Inspiration

Working Out While Working

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What is the first thing you do when you come home from work? What do you do to decompress from the work day? I usually like to check in with my husband about his day and tell him things about my day. Then, I try to immediately go for my daily run. I can be completely exhausted mentally and physically and 99% of the time if I go for a run I get rejuvenated and can accomplish much more for the rest of my evening.

In my last job I worked from home and often felt like I needed to run double the amount because I was constantly on my laptop or on the phone and I wished I had the option to move around more during my day. I often felt tethered to my laptop. Fast forward to this article I read recently about a treadmill desk. If I had one of these when I was working from home, I could see myself working away, and run/walk at a slower than normal pace for a longer period of time to have the option to move while working. I think a lot of people (if you can handle the treadmill) would appreciate this type of multi-tasking. It would also mean that a lot of us are staying fit while juggling a lot of other responsibilities.

It is massive and not the most attractive of machines, but to me the ROI could be high. To think that maybe on those crazy days when you do not have time for a workout, but you are listening in on a conference call, or you need to read over proposals and the like that you could have stay fit in the process. It sounds like a win-win situation to me!

TGIF!! I am so very excited for the weekend and for time to rest and recoup from a full week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Are You A Sponge?

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Are you a sponge? Do you feed off of the energy of those around you? I love this Daily Om from a few weeks ago called: “Centered and Safe.” It resonates with me because I find that when I am not balanced or listening to my inner voice, I can easily become a sponge to other’s moods, complaints, or joy. The good part is when I am a sponge for joy. The not fun part is when it is the opposite. You know when you are grumpy and someone else’s happiness kicks your mood’s butt? Those are the good perks of being a sponge. What is bad is when you can be in a great place, and someone’s poopy attitude sways you to become grumpy and frustrated.

I have worked hard over the past few months to be clear on when my moods are affected by those I am surrounded by on a daily basis. Do I feel frazzled and stressed out because those around me do? Can I leave the mood of others behind by finding the good in a bad or not fun situation? Another way to think about it is what the Daily Om calls being sensitive. I think “being sensitive” gets a bad rap. Many times the word “sensitive” has a negative connotation of being weak or easily influenced. I do not think of the word sensitive in that way. Dictionary.com lists “sensitive” as:

sen·si·tive [sen-si-tiv] adjective

1. endowed with sensation;  having perception through the senses.
2. readily or excessively affected by external agencies or influences.
3. having acute mental or emotional sensibility; aware of and responsive to the feelings of others.
4. easily pained, annoyed, etc.
5. pertaining to or connected with the senses  or sensation.

#3 is what resonates with me. So, the better balanced an individual is with their own selves, the easier it is to accommodate their own sensitive nature. In a good way. So if you are a sponge, you have a choice of how much of another’s moods you let into your experience. Are you aware of what you are absorbing?

You might also find Tuesday’s Daily Om resonates with you. It is called: “Let it Roll Off Our Back.” It is a good reminder to let things go and not get too caught up in someone else’s negative energy.

I am going to be on watch for when I need to squeeze out the junk from my sponge and when I need to keep absorbing the good!

“I Just Want To Play Ball”

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Nike truly is amazing at marketing to their consumers. This past weekend Nike launched a new video that will air on NBC, ABC Family and ESPN through July 26. It is called “Voices” or I have also referred to it as: “I Just Want to Play Ball.” It features: Marlen Esparza – Olympic Boxer, Diana Taurasi – Professional Basketball Player, Joan Benoit Samuelson – Olympic Marathoner, and Lisa Leslie – Professional Basketball Player.

After my post last Friday on Title IX this video is so very appropriate and brought tears to my eyes. It is effective at hitting the emotion of a woman. My favorites lines are:

“People are not used to women being so passionate.”

“I’m a girl. It doesn’t mean that I have to wear a skirt.”

I also wanted to share this article about women in Saudi Arabia being allowed to compete in the Olympics. This is a long time coming, and I am so grateful it has come to fruition.

So, thank you again, Nike, for making us think differently about women and girls. I will leave you today with the words of Joan: “I am fifty-five years old, and I run close to 70 miles a week.” Even if I am not doing 70 miles a week, I hope to still be running.

We Do Things Our Own Way

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It was not love at first sight. When my husband and I first met we did not like each other. I thought Chris was too nice, and I did not trust a man who was so nice. In my experience, men had not been good to me, so a man who was so nice had to be hiding something. I was also not in the greatest ‘man loving’ space in my life at the time, so Chris did not think of me as such a nice woman. Interesting what view we had of each other, and it definitely is a good reminder that you should never judge a book by its cover. After working together for over a year, through many 16 hour days, I left my job. When I did, I realized that what I missed most was Chris. Funny how what you find you liked least is what you miss the most.

on our wedding day

That was over ten years ago. Today we celebrate nine years of marriage. I can hardly believe it. We are each other’s champion, greatest advocate, and many times hardest critic. You might ask why we are each other’s hardest critic. It is because by our union in marriage, our living our life together, we hope to make the world a better place. Sometimes that means saying the hard things. It means telling the other that how they handled a situation was not their finest moment, that they can do better, push harder, ask for more, take a stronger stand. It makes us better individuals, better citizens, and a stronger couple.

If you were to ask me what encapsulates my marriage. I would answer: we do things are own way. We entered our marriage on our own terms in the way we wanted. We did not succumb to other’s opinions of how we should get married. Our wedding was solely about the moments when we made a vow to each other. A vow that has a foundation on trust, love, honesty, and integrity. Some may not have liked the choices we made, and other still may not like the choices we continue to make, but they are ours to make.

Our hope is that if we speak out to make a situation better for those that come after us, that together we are a strong bond that trickles or pours that goodness into the rest of the world. We are rich by the strength of our bond, by our love, our independence, our determination, and our deep love for each other.

Thank you, Chris, for nine wonderful years, and for doing it our way together.

40 Years of Title IX

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1972. It should be called the year of the woman. The first woman to run the Boston Marathon, Ms. magazine launches, and legislation passed for Title IX. Tomorrow, June 23rd, marks the day, 40 years ago when a law was passed that created equal access to sports for girls.

I was not always active in sports growing up. I ran cross country in middle school, and played softball in high school. I was also a cheerleader in high school, but I was never a hard core athlete. I do more now then I ever did as a kid. However, without Title IX, I might not have even had those opportunities.

middle school cross country meet

Think of all the badass women athletes that would not be where they are today if Title IX had not been passed as legislation? Famous athletes, your best friend, or your next door neighbor. Check out this montage of photos being collected, honoring 40 years since Title IX. It is called: The Power of IX – a photo project, and it is quite inspiring!

Thank you, 1972, for being the year that pushed the envelope for women’s rights.

Happy Friday!