that they were taken and "loved". It was a great day for those who had someone and a dreaded day by those who didn't. When I was in college, a group of us "single" girls would get dressed up and go to dinner and a movie to celebrate Valentine's Day together. We felt united by doing this and not so alone. I really enjoyed those girl's nights on the day where it would be easy to feel excluded. When my husband and I were dating, it was a day filled with some pressure. It felt like we "needed" to do something special and over the top. It felt like there had to be a gift involved to make the day meaningful. And if you didn't get those things, there was a sense of disappointment.
I have had some good and some bad Valentine's Days over the years, but one thing is for certain, this year is by far the best. I finally see that there is no pressure involved. No need to prove anything. And there never was, I just always felt like I needed to. Valentine's Day is the day of "love" and the meaning of today is just that. I now get excited about Valentine's Day, not especially because of my relationship, but because it is an opportunity for me to show love to everyone in my life. It's not about the flowers, candy, over the top gifts, or relationship status...it's about love. I hope that you take the time to show love to the people in your life on a daily basis, but instead of feeling pressured or sad about today, use it as a day to show love to others. It's a day to be thankful for everyone in your life that you have to love and for those that love you. It makes me sad when girls get down on themselves for not having a "Valentine". Who cares? You have so many people in your life who love you and who you get to love. And that love alone is enough to make this a happy, joyful day.
Happy Valentine's Day to all my family and friends. Don't forget, YOU ARE LOVED. Now go return that love to the world.
As a child, I loved celebrating Valentine's Day at school with my friends by exchanging cute paper Valentine's cards and receiving a little gift from my parents each year. But let's be honest, it was all about the CANDY as a child. In middle school and high school, it was all about showing off what your significant other got for you. Students would walk around the halls with flowers, massive teddy bears, candy and anything to show that they were taken and "loved". It was a great day for those who had someone and a dreaded day by those who didn't. When I was in college, a group of us "single" girls would get dressed up and go to dinner and a movie to celebrate Valentine's Day together. We felt united by doing this and not so alone. I really enjoyed those girl's nights on the day where it would be easy to feel excluded. When my husband and I were dating, it was a day filled with some pressure. It felt like we "needed" to do something special and over the top. It felt like there had to be a gift involved to make the day meaningful. And if you didn't get those things, there was a sense of disappointment.
I have had some good and some bad Valentine's Days over the years, but one thing is for certain, this year is by far the best. I finally see that there is no pressure involved. No need to prove anything. And there never was, I just always felt like I needed to. Valentine's Day is the day of "love" and the meaning of today is just that. I now get excited about Valentine's Day, not especially because of my relationship, but because it is an opportunity for me to show love to everyone in my life. It's not about the flowers, candy, over the top gifts, or relationship status...it's about love. I hope that you take the time to show love to the people in your life on a daily basis, but instead of feeling pressured or sad about today, use it as a day to show love to others. It's a day to be thankful for everyone in your life that you have to love and for those that love you. It makes me sad when girls get down on themselves for not having a "Valentine". Who cares? You have so many people in your life who love you and who you get to love. And that love alone is enough to make this a happy, joyful day.
Happy Valentine's Day to all my family and friends. Don't forget, YOU ARE LOVED. Now go return that love to the world.
Monday, November 18, 2013
The First Married Year
I can't believe that my husband and I have almost been married 1 year already! In some respects, it feels like just yesterday and in others, it feels like we've been together forever. I can definitely say that our first year of marriage has been one for the books where we grew in love, knowledge, and wisdom of how to be a good spouse to one another. I do not claim to know as much as someone who has been married for 25+ years, but I can say I have learned quite a few things during our first year together as husband and wife. This is by far not everything, but a few good nuggets of truth and encouragement that can help every engaged or newlywed couple make their marriage a more successful and happy one.
1. Loving your spouse is a daily choice -- if you believe that love is an emotion in your marriage, then there will be times where you don't "feel" loving towards your spouse. You can't base your love for your spouse on how you are feeling that day or how they are acting. On those days where you have to pick up their dirty laundry off the floor and take out the trash because they forgot again, you must choose to love them anyways.
2. Be silly together.
3. Even though you now live together, take the time to go on a date and spend time alone together out of the house.
4. Life can get stressful very quickly -- laugh together, as much and as often as you can.
5. Do little things for each other. Surprise each other.
6. Compliment each other -- your spouse needs that reminder that you still find them attractive.
7. Start traditions together.
8. Celebrate the small accomplishments together.
9. Encourage your spouse daily -- they need your constant support whether they act like it or not.
10. Forgive easily and quickly -- holding on to a grudge towards the person who you will spend the rest of your life with is going to be miserable for everyone.
11. You aren't the perfect spouse so don't expect them to be -- they are learning what marriage is all about right there alongside you.
12. Be selfless -- make their lunch, do something sweet for them, clean up after them, even if they haven't done that for you recently. Do it anyways.
13. Love them unconditionally -- don't let your actions towards your spouse be based on their actions towards you. Show them unconditional love even if they may not "deserve" it that day.
14. Be affectionate towards each other -- don't be afraid of public displays of affection. You are married now and it will probably make your spouse feel special.
15. Words can hurt and can never be taken back. Be careful of what you say to each other. Think about what you say and the impact it will have on your marriage before you say it. You will make your marriage a much happier thing if you just think before you speak.
16. Make your spouse feel special -- in all the busyness of life, it's easy to forget to do this, but it's important.
17. Never walk out during a fight.
18. Make couple friends.
19. Find a mentor that has been successful in their marriage and can offer you wisdom and guidance when you need it -- you will need it.
20. Respect and love your spouse's family -- they are your family now too.
21. Respect the way your spouse deals with stress or conflict -- forcing them handle it your way isn't going to work.
22. Tell your spouse you love them. All the time. More importantly, show your spouse you love them. Actions speak louder than words.
1. Loving your spouse is a daily choice -- if you believe that love is an emotion in your marriage, then there will be times where you don't "feel" loving towards your spouse. You can't base your love for your spouse on how you are feeling that day or how they are acting. On those days where you have to pick up their dirty laundry off the floor and take out the trash because they forgot again, you must choose to love them anyways.
2. Be silly together.
3. Even though you now live together, take the time to go on a date and spend time alone together out of the house.
4. Life can get stressful very quickly -- laugh together, as much and as often as you can.
5. Do little things for each other. Surprise each other.
6. Compliment each other -- your spouse needs that reminder that you still find them attractive.
7. Start traditions together.
8. Celebrate the small accomplishments together.
9. Encourage your spouse daily -- they need your constant support whether they act like it or not.
10. Forgive easily and quickly -- holding on to a grudge towards the person who you will spend the rest of your life with is going to be miserable for everyone.
11. You aren't the perfect spouse so don't expect them to be -- they are learning what marriage is all about right there alongside you.
12. Be selfless -- make their lunch, do something sweet for them, clean up after them, even if they haven't done that for you recently. Do it anyways.
13. Love them unconditionally -- don't let your actions towards your spouse be based on their actions towards you. Show them unconditional love even if they may not "deserve" it that day.
14. Be affectionate towards each other -- don't be afraid of public displays of affection. You are married now and it will probably make your spouse feel special.
15. Words can hurt and can never be taken back. Be careful of what you say to each other. Think about what you say and the impact it will have on your marriage before you say it. You will make your marriage a much happier thing if you just think before you speak.
16. Make your spouse feel special -- in all the busyness of life, it's easy to forget to do this, but it's important.
17. Never walk out during a fight.
18. Make couple friends.
19. Find a mentor that has been successful in their marriage and can offer you wisdom and guidance when you need it -- you will need it.
20. Respect and love your spouse's family -- they are your family now too.
21. Respect the way your spouse deals with stress or conflict -- forcing them handle it your way isn't going to work.
22. Tell your spouse you love them. All the time. More importantly, show your spouse you love them. Actions speak louder than words.
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