I love Amazon. It really has most things I want on standby. Life is so busy that it is so easy to just click and add something special to my cart, quickly. Then it’s at my door 1-2 days later. You can’t beat it, honestly. Not to mention you can get more variety than most local stores.
For me, I needed some busy work for a few days. A couple of books to read to cure the boredom that I would be subjected to. Then I thought how about a coloring book. I found many adult books available. I settled in on the badass book with motivational statements and creative boxes to color. Added to the cart just like that.
Well then I needed the color. Would I choose colored pencils? Markers? Crayons? I decided markers were too messy. The then decided pencils were not as fun and would take me too long to color the pages. I opted for crayons. Little did I know crayons evolved and choices were abundant since I last purchased them many years ago.
I ended up picking wax crayons. A little fatter in design but maybe more adultish. Click it’s in the cart. The delivery arrives and I set to the side. I have plenty of tasks to complete and coloring isn’t really at the top of list. Then one night I opt for my coloring debut. It was simply amazing.
The crayons are smooth. They slide or glide onto the paper. It was therapeutic to just color. I can’t tell you how this simple activity just made me feel like a kid again. The deadlines didn’t matter for filing sales tax. I could do that tomorrow. The email could wait.
The list goes on and on. I opted to do coloring instead and I enjoyed it.
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My simple point of this post is try something new. Something off the wall for you. You might like it. It might change the tone of your day or week. It might be a distraction that is just what you need. Mr. Pen gel crayons are now a personal favorite.
Hope you find something quirky on Amazon that brings out your inner child like I did. My entertainment of coloring is a budget conscious choice compared to other activities. Another plus for me.
It was a rainy and overall stormy morning. Thunder, lightning, flooding, loud booms. The list keeps on going. Then after the clouds faded the sun appeared. A mid-70s kind of day. Clear blue sky above. The sun casting its warmth upon those below.
Fresh warmth on the skin. Rays to soak up the moisture in the grass. A slight breeze to keep outdoor time manageable. A quick soak in the hot tub was just what the doctor ordered. Pure bliss and relaxation. Peaceful sounds of the outdoors. Not a care in the world for that time. Just a little sunshine, water and and a slight breeze to to call the afternoon perfect. I had plenty of chores and work to do, but I opted for that can wait until later.
Time to dry off under the cover of the porch but with the sun on my back. A different kind of warmth. A different kind of peaceful. The breeze picked up a bit. The trees howled a little. Then they died down again. The birds chirped away. The bees were a-buzzing. The sounds of nature. About a year I wrote about porch sitting in a row house in Louisville, KY. This story is a good bit different as it’s coming to you from Hotlanta, Ga this time.
No cars passing by. No city noises. No extra people passing by. A little more secluded. A different kind of peaceful enjoyment. Sometimes it’s great to connect with the outdoors. No matter what your porch looks like or where you are located, a little sun and surroundings can provide the mind and body with some restoration. A new perspective on the same old space. A new view based on the day, the weather, the overall surroundings.
What started out as a yucky weather day ended up full of vitamin D and relaxation. The outdoors beats the couch most days, although a winter’s day of Netflix binge watching is a close second. Enjoy your day today wherever you are. Think about the outdoors and see if you can find a way to enjoy your version of sunshine today.
No photos for this post. Hoping you can visualize my day in paradise simply by reading along.
It was a sunshiny day just after spring hit the air. A routine trip to the ball field for the third time this week to watch a game. It seemed like such a mom / dad thing to do after a workday. Then the phone chirps. It’s a Snapchat and another friend was at the ball field. Different sport. Different age group. Different gender. A weekday at the ball field was not for just me. It seems like a regular occurrence to run into friends and acquaintances any time one is at the ball field.
On this day at the field the restroom visit was required. No toilet paper. Seems to be expected. The bleachers were the next stop. The gentleman next to me noted, geez they need to power wash this place it’s disgusting. I glanced around a bit. Maybe 60% seemed to be female and 40% seemed to be male in the crowd. Maybe 50 people were in attendance. All in their own conversations. Many talking about others nearby. Sometimes in a less flattering way.
Then the match began. The heckling began. The obnoxious fans ran their mouths from both teams. Gasps were taken by some. Feet were stomped by others. Some raised their hand wide as if they were speaking to a large crowd. But no. Most times they spoke to themselves or those who heard them but didn’t listen. It’s so funny to observe actions at the ball field amidst competition.
It was just another day at the ball field. Parents squeaking about play time or bad coaching. Players dancing at half time. Mispronounced names on the announcements at the start of the game. This time around their were no concessions so they’re might have been a few cranky siblings complaining about no sugary treats. I supposed that was a missed fundraising opportunity for the hosting team.
Most of the energy was focused on the loud and annoying teens that showed up late to the game. They heckled the players. They even chose to bark. An interesting barking sound. Loud screams were mixed in. Shouting towards the referees for calling against the home team. I must circle back to the barking noises. They were very odd and distracting for me and I was a good bit away. I can only imagine how the players felt that were nearby.
A day at the ball field. It’s something everyone should experience. From the age of 4-6 to middle school to high school and of course college. The sports may be the same but the audience can surely impact a game. These days sports seem different than when I was younger. I had more fun, less pressure and a stronger desire to grow as a player and teammate. These days kids seem to be strung up on perfection. Parents want highlight reels. Coaches want wins without looking at how to build character and teammates.
One should really attend a game at the ball field where you know nobody. Listen to what goes on in the stands. Observe the coaching or lack thereof. Watch. See if leaders emerge on the field. Listen to how teammates speak to each other. See how hostile spectators are who are doing their best to officiate the game.
A day at the ball field. It can be as interesting as a day of people watching at the airport. Just stop, look and listen to what’s around. Maybe one will learn how to behave better at their own kid’s event. Who knows.
One day you feel amazingly accomplished. The next day you can feel deflated as if your world just crumbles beneath you. It’s life they say. How do you deal with the ups and downs of life?
A week doesn’t go by without the craziness of friend or family member in turmoil. Emotionally distraught. At wit’s end because of x, y or z. It can be hard to be the person to shoulder all this weight from many different angles and or people. Exhausting at times.
Tomorrow is a new day. Never let today’s worries weigh down your tomorrow. You have to be able to reset or your burden will continually grow until the weight can’t be carried further. This is normally where emotions are high and people say things they regret. It’s inevitable.
Do yourself a favor. Worry less about changing others and change how you react to negativity. You can control your attitude. Your actions. Your emotions. You can’t control those things in others no matter how much you try.
I feel good today.
I felt good yesterday.
I felt good the day before.
Why? Because I wasn’t carrying the burden of others. I may have shared in the burden by listening to their challenges, but I didn’t carry the weight. I offered support. I will continue to offer support as much as I need but I won’t do the heavy lifting.
I’ve written about givers and takers in life before. I see it often. A good example is the friend who needs your shoulder often. You give it often. However there is never a return gesture. They never ask how you are doing. They never ask if you need anything. They talk but don’t listen. They take but don’t give. Most often these are the folks that carry the hefty mental and emotion burdens. Guilt. Hatred. Fear. Judgement. All of it.
I choose to start fresh. Not a care in the world each day. It may be for 5 minutes or 5 hours, but I start fresh. I make today count. I may not always do the things on the to do list. I do however find a way to do something on the ta da list. Sometimes planned. Sometimes not.
Start fresh.
Start again.
Don’t live with regrets.
Make today count.
Make today count for you because you only control you.
Was year 7 a lucky year? No. It was however the 7th consecutive year for me to participate in the CrossFit Open. I’m still fittish. I’m still fabulous. I’m still as competitive as I was when I was just 12 years old.
Year 7 was a defining year. A year I didn’t let fear hold me back. A year to redefine myself within my personal scope of CrossFit today. This year I am visiting the gym 3-4 days a week as compared to a solid 6 days a week a few years ago. I’m a little thicker. I’m a little less flexible. I’m a little more cautious vs. reckless.
I do other things now, whether I’m playing tennis a few days a week or just squeezing in a workout in my shred shed to stay active. With that being said I didn’t miss the chance to compete in the CrossFit Open. Why would I? I have a seven year streak going. I may even have a goal to see how many years I can do it.
I participated scaled which was okay for me as I wasn’t working on the advanced gymnastics movements all year, but I could garner the strength to participate scaled. I scaled like a boss and owned each workout the best I could. I had fun. I did better than expected in most cases. All in all I am happy to be continuing to compete each year.
The workouts are always different. The people around you may change but the competitive edge really lies within you. I’ve been an athlete all my life. I have competed at high levels across many sports over the years. The common denominator is competition for me. I like to compete. I like to compete in many areas of life and sports allows me to hone my skills and discipline myself.
As you can see below I test my brain each morning with Wordle. I compete with friends near and far. A digital challenge each morning. A competition bright and early in the day to spark the competitive edge we all have. Some days it’s easy. Some days it’s frustrating. Some days I lose. Today I was a little lucky. Some friends start with the same word. I choose a new word daily. I guess I like change and that simple word change is something I control each morning. Instead of being cautious I’m risking change thus competing with myself.
I compete with myself on the daily however having national leaderboards is a great way to see how you stack up to others around the world. I’m not the elite athlete by any means and I don’t care to be. I care to be me, an athlete. A masters athlete. A scaled athlete. A long-term competitor. I’m an endurance athlete. I’m enduring the test of time. How long can I stay fit enough to compete at whatever level my body and mind wants to. I adapt. I adjust. I realign my expectations now and again.
Some days I may be in the masters age class for CrossFit while other days I’m in the muck of it all with an 18 year old. On the tennis courts I may play in the senior league but then the next day play in 18 and older league. Each scenario may be different with players and abilities but it’s still competitive. Your mind still needs to react to the environment. One must persevere against whatever the odds are. Being an athlete also has highs and lows. Winning days and losing days. The point is I still compete and give my all in whatever level competition I am in and whether or not I win a prize.
I don’t register for the local 5k to be #1 in my age group. I do it to say I competed. I do it to be amongst other like-minded people who chose fitness. Environment matters. Getting out with others can be key for many who many suffer in their own silent ways. Remember that you don’t have to be #1 to be an athlete. You need to train to be an athlete. Training is a repetitive action.
Today at my gym I worked out along side a young guy in a wheelchair. He adapts every movement for him even though we do the same class. Next to me is a teenager. She is getting her conditioning in for her high school off season. Different levels, same focus on fitness. Making time to work at our levels.
My body gets stiffer these days. My body needs extra time stretching. Once I make my adjustments I can still work just as hard as others. I’m just adjusting to the newer version of me which is actually the older version of me. Tweaking what needs adjusting along the way.
When I look back at these seven years in the Open, I can see how far I have come. I can see where I could go. I can see how many people quit while I stayed on the path. I can see how much my fit life has impacted others around me. My mental strength has grown from all the moments I spent on the gym floor in near tears for making another rep. My emotional strength has skyrocketed as it goes hand and hand with my mental prowess. Physically I have hit ups and downs but I am super strong in comparison to many my age and for that I am hopeful for the future. The future of me. How long I endure. How I forge ahead.
If you have never competed on a national level, try it. Maybe your sport is chess. Maybe it’s pickle ball. Whatever the sport see how you fare. Competition is a strength in all parts of life. We all compete for tomorrow when it’s never guaranteed. Staying competitive in life or competing helps one prepare for those days that you need the physical, mental and emotional strength to see tomorrow.
I am an athlete.
An athlete in mind, body and spirit.
I have trained for years.
I did the work.
I continue to work each day. This is what an athlete does. They train continuously. It’s my opinion that athletes make great leaders. They understand sacrifice. They know how to work hard. They appreciate mental toughness. They can balance when needed in life. They are built to endure.
The photo above showing me upside down is fascinating to those who don’t workout. It takes a lot to go upside down. Confidence. Strength. Determination. Power more than finesse. Practice. Failures. Courage. So much behind the scenes of this photo, yet I am proud to say that at 51 years old I can go upside down. Maybe that’s another goal to see how many more years I can go upside down.
2 Chicks and a blog 