Exhaustion.
When it hits, it can be worse than food poisoning on your wedding night. From your brain to your bellybutton, your teeth to your toes, you just feel useless.
Inspirational Image: Life is a Lovely Ride
Ever since I saw Brian Andreas‘s work in Provincetown a few years ago, I have become obsessed with the Story People.
Something about the playfulness, combined with the words he chooses, really speaks to me. I have even subscribed to his daily newsletter (which I rarely do with anyone else).
Last December, my wife and I were going on vacation and spent some time in a little shop in Sacramento, CA the night before we boarded our plane. In that store was a huge collection of his cards, prints, books, and sculptures. I told her, “If you ever want to get me a good present, just get something from him.”
She got me a print of this image.
[Read more…]
One Telephone Pole at a Time
It was painful to watch her try to walk; albeit not as painful for me as it was for her.
“Sit down,” I suggested, pulling up a chair, wanting to relieve her of her burden.
She stared at it, shakily supporting herself with her metal cane, the type with four rubber-capped legs that stands on its own. “Do you have a chair without arms?” She asked, referencing her size with a flick of her bulky arm. “It’s hard for me to fit in this type of chair.”
I scurried away and returned with the requested model, placing it behind her. She sluggishly lowered her heaviness on to the seat, all the while leaning weightily on the cane for support. After placing herself, she exhaled a strained sigh of exhaustion, took a moment to regain her composure, and said, “Hi, I’m Sheila. I need to lose weight. I can’t live like this anymore.”
I’m always interested in what triggers us to finally take action. After all, weight doesn’t come on overnight. We fight it for years, constructing excuses, living in denial; until eventually we cross a line that drives us from needing to do something to actually doing it. It’s at that nexus where I enter the scene.
“What brought you here today?” I asked.
“I can’t get my mail.”
“Tell me more,” I said, looking for clarification.
She exhaled again, attempting to catch her breath. “My mailbox is at the end of the driveway, which is up a hill.” She rested. “Well, it’s not really a hill, it’s more of an incline, but I can’t walk that far anymore. I needed someone to bring me the mail yesterday.” Another deep exhalation escaped her lips as she steadied herself on her cane, relying on it to steady herself while sitting. “That’s no way to live. I have to do something.”
That was how we met.
Unfortunately, after a few months, she got a new job and moved away. We lost contact.
Not long ago, she resurfaced, visiting family in town. I did not recognize her.
“You look fantastic!” I exclaimed, upon realizing who she was.
“I’m down 163 pounds – and I walk every day.” [Read more…]
Confidence’s On-Off Switch
How would your life be different if you were absolutely, positively confident in what you could accomplish?
Which plans now on the shelf would you pull down, dust off, and put in motion? Would you reach out to those you’ve admired from afar and expand your circle of influence? Would you therefore finally quit that dead-end job and start your own business, knowing with absolute conviction that you would be successful?
Would you graciously bid adieu to no-longer supportive relationships, guaranteed you would be okay on your own?
Would self-assurance propel you back to school, secure in the knowledge that yes, you really could study primates in the outback, or be a healer among the third world?
If the reflection in your mirror felt buoyant about your appearance, what would you attempt? Would you learn to dance or sing, focused more on the joy of self-expression rather than the judgmental concerns about what others might think?
Bottom line, you would be happier and more successful.
Of course, absolute confidence is absolutely unattainable. Doubt, its antithesis; forever lurks like Gollum in our dark spaces. [Read more…]
Breathing with Motivation
by Chital Metha
As human beings, we are born with a set of emotional strings attached to our heart and brain that functions in the most natural ways. Sometimes, these strings stretch so far that our emotional levels soar up high and anything that is too much is never good for the heart.
When things don’t go as expected, when people don’t behave as expected or for no better reason, motivation can evaporate leaving you with vagueness in everything that you do. Motivation is like water, you need to refill yourself with it every now and then otherwise you become dry like the trees whose leave shed leaving it barren.
The good news is that there are a number of ways to keep yourself motivated which can help you stay enthusiastic about life.
It is important to love yourself no matter what.
If you love yourself, you will begin to enjoy what life gives you. Having expectations from oneself is good but see that you don’t push yourself too much beyond the limits. As a result, you might end up blaming yourself. Love yourself for the joy that God has taken utmost care in creating you.
People around you make a difference in your life.
When you’re around people who are positive and joyous in life, it automatically affects you. When you’re with people who are negative, you are bound to feel that way. Positive or negative, both are contagious. Make your choices carefully.
Knock off the dust from you.
Each night before you go to bed, make sure you forget all the uncomfortable things off your mind. Empty your mind so that it can be filled with positive energy the following day.
Train yourself to think only “Positive”.
Well, yes. Positive thinking doesn’t occur automatically. You have to train your mind to think only positive thoughts. There are a lot of chances for the negative thoughts to seep in but step out an affirmative yes only to positive thoughts pushing away everything else.
About the Author: Chital is a novelist and blogger contributing to the writing world as much as possible. When not writing, she is reading books. Get in touch with her: Facebook WordPress Ezine profile