July 2nd Update

Here we are – July 2024 !   It seems impossible that this year is half over already, but as personal progress goes, I have already accomplished more this year than I did in all of 2023. 

In 2023…

I broke my arm.

I struggled through months of forest fire smoke drifting down from northern Alberta.

I went through multiple doses of oral steroids and strong antibiotics to combat lung infections caused by ongoing sinus issues.

Due to health issues, I missed more than half of my morning workouts,  and doing weight and strength training was hit and miss at best.

I quit eating or drinking anything containing bakers or brewers yeast and virtually eliminated severe digestive issues. (That has been a huge win.)

I lost ten pounds.

I started hiking (in and out of the city)  with Dan and Molly.

So far in 2024…

I have had virtually no morning workouts missed due to health issues.   (Obviously, I still have asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis but all are relatively under control.)

I have been doing strength training workouts three days a week and have graduated to eight pound weights plus I  have doubled the reps to my routines.

I have been driving further and more often in the past couple of months, than I have since retiring in 2020.

I made a trip down to Nebraska with my daughter.   That was six days of traveling, hiking, shopping, hotels, restaurant meals, and visiting with family.  And… I made it back not too much the worse for wear.

Dan did work up most of the garden planters but I was able to plant most of the garden.  I have been maintaining it and I have been painting the garden planters (weather permitting).  And… I edged and mowed our front lawn at least once!

Personal growth is about progress, not perfection.   –  Hal Elrod

Take care and have a great day!  💞🌞

Confidence…

Being as this is Monday, it is time to choose my focus for the week and this week I have chosen to focus on confidence.    This won’t be an easy one for me, as I have a serious tendency to lean towards insecurity.   Regardless of what I have endured, survived, and succeeded at in life, confidence has always been and remains a challenge for me. 

It is beyond time for me to make a conscious effort to rectify this situation.  To help get me on the right path, I turned to Google to source out what advice the experts have to offer.

Know your value.  Confidence breeds success. Act like the person you want to become and people will start seeing you as that person.  – Mark M. Ford
When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.  – Joe Nameth
Don’t let others define you.  Don’t let the past confine you.   Take charge of your life with confidence and there are no limits to what you can do or be.  – Michael Josephson
Experience tells you what you can do; confidence allows you to do it.  – Stan Smith
Self-confidence is very important.  Not in the sense of self pride, but as a realistic awareness of what we can do. – Dalai Lama
In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can. – Nikos Kazantzakis
I am always looking outside of myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within.  It is there all the time.  – Anna Freud
I am not a has been.  I am a will be.  – Lauren Bacall

That should give me plenty to work with this week!

Have a great day and take care! 🌞💞

Year Two – Week Four

I am already four weeks into Year Two of my journey to health and fitness.  This is a journey that I am enjoying far more than I thought I would – and that has taken me to places that I never imagined possible. 

Molly – my fitness companion (Never saw that coming) 😂

This is a journey that requires commitment, motivation, determination, and focus.  Fortunately, between my husband Dan, my Volley friends Dwight and Jackie, and all of my friends here on WordPress, I have the support and encouragement that I require to push on with this journey, even on those days when my commitment, motivation, determination, and focus is a bit lacking.

This week, I am determined to focus on ‘living my best life‘.  My best life is one where my priority is my health, happiness, and peace of mind – because I deserve it and because I cannot give to others what I do not myself possess. That means working out, eating well, getting adequate rest, meditating, enjoying the company of family and friends, appreciating the blessings in my life, and overlooking (or trivializing) the blips and bleeps.

Our blippin’ bleepin’ weather. 🙄

My fractured arm is coming along, although my shoulder continues to be bothersome. But I am feeling better, which is helping my workouts and my sleep. I managed a fairly good Zumba class this morning. If Molly had given me a bit more space, I would have crushed it! I have been meditating on a regular basis, which has obviously been good for my peace of mind. And I have been doing a pretty good job of keeping up with cooking, cleaning, and laundry. I have even been doing up my hair every day. That’s probably the biggest challenge for my achy shoulder but well worth it. “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you do good.” As my mother used to say. 😉

That’s it for this week’s health and fitness update.

Keep well & keep safe! 💞🌞

So ready for another Saskatchewan summer 🌞