Category: Character

Character!

Murphy’s Law in regards to healing

Morning,

You know, I’ve been doing karate now for 2 weeks, stretching now for 3 weeks, weight lifting now for 1 week, P90x now for one week, and I’ve been fine and peachy and been healing really well.

Until.

Until today, when I decided to get a high picture of the karate kata class at the dojo. I rather unintelligently decided to step up high (which in hindsight, I really shouldn’t have had any problem with – after all, I’ve been doing high front kicks now for two weeks) and right then and there felt my right thigh say, Ahem. That was Extremely Unwise.

It hasn’t affected my walking, mind you, but I’m now taking the rest of the day very easy. But isn’t that weird – you’d think that with all my physical activity, if I had to hurt myself, it would be during that….but no oh no, I smoosh myself in order to take a great photo.

Blah.

Oh well, these things happen.

Barbara

ps – Some great digital camera photo thingees are:

Dealing with reality in strength and recovery

Morning,

Well! As I had earlier reported, this morning I did the P90x Legs and Back DVD, along with Ab Ripper X. Great stuff, that….and by 9am, I was at the gym with my husband, ready to do my 55 minutes of treadmill cardio.

That went rather peachy, I must admit. Then I was seized by an insane desire to see just how much weight I could leg-press….back before in my peak, I could handle 210 pounds. Imagine my surprise to realize that today, I was barely able to move 135 pounds!

Obviously, my leg muscles are still quite weak. This is okay…but frustrating, I will admit. Here I had thought I was well on the road to recovery….well, I *am*, to be honest, but it apparently will take far longer than I had expected.

Wah!

The good news is, with my “I can DO this!” attitude, I looked at it and said to myself, self, these things happen, so long as you’re on the right path, just keep enjoying the journey.

So I shall.

Reality. It’s something quite stark sometimes.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – want to see what else out there targets the abs?

Age is but a number – it’s your spirit that counts

Morning,

You know, I’m 43 years old.

And for many of my fellow moms, that’s considered to be, well, not exactly young.

Thing is, though, I’ve been realizing as I’ve pitted myself against my abilities and broke thru countless boundaries this year….age is but a number. You could be in your 70s but still have the lightness of spirit and beauty of personality…and be far younger than your typical 30-something.

This concept has really struck a chord within me. I can now DDR with my kids and leave them in the dust, easily take a 55 minute jog on my treadmill, confidently walk my beloved 2.4 mile circle walk without collapsing in a heap…and yet retain the wisdom and insights that my 43 years of life has bestowed upon me.

I really think I’m in the best shape of my life…and that things will only improve as time continues to pass on by. But I do know this – by the time I get to my 60s and beyond, I will never have to say, ah, if only I had the guts to do ABC or XYZ when I was younger. Why?

Because I’m doing it all now…with no regrets at all. :-)

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Speaking of spirits!:

The secret to giving gifts

Morning,

Hope your holidays have been perfectly peachy!

In this season, the season of gift giving, one thing that always makes me quietly chuckle is this.

When you do take the time to give a special gift for someone…and that someone neglects to appreciate it….do you feel mad? Unappreciated?

Back in my earlier years, I know I certainly did. But now, with the benefit of my years of life experiences, I’ve come to realize….

Gift giving, emotionally at least, should be at the basis a one-way street.

The other person probably didn’t ask for you to show such thoughtfulness, you know. And if said person doesn’t return your emotional gift…your reaction is your problem, not said person’s.

I really enjoy implementing the above philosophy, because it frees me from any unhappiness. I think I can now accept people as they are…and not as I’d like them to be.

And if I want to be unhappy because of a reaction, I can choose in the future to eradicate my appreciation of that person…and not make the same mistake again.

This is one of the best philosophies I am teaching my children, I believe. So many times at an early age, kids want to give things to spark a positive emotional reaction. That delivers power to the giftee, which is not a good thing! So my kids have learned that giving gifts is fine and peachy, but it doesn’t result in an obligation for a return emotional gesture.

What do you think?

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – One of the best holiday gifts when I was a child!

One year completion – 45 pounds byebye from diet/weight loss

Morning all,

Well, I’m one thrilled individual!

Last year on this day, I was approximately 174 pounds or so on a 5’3.5″ frame. I say “approximately” because I couldn’t bear to weigh myself at that time…I only weighed myself several weeks later.

Today, I’m officially 129 pounds!

To say I’m psyched is a weeee bit of an understatement.

I accomplished this by, quite simply, being smart. I started shunning all the junk food that was out there, started exercising (started quite slow I’ll admit – walking a little bit farther each day), started weight lifting, and never never never NEVER gave up on my goal. Sure, there were days in which I figured, what the hell, I’ll never break this plateau, why even bother….but then my inner strength always rose to the challenge and I stayed the path.

One of my favorite benefits from this weight loss and weight lifting time is that I have superbly respectable deltoids/biceps and triceps…and can wear tank tops and sleeveless karate gi’s (karate uniform) to my Martial Arts classes. I think I’m in the best condition I’ve ever been in my life!

This attitude carries over to how I’m raising my kids. No, I’m not a militant mom who tells my kids the evils of sugar and processed carbs…instead, they simply have witnessed my own personal journey and have started emulating many of my healthy habits. We take karate together (lots of fun!) and also have pushup contests at home (tremendous amounts of fun as we try to make our collapse as funny as possible).

However, I have to admit….the biggest benefit to this year-long journey of mine is the phrase I’ve etched indelibly into my mind and forehead – “I can DO this!”. Not matter what “this” is, I have the courage and strength and fortitude to tackle anything….tackle and succeed. The only barrier to my success is reality – everything else, I can focus my intense mental concentration and achieve the ultimate.

It’s a very humbling thing to realize.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Some people like adding protein to their weight loss regime, like:

I can do habanero pushups! Wheeeeeee!

Morning,

Life is joyous.

Back in the summer, one of our karate senseis showed up a rather killer pushup that my kids named ‘habanero pushups’ (mainly because your muscles burn when you’ve completed them).

Actually, they’re simply pushups with your hands close by your sides so it works your triceps. Thing is, though, back then….I couldn’t do one. Even when I worked up to 50 normal pushups in a session, my ability to do a close-handed pushup simply wasn’t there.

Well! Today I had an insane urge to try them again, and was able to bash out 10! Rather slowly, mind you, and somewhat agonizingly….but all in all, it was ‘way easier than my earlier attempts all this summer.

Hopefully this means I’m getting in better physical shape! It was quite a nice thing to realize.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Here are some other fun triceps thingees!

Kids and Bullying – Resources and Forums to Help

Morning,

One of the most devastating things that can happen to your child is being on the receiving end of bullying. It can utterly decimate a child’s view of himself or herself…and lead to more and more difficulties down the road towards maturity.

Personally, I hate bullies…and would gladly take great pleasure in sending them to the front line of any war. However, in today’s “Let’s blame the victim”world, such consequences are generally frowned upon greatly….so instead, here are some resources you can use to help your child deal.

First off, of course, there’s the self-confidence factor. One way to help your children assert themselves and discover their own personal value is through the Martial Arts; I came across a great compilation of resources from Amato’s Goju Ryu site. Other super sites include:

Next, what about the middle school bullying? Girls against girls, boys against boys…it can really get brutal especially if your child is involved. Thus, please benefit from the following reviews I’ve uncovered from Queen Bees and Wannabees. Enjoy!

Oscillating massagers, aching thighs and acupressure, oh my!

Morning,

Well, it’s almost 1am and I cannot sleep. There is a slight (oh so slight!) possibility that I might have overdone my physical therapy a weeeeee bit (about as “weeeee” as a redwood tree) early today.

Today, all I did (really!) was unassisted chinups thru the day (I can do 3 at a shot, wheeee!), walked a mile very slowly, and did some slow glute stretches for my right leg. That’s it! But let me tell you now, all sides of my right thigh feel like they’re made of concrete with perhaps a bit of fossilized sand thrown in for good measure. I even took 2 hot baths (generally the ultimate of curealls!) to no avail.

So…I figured it was time to be gentle to myself. Back about a decade or so, my husband and I bought this rather nifty oscillating acupressure massager called a Tamiko – it features an acupressure point that you can use to really dig into your muscles. I just spent 10 minutes loosening up my legs and slathering on the tiger balm…finally the aches are starting to dissipate.

This massager is a godsend for anyone who needs to direct pressure to specific muscular areas! Alas, the company went out of business, and I haven’t been able to find one again. Wah. But wow, acupressure can really be a benefit when your exercising gets you down.

Time to build websites,

Barbara

ps – want some massagers? Consider:

Ban math phobia and math anxiety!

Morning,

I’ll be the first to admit it – I love math. Don’t have a natural knack for it, mind you, as a matter of fact, I’m not gifted in it whatsoever….but wow, I do adore math. Loved it so much I majored in it in college and founded the first Math Club there as well. Ah, those were the days.

Now, you might be wondering – gee Barbara, if you’re so totally an idjut in the subject, why do you love it so much? And that’s a very legit question. You see, when in grammar school and the like, I never pushed myself to learn math…and so never could do the subject adequately. But upon graduating from college, I learned that math is the foundation for just about any and all technical endeavors. My math degree got me interviews that a comp sci degree would not!

One of my favorite sayings I learned from college is the following:

  • Where am I now?
  • To where do I want to go?
  • How do I get there from here?

Apply the logical deductions of mathematics to questions like the above….and you uncover your answer far sooner than if you flailed around like a fish out of water.

So! One of the promises I made myself was that when I raised my kids, they wouldn’t have the same problems I myself possess with math. I made darned sure that my kids learned to love the subject and the beauty the numbers showcase – to this day, they’re all straight A students in the subject.

Which brings me to math resources online! Here are some of the super sites I’ve used myself to teach me kids – enjoy!

Want some resources for dealing with current math phobia? Consider:

As a parent, you owe it to your children to give them the gift of mathematics competency. Math is the king of subjects – it will help your children immensely as they grow. Make certain they benefit from it.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – need help with math?

2 chinups, 1 mile walk and weak thighs – oh my!

Morning,

Well, I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that I can now do 2 (count ’em, two!) unassisted chinups! This is 1/2 more than my last record of 3 days ago. Yay!

My right thigh muscles are still somewhat weak from the surgery. So I’ve been spending some time stretching and today, decided to try a small walk. Instead of my beloved 2.4 mile circle walk, I simply walked one mile up and down my town’s sidewalks…and managed to complete that with no problem at all. Yay! It does look like I’m on schedule for my healing, although I will admit, I really wish I could participate in my karate and kendo again. Wah. Oh well, that will happen, some day….

In other news, I’ve come to realize that exercise becomes a “need” instead of a “have to do” after awhile. I just don’t feel right when I neglect my exercise – my body tells me, ahem, you’re stalling! Do something, anything, just get up off of your rear and make things happen.

So I did. :)

In 10 days, I will have been on my get-healthy plan for officially one year! I will certainly look forward to posting about my accomplishments – it’s been a great ride that will continue in 2008.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – want a pedometer?