Tag: challenges

challenges

Burdensome

2chicksandapen

What does it mean to be a burden to others?

For different people this answer can stretch for what seems like miles from one extreme to another. There is the obvious burden for our elderly. Unable to care for themselves 100% or dependent on others for shopping, driving, personal care, even tech support. Sometimes the need is even as simple as companionship or mental stimulation. All these things take time and effort. Once capable adults may find themselves in need of help on weekly or even daily basis. 

There can be other scenarios for adults that are harder to see. Emotional, intellectual or even medical challenges or disabilities. These often cause dependency issues relating to transportation, housing, finances amongst others. 

Tragedies or accidents or diseases with crippling effects. Confined to a wheelchair or hospital bed. Limited mobility during recovery. Medical care costs, time traveling to appointments, the red tape of insurance claims, referrals, the list goes on. Each scenario can make the individual feel like a burden to others. A dependency problem. One may perceive themselves to be a burden while others may be willing to offer support without thinking of their actions as burdensome. The mismatch can become a barrier between people. 

Hope. A simple four-letter word. We can all offer hope to others through our positive actions. Sending a note card, a text or making the phone call. Checking in to offer a helping hand. Some will accept while others will deny any help.  They may even hide the fact that they need assistance. Watch for other signs with those who deny any need for help. Depression. Isolation. Self-harm. Lack of interest in religion. Giving away prized possessions. These signs could lead to other issues.

Maybe it’s their stubbornness or I can do it mentality. Maybe they don’t want to waste others’ time. Let’s face it, we will all find our selves in this scenario at some point in time. How will you handle the burden dilemma? Will you accept help willingly? Will you ask for what you need? Will you want to be isolated and do it all on your own? Will you consider quitting the fight all together?

On the other end, if you offer support is it endless? Is it just a starting point? To force the one struggling to face their problems head on? Will you continue to offer support time and time again? What if somebody takes advantage of your kindness? How does one communicate to the person in need that it’s okay to have help? It’s okay to work as a team. It’s okay to not be okay all the time, but it’s never okay to take help for granted.

Sometimes the one who needs the help becomes a taker because the giver allows it. One must always set boundaries. You can offer help but expect change and effort (or at the very least gratitude) in return. And watch out for reverse abuse. Words can hurt. The one who feels they are a burden can lash out at the ones closest to them. Unless you have that hard conversation the hole will continue to build. Consistent and honest communication can go a long way toward sharing the burdens so no one gets overwhelmed. 

adventure, challenges

Climbing Life

2chicksandapen

Every day I set out to climb the mountain of life. Some days it rains. Some days it pours. Some days the sun shines bright. Some days are meant to be for laziness. Other days require a dialed into productivity mentality. No Matter what the weather of life spits out, I still climb through the turbulence. No climb nor day is ever exactly the same.

Today’s climb encompassed physical strain, outdoor adventures, lots of sunshine and just a different set of people to converse with. Keeping in mind the latter can be exhausting in itself. This girl was tired and working on fumes at the end of the day but the strain may just be the icing on the cake. It was the weekend but being booked solid Friday to Sunday isn’t for the weak at heart. The climb was taxing, physically this time.

Reminder-spending time outside in the sun can have positive benefits for your varied recovery stages.

Tomorrow will be a contrast. A different mental Monday starts in with new people and places adding stress and awkward moments. As long as the sun shines a little the kinks in the day will easy work their way out. If the weather is rainy I may feel bumps in the day. For now the weather seems to fit the need for my mental Monday. A day to dial in and focus on the productivity needed. This climb is more about mental strength than physical.

Sometimes the calendar brings along dates or events that get locked in months prior. A long wait time to get to the certain day. Sometimes it’s a dreaded day and other times it’s a welcome day. A business meeting of sorts. A dress up day. A get shit done or else kind of project. How does one even get wrapped up in such chaos? Little ole me of course. A positive attitude can go a long way on these day that seem like a mountain to climb in 15 minutes or less.

Whether one has a job interview, a class final, a sales meeting, a review with their boss, a court date, a wedding, a birth or just any other once in a blue moon event one will feel stress of sorts. The key is training your mind to win the day. Climb the mountain of life. That day. Conquer that obstacle that may seem so big, yet it’s only as big as you let your mind make it. These days seem more about emotional strength. Being able to endure life’s surprises.

Seizing a day.

Capturing that big moment.

Feeling the rush of completing what seems so difficult in the moment.

Looking ahead at what can be with a smile.

Putting your head down to climb the mountain of life. Taking little steps to chip away at that monumental task(s). Exercising patience. Growing physically, emotionally, socially and mentally. Putting oneself out there. Applying strength when needed. Pushing when required. Pushing again when resistance hits. Reframing. Regrouping. Reclaiming life. Your life. After the mountain.

Life can feel weighted at times. That’s life. Some days you need to lift heavy physically. Some days mentally. No two mountains have the same terrain. Life is full of mountains. Life is a gamble of sorts. Sometimes you need to gamble on yourself. This involves taking risks. The bigger the risk, the greater the rewards in life.

Never stop climbing!

challenges

Up Too Early

2chicksandapen

3 am came too early for the girl who likes to sleep past 7 am on the daily and even later on the weekend.

What was different? A few things, but nothing serious. Tired, of course. Just unable to sleep. Maybe too much caffeine before bed? Was it a restless night? Not so much. Just a good old case of she can’t sleep. Now. Today. At all. Talk about frustrating!

Not hungry. Not thirsty. Not angry. Not unsettled. Not hyped for a trip or a meeting or a big work deal, nothing. Not a thing to weigh one down. Insomnia. Just insomnia. Toss. Turn. Peek at the clock. Take deep breaths. Count to 20. Listen to the soft sounds of doggies breathing. All so peaceful…but sleep is still miles away. Hate to see what my whoop says tomorrow or today about my overnight recovery. The yawns get heavier but still the sleep doesn’t follow. Day breaks and as predicted, the whoop insists sleep is needed! Just a confirmation of what I already knew.

Visits to dreamland are short. Then longer visits seem deeper yet disturbing content causes me to wake. Unexpected. Sleep deprived: no stormy weather just stormy sleep; a long day awaits this tired soul.

A day outdoors with the sun on her face adds to the exhaustion. Will a late afternoon nap help offset the tiredness? Would a wind down cocktail be better? Who’s to know the exact recipe to support the exhausted. Minutes in daytime seem as long as the endless minutes overnight. Hungry every couple of hours. Snapping at co-workers. Attention drifts. Not quite firing on all cylinders. Body feeling heavy. When is bedtime again?

This fiasco starts again as the new night begins. Eye masks. Extra blankets. Blankets pulled up just right. Reading for a few minutes. Nothing could soothe the soul of the tired one. Maybe it’s time to count sheep? Lullabies? 

Have you ever had a sleepless night?

fitness and nutrition

54 Days

2chicksandapen

It was 54 days ago I decided to make a commitment to complete a partner WOD competition. 4 workouts. 1 day. Burpees involved. Running required. Two of my least favorite gym moves and both double as slowest movements. Nonetheless I decided to commit to the event and work to strengthen my weaknesses.

I started documenting the process straight of of the gate. I’m using my whoop to maximize my heavy training days as well as capitalize on days I need rest. So far the process is on track. I have my benchmark times for the run and I’m looking to work hard over the next 50 days to build my endurance and trim my run time while watching my heart rate. Of course I also want to stay injury free as well.

Chipping away little by little. 3 seconds, 8 seconds all adds up in time. Running is not my strength so just don’t zoom in to the picture, but of course it will be better as the competition gets closer.

Next weakness is burpees. I can do 5 unbroken. I can squeeze out 8 unbroken if I push myself. However, 9, 10, 11, and 12 seem like I’m moving in slow motion. It could be mental. It could be my lack of practice. It could be my dislike of the movement. It could even be my limited mobility. No matter what the cause or excuse I’m working on finishing 12 in record speed each round under fatigue! No small task, but if it were easy everyone would do it. At this point I’m consistent on my speed round to round. Now I just need to fine tune my movement.

While I chip away at improving my run, my stamina, and my burpee performance I just also need to loosen my hips and stretch for me to be able to break parallel about 60 times while throwing wallballs to a target several feet above me. Yeah me. Not sure why I sign up to torture myself, but I do.

30 days out. Jump rope is in hand to see how many I can complete in a minute. So far the consistent number is around 120-122. Finding a focal point, breathing and syncing into a rhythm is what I need to master.

Roping, I might even have music blasting to drown out redundancy factors that surface repeatedly in 1 minute.

In the middle of training I also have the pleasure of working through a knee injury. I’m not medically qualified to diagnose the exact injury but it was fluid around the knee. Uncomfortable. Limited mobility. Lots of Aleve. Ice. A little rest. Modifications to movements to keep the training going. The introduction to a new band to work on the problem area with tension was a game changer. A little pain never hurt anyone but high heels really were not on the agenda while I worked out my pains and inflammation.

All in all training was good. It gave me a goal to work toward. It made me focus on some weaker moves. My whoop helped me identify opportunities to add more strain some days or to train a little differently to maximize my overall conditioning and training. Managing my heart rate under fatigue to know what my body was capable of was key, too. Not sure what I will work towards after this competition but it will be something to feed my hunger for training and competition.

As an added bonus I had a 12-pound personal best on my bench press mid-training. Must be all the burpees and push ups I added into to my training. Crossover benefits are a bonus no matter how you look at it. 142 pound bench press for the gold star today.

Look for the results of the competition in the coming days if I desire to write about it.

family, TBH Doodle Gang

Honey Honey

2chicksandapen

Her name is honey.

She has the prettiest eyes.

She loves naps and chew toys.

She has arrived at her new home.

She has acclimated with her sisters from other misters (aka Teddie and Bear). She now completes the trio known as the TBH Doodle Gang. There is nothing better than a girl gang, if I do say so myself.

Day one was a little shock for my existing two pups. Day two the newest addition learned to assert herself and make her place in the pack. We welcomed some sunshine to the week allowing lots of play in the yard which created a safe place to get to know each other in a less intimidating environment for the newcomer. 

The older two staked their spots at bedtime and watched closely to the attention the little one receives. Fair and consistent is the name of the game for this doodle trio. They are extremely observant and definitely let you know if they felt less catered to. I of course think all ladies should have that presence and self-awareness. Heck maybe they get it from me!

We have had car adventures. We visited friends at the pet store. We picked up mail at the post office. We met the vet. We sniffed the snout of a Great Dane whose head is bigger than Honey’s whole body. We went to the park and a barbecue. We spent Easter with Grandma. We even sleep pretty good at night. We can safely say we covered socializing.

We have listened to cars, trucks, birds, barks, and felt the wind in our face. Our initial environmental experiences have been received well. Grass, pavement, carpet, hardwoods, so many foot feelings. Now it’s time for some separation training, crate training, and mastering the name Honey and alerting of potty time.

Spent some time unsupervised or in open play and didn’t destroy again which is a major plus. Now it’s time to watch this baby doodle grow up.