Why Wait; Live Your Life Now

I was let go from my job in January of this year. It has now been about 6 months and I have learned so much about myself, my friends, and others I have come in contact with during that time. In February I finally joined facebook to promote this blog, and it has undoubtedly been one of the best decisions of my life. I have reconnected with so many old friends that I did not keep in touch with over the years who I really had fun with growing up. What I realized is that the connections to these friends are still very much the same now. Although our lives have changed due to careers, marriages, divorces, and locations, our personalities and likenesses have remained the same. The most ironic thing I have noticed is that we are all at that point in our lives where we just want to spread our wings and fly. What I mean is that for whatever reason; probably because of what we are taught, when you are young, we have a tendency to choose the more logical path. I know that's what I did. I always enjoyed theater in high school and started out in college somewhat going in that direction. I always knew that I wanted to be involved in some way. While working a summer job before starting at ODU I met an older woman who was very unhappy in her long time marriage, but could not leave her husband due to financial constraints. I realized that I never wanted to be in that position during my life. I knew I was good in math and english, and decided to pursue a career in accounting., knowing that it would support me financially and I would never have to depend on anyone but myself. It was by far the best decision I could have made at the time, and has been very good to me for the last 29 years. I was able to start at the bottom after graduating with a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, and ultimately became a CPA. I climbed the ladder year after year, and job after job, to finally land that job I had always hoped for. I could never have done the job without my years of experience in different positions, with different companies, and dealing with some of the most colorful characters. I had years of career, and life experiences.

I am now at a crossroads in my life. It is my time to do what I want to do. I have been divorced and single for the last 18 years. Wow, that sounds like a long time. I am in the process of selling my house as the kids are gone, and moving to Florida,where I have wanted to go for many years. I have chosen my new career path which I will start after I move, but has gone hand in hand with the premise for this blog: HEALTH AND WELLNESS. I can hardly wait. The best part of the last 6 months has been reconnecting with my old friends from this area and realizing that we have not changed inside. We all want to get back to what we want to do. One of my friends is singing in a band, while my other friend is getting ready to perform in local theater. They still have their full time jobs for now but they have reconnected with their innermost passions. I am so excited for them, and even more excited for myself. I also realize that I do not want to spend the rest of my life alone, and very much want to fall in love again, and find that special someone to spend the rest of my life with.

As part of this life transforming process, I have also opened myself up to so many new things; golf, writing, travel, and the ultimate for me: HEALTH AND WELLNESS. Feeling good inside and realizing what I need to do to enhance that is the seed of all things. I truly believe that eating well, exercising, sleeping enough, and enjoying life to the fullest is definitely the key to a long, happy life. I almost forgot to mention that I have been seeing a therapist for the last year, in an effort to help me deal with some anger issues surrounding some unforeseen circumstances. This has been such a wonderful enhancement to my life, and has taught me to look at life much more positively (the glass really is half full), as well as my approach to all people, issues, and life as a whole. I am much more accepting of others and their lives, and have learned to only deal with what I can control, and leave the rest behind. I should have done this years ago but I can only look forward at this point. If you are having issues in your life that you are not happy with, and can't figure out what direction to go in, I highly recommend finding the right professional and seeking help. It is AMAZING, and will change your life.

Check out this video and keep these lyrics in your heart.

Enjoy Your Exercise; Realize Your Limitations

Wow, it's been a while since I have been here, but I am ready to get back to it. So sorry it's taken me so long but here goes. A few articles back I started talking about trying new forms of exercise in an effort to branch out of my comfort zone. I went to a Zumba class at the Y that I thought was for beginners. WRONG!! It was actually a regular Zumba class, but the instructor was so nice and really made me feel comfortable. It was a blast!! I am not the most coordinated, so the steps were my main focus, and I probably did not experience the exercise portion of the hour as much as I had hoped. I still had sooo much fun as it was like going to a dance for an hour. The different types of music (latin, carribean, indian/bollywood), along with the different moves, and steps were amazing, and I kept up better than I thought. I knew this would be something I would continue, and if I wanted to really get the benefits I would have to keep coming to get used to the steps and be able to experience the whole process. The ladies in the class were so supportive and friendly, and they assured me that it would get easier each time. It was a wonderful experience. A couple of weeks later my daughter came home from her cruise job and she convinced me to go back with her as she had been going to classes on the ship, and was interested in becoming an instructor. She started going everyday to different Y locations in our area that the girls recommended. They could see that she was good at it, and really enjoyed it. I went a couple of times a week and started getting more familiar with the steps, which enabled me to really let go and feel the music. I felt great after every class, and couldn't wait to go back.

I was also interested in trying hot yoga but was a little concerned about the heat being too much. My hot flashes are pretty much under control but extreme heat still brings them on. I bought a groupon for 10 sessions at Chesapeake Hot Yoga. They have a light and warm class so I decided to start there and see how I fared with that level of heat before jumping in full force. It was hot but bearable. The yoga itself was more difficult than I thought it would be due to the extreme stretching that I was totally not used to. I had been to a yoga class at the Hindu temple which was more meditation and yoga. This was all yoga stretches. I felt good afterwards, and was a bit sore the next day or so but was determined to go back and push thru the pain. I went to 3 classes in a week and a half. It was not getting any easier, and each time there was a different instructor so the workout was constantly changing. I was also doing Zumba in between, and racquetball on the weekend. By the next week my sciatic nerve was KILLING me. Constant hip pain going down my leg. I realized that I had overdone my exercise and would have to stop some activities. I should have stopped everything but no, not me. I am invincible, or so I thought. This had to be a result of taking 3 yoga classes in a week and a half and not taking a day off from everything here and there. What was I thinking!! I finally decided to stop all activity other than walking, to let things heal and get back to normal. It has now been about 3 weeks and the pain is not going down my leg anymore but I still have hip pain when sitting and laying. I went to the doctor last week and he put me on a steroid pack for a week which I will start today, as I was in Myrtle Beach for the weekend playing golf, and didn't want to deal with the possible side effects. I am fine standing, walking, and playing golf, of course. I will slowly add my activities back this week to get back to a normal routine but I have learned, once again, that I need a break in between heavy exercise for at least a day to let my body recover. I am not 20 anymore, even though I think I am.

The point of this article: let your body rest and recover when trying new things, and realize your limitations. I always feel great after my heavier exercising, but I always feel the pain the next day. Your body needs time to recover and rebuild, and constant pounding and pushing on your  muscles is not the answer, especially if you are older. I realize that racquetball has taken a big toll on my body for the last 16 years, and now I must let myself heal when trying new things. Listen to your body, and it will tell you what you should or shouldn't do. Never stop exercising, but like I always say: EVERYTHING IN MODERATION!!

Still Recovering

Oh How I Love Great Theater

Last weekend the majority of my family and me went to Boston to visit my son. He was playing the lead in his first mainstage play at BU so this was very exciting for all of us, especially him. We got to see the last 2 performances and 3 other plays that his CFA pals were in. They were all amazing and their performances were as good as I have seen on broadway; to quote my dad.

I was truly impressed with the immense energy that was expressed on stage throughout all of the performances we saw. They were extremely physical and you could see that the energy level had to be at its highest to pull off the best performance. It made my adrelin flow just being part of the audience. In my son 's play part of the audience was even on stage as part of the jury. It was very exciting. You would never think of theater as being a great workout but believe me, it is. If you have any interest in trying it out you definitely should. It is a great, healthy outlet for anyone, and entertaining an audience can be such a rush. I loved being part of theater in high school and actually started taking some classes in college but I chose to go the conventional route. I am so happy that both of my kids decided to include theater in their lives.

The other great part of the weekend was that it was in Boston. I have come to love this city. Each time I go I find a new sites to explore, and each section is more exciting than the last, it seems. This time we stayed in Copley, which has really nice hotels, and prime stores, such as TheTannery, Lord & Taylor, The Lindt Chocolate Store (OMG), etc. You know, high end. We stayed there to be close to the Boston Center for Arts, where my son performed. We didn't really walk to much due to the cold weather, but we did our share. One thing I love about the city is how much everyone walks. I remember my son coming home last summer and asking me to walk to the pizza place down the street with him instead of driving. I never really thought about it, but in our area we do not walk, we drive. We walk when we are excercising but not in our every day commute. He loves walking everywhere and in that great city, if you have to go to far you can always take the "T" (train/subway). I venture to say that people who live in big cities such as Boston, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, even Washington DC are much healthier due to the constant walking in their every day commute. They do not consider this part of their workout routine and I'm sure they continue to include some type of gym workout, or exercise routine in their lives. Hence, they are getting a double to triple workout.

Just some other little tidbits about my life and how all life's experiences have some sort of physical activity connected to it. Experiencing theater and the adrelin rush that comes with it, for both the actor and the audience is truly an exhilarating feeling, and this is just another example of what I consider "HEALTHY".

Loving Theater in Boston

And The Winner Is Facebook

I recently signed up for facebook in an effort to promote my blog. Everyone has been bugging me to join and keep up with the rest of the world, but I was so opposed, thinking my life would be so exposed and it would take up so much more of my time. Well, I have been proven wrong. Yes, I said it, WRONG!! I am enjoying this new social media outlet (for me) so much that I find myself there everyday just to see the news. I see who posts everyday and the kind of things they post as well as being able to participate in the likes and dislikes of all the gooey gossip. It's actually really fun and it doesn't take up nearly as much time as I thought. I even figured out how to create my own facebook fan page for my blog which seems to be a feat in itself.

Overall I am really enjoying it and recommend it to anyone who is not participating. Everything seems to be so connected to it and I can post articles, pictures, events, etc. I am thoroughly impressed. I even found myself asking others why they were not utilizing all the features such as events when they needed to be promoted. This is by far the best way to reach as many people as possible at the same time, and in record time. I now know why businesses as well as individuals are taking advantage of this incredible medium, and it is INCREDIBLE!!

I have to say that I am really enjoying trying new things this last month or so since I have been unemployed. In addition to facebook, I'm in the middle of a magazine writing class, which is giving me great exposure to a totally different way of writing. I still haven't figured out if I really want to go in that direction, but this is a good way to do it. I am taking a ballroom dancing class at the YMCA which is really fun as well. I have always wanted to do that but never did. Tomorrow I am going for a swedish massage which I have done before but not in a very long time. I am also going to start Zumba classes and spin classes next week. I feel the need to make my workouts more diverse. The machines in the fitness room don't seem to hold my attention very long. I am still playing racquetball 2-3 times a week and trying to get golf in when the weather holds up. I also find myself watching Rachel Ray and Dr. Oz most days if I am home, for great cooking and health tips. Rachel really knows how to make everything look so easy and delicious. Dr. Oz gets so excited about everything he has on the show, so it's hard not to follow suit.

The point of this article is to inspire you to go out there and try as many new things as you can. How many times have you said to yourself, "I always wanted to take that class" or "I will never do that", or "it's just not something I'm interested in". Well, I am here to tell you that if you don't step out of your comfort zone you will never know what is out there waiting for you, and believe me, it is worth stepping out for.

Living for Change

If Our Grandmothers Could See Us Now

The other day I played golf with a friend of mine from the Y that I play racquetball with. We have been playing golf together now since the summer, and have really been enjoying it. She has been playing for a while, and is an athlete, so needless to say she plays very well. We usually play 9 holes and walk, to get the exercise. The weather here has been so crazy that the other day it was 70 degrees, and today is about 45 degrees. Welcome to Virginia. So enough about the weather. This friend of mine is not just any friend. Let me give you some history.

When we first met we all went out one night to say good bye to one of our fellow racquetball players who was moving. We happened to be sitting across from each other, and thru regular conversation about where are you from, and where did you grow up, we discovered that our grandmothers were best friends. They grew up in the same neighborhood, and had always kept in touch. We were both so shocked when I mentioned my maiden name and she told me who her grandmother was. She actually used to babysit for my brother, sister, and I. I always remember her big bun on her head, and how sweet she was to us, always. She also had a very deep voice. Anyway, the other day as we were walking on the golf course I thought to myself, and actually said out loud, “what would our grandmothers say if they could see us now”. It made me think what a small world we live in, and how you never know who is right next to you until you talk to them.  I also realized, once again, how much being a member of the YMCA has helped me to gain so many friends and meet so many new people that I would not have otherwise known, or come in contact with. This time it was someone connected to my family and my past, which made it extra special. We are becoming much better friends and I am so glad. I know my grandmother would be so happy to know that we got the chance to meet, and actually become good friends for some part of our lives. It seems very ironic, and  I can’t help but think that these things don’t just happen, if you know what I mean.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to enjoy your exercise. Joining a gym or fitness center will enable you to take advantage of more than just the exercise, as you can see. The social aspect of the gym is usually taken for granted, but shouldn’t be. Life is short, and you never know who, or what is around the corner.

This article is dedicated to Blanche, Ida, and Barb.  I love you all!!

Out With The Old; In With The New

I just came back from visiting my Aunt in Maryland for the weekend. I thought it was going to be easy and relaxing, but she definitely had other ideas. I think we hit every shopping area within a 50 mile radius between Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Thank god the weather was good. Not only did we hit all the shopping centers in the area, we also hit all the eating establishments as well. We did try to keep it as healthy as we could, but we did enjoy our favorites to. We ordered different items and shared so we could have the best of both worlds, and in between we walked, and walked, and walked. They have so much ethnic food everywhere and each restaurant is better than the next. I had greek food at Columbia Mall, Indian food at a great restaurant in Silver Spring, brunch  (eggs benedict) at Mon Ami Gabi, and caribbean chicken at Pollo Loco. Oh, I forgot to mention that my aunt did cook the last night, and we had meatloaf, spaghetti, salad, and leftover Indian food. Sounds like another food fest, right?

The best part of the weekend was that in between all the eating we were constantly on the go; picking up furniture she ordered, carpets from IKEA, and some much needed shopping for me. Now, a bit of history about my aunt. She is my mom’s youngest sister, and the one I am closest to in age. She is single, and her kids are grown with their own kids. She is always rearranging her house, and she loves to pick up old furniture, and paint or change it in some way. She makes her curtains, paints rooms funky colors, and has wonderfully different peices of art, all over the house. Everytime I visit her something has changed. She has recently retired, and is now trying to scale down, in anticipation for the future.  I was so impressed with her motivation to change, clean out, and update everything.  I forgot to mention that she also had me moving furniture up and down stairs, including taking peices apart in order to get them up or down, whichever the case was. It had a huge effect on me. We started discussing what I needed to do with my house as far as cleaning out, and thinking about what I may want to have in Florida. I have earth tones in my house now, and I need to look at brighter colors for my future Florida beach house. I came home and immediately started cleaning out the garage, and the bathroom cabinets, which have not been cleaned out since I moved here about 15 years ago. It felt great just to get started, and I now have a better idea of what my everyday tasks need to be, in order to move within my alloted timeline.

I want to dedicate this article to my Aunt Jackie for giving me the motivation I need, to do the things I know I need to do, in order to make things happen. Sometimes when there is big change in your life, you become obsessed with what you need to do, instead of just doing it. These past few weeks have been so up and down for me, emotionally, however, now I feel like I can do anything. Nothing and noone will get in my way of accomplishing my goals. Life goes on, and I am moving right along with it. I look forward to the day when I can look back at this time in my life and realize that this is the best thing that could have ever happened to me.

 Thank you and I love you, Jackie!!

Embracing The Next Phase

I was recently let go from my job after 10 and a half years. I have not been happy there for the last 3 years and have constantly talked about moving to Florida and changing careers.  I now have the time, and some income for a while, to pack up my house and move. It’s all very exciting and new, however, I am a creature of habit, as most of us are, and it’s also scary, stressful, and mind boggling.  I know in the long run that everything will work out, but changing my very longstanding routine is so much harder than I thought. I don’t know whether to put myself on a schedule everyday so I don’t waste time, or just go with the flow and let things happen.  The stress of these decisions, and my emotional ups and downs everyday, is getting in the way of my motivation to eat healthy and properly everyday. I am still exercising as much as I can, playing racquetball 3 times a week, and walking in between, as well as getting a few Ab workouts in per week. I am motivated to exercise as it helps relieve the stress. I haven’t had this big of a change in my life for a very long time.

So it’s time to get back on track. I have floundered around with this long enough and I need to develop a routine, but I will call it a flex routine. What this means is I will set a general plan for my day, but if things change, or stuff comes up, I will just go with the flow, and not stress out that I did not stick to the plan. I have been watching Dr. Oz everyday for health tips and info. One of his tips was to exercise in the morning before you eat breakfast, and then have a good protein rich breakfast: Cereal, milk and greek yogurt with blueberries, 3 egg omelet with veggies, turkey sausage, and wheat toast, etc. The key is to get around 30 grams of protein at breakfast.  My plan is to exercise by 9am each morning (trusty ab workout), eat that big breakfast, and start my day. I am really enjoying writing so I have decided to pursue it further and try some freelance writing. I will write in the morning, and work on cleaning out the house in the afternoon. That is my general flex routine, and I will not stress out if other things come up such as playing racquetball during the day, or having lunch with a friend, or just a change in plans. I have already started getting back to my healthy eating habits; 3 meals a day, 2 snacks, and plenty of water. I feel better just knowing that I have a plan and I have started making it happen. This is something I have always wanted; to work from home on my own time, and enjoy my life.

I am finally getting excited about this additional lifestyle change. The last couple of weeks have been eye opening for me, but like all new things, it is an adventure that I am really looking forward to, and I will be so much better for it. I used to tease my aunt that we needed to start the last phase of our lives. She thought it sounded a little morbid. What I realize is that this is the NEXT phase of my life, but definitely not the last.

Living and Loving Change