by Stacey Shipman on February 8, 2010
This is a guest post written by Lance at the Jungle of Life. Visit him at www.jungleoflife.com, join his fan page on Facebook or follow him on Twitter. He writes from the heart about reaching your true peak.
photo credit: buck82
“If one advances confidently in the direction of one’s dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
“It’s the wrong time.”
“It costs too much.”
“There’s another commitment I have.”
“I’ll do it when I retire.”
Have you ever said a statement like this to yourself before? A statement to give yourself permission to put off doing something?
Goals. Dreams. Aspirations. They live in you. They live in me.
Still…have you ever let those dreams, those big audacious goals slip?
I have. Maybe you have, too.
I started to think about this recently.
“It’s too cold outside today.”
A cold Wisconsin day, although warmer than we’d had in weeks. Twenty degrees (Fahrenheit) outside. Supposed to have been nearly twice that. Should I go outside running? Or should I just skip it? After all, there would be warmer days soon. And if I skip it, then I could watch a little more of the football game.
What motivates us to keep on forging forward?
Deep down, I have a real desire to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s a big goal, one that on some days I really “get”, and then on other days, I don’t. Maybe you have experienced that with some of your own goals and dreams, too. Moments where it all comes together beautifully, and others where you take a few steps away from these dreams you have.
All of this bounced around in my head. I have choices.
I put on a sweatshirt and wind pants, and headed out.
What do you do, even when it’s not the “ideal” conditions? And is it ever perfectly “ideal”?
A cold and gray afternoon. And I ran. It wasn’t long until I was rolling the sleeves up on my sweatshirt. I warmed up and really settled into my stride. The crisp air heightened my senses – I noticed everything around me. I arrived home, not tired and cold. I arrived home refreshed and renewed! What a great feeling to have been out there, especially when I first had thoughts of skipping it, and to have come back home with that feeling of bursting excitement over it all.
Those things that matter, those things that speak to our heart, those big audacious dreams…
They are so worth rolling our sleeves up for.
They are so worth going after, even in less than ideal circumstances.
Life is in the choices we make.
Choose to give your dreams wings…
(Note from Stacey: When you choose to give your dreams wings, no matter the outcome, that is feel-good living. Thanks, Lance for sharing your message here today.)
by Stacey Shipman on February 5, 2010
Today is Go Red for Women/National Wear Red Day, part of the American Heart Association’s campaign to create awareness around and help prevent heart disease in women.
Did you know …
- Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, more than all forms of cancer?
- Heart disease kills approximately 450,000 women per year, which equates to about 1 per minute
- 90% of women have at least 1 risk factor for developing heart disease
- The cost is HIGH – $165.4 billion spent annually (cost is for men and women)
- Heart disease is largely preventable?
How to know if you’re at risk.
Risk factors that cannot be changed…
- Increasing age
- Sex – men are more likely than women to have a heart attack
- Heredity (including race)
Risk factors you can control…
- Smoking
- Inactivity
- High Blood pressure/cholesterol
- Overweight
In addition high levels of stress and consuming excessive alcoholic beverages also contribute to heart disease. Click here for more information from the AHA about risk factors.
Not sure how to Go Red today? Below are 7 ways to get you started.
Speak Up! A big part of the Go Red Campaign is speaking up. You must speak up about your health, you must take responsibility to make change. Start by talking about it! Find out your family history, talk to your doctor, and find out how to take preventative measures.
Wear Red. Consider wearing red today – shoes, shirt, scarf, coat – will help show your support, though it may be silent, of Go Red for Women.
Take a walk. Get some exercise – because by now I hope you know cardiovascular activity is great for your heart!
Eat for your heart. Your diet has a lot to do with heart health. From the amount of fat to sodium levels in certain foods. Beans, fruits and vegetables are great heart healthy foods. How can you eat for your heart today?
Relax! Yes, even taking a break is good for the heart. If stress is high your heart rate may elevate, your blood pressure may elevate. Give yourself a break – breathe deeply, practice yoga, read a book – do something relaxing for few minutes, and give your heart a break, too.
Hug someone you love. Nothing beats the human touch to relieve stress, feel connected (spiritual heart health at its finest!) and supported. Go ahead, put down your computer/hand held device, and give someone you care about a hug.
Will you speak up and Go Red for Women? Not only today, but all year long.
Today I’m wearing red and heading to the casting calls of my local AHA chapter to tryout for 2010 – 2011 group of spokeswomen. How will you go red today?
Other bloggers speaking up
Joanna at Fitness and Spice
Carla at MizFitOnline
Dinneen at EatWithoutGuilt
In cases you missed it, see how I’m speaking up by clicking here to view the video PSA I filmed with the MA chapter of the American Heart Association. Click here to see video.
