I have always been interested in fitness and nutrition for as far back as I can remember. Formal sports were never my thing; as a kid, sports bored me out of my mind and they still do! I would do endless sets of push-ups and sit-ups in my room, and would venture down to the basement where my dad had an old set of rusty weights and do curls and shoulder presses and some type of back exercises. Sometimes a friend would come over and we would listen to some angry rock music and see who could do the most of whatever exercise we picked.
Far from following a balanced workout program, all I knew is that the more it hurt or the harder it was, the better I felt afterwards.
The Last Year of My Twenties – Turning 29
Physical exercise is necessary for your overall well-being. By doing hard things regularly, your mind and body learn what you are capable of doing.
- El Secreto del Alquimista (Best seller) (Spanish Edition).
- Vida e Morte do Rei João (Portuguese Edition).
- Deits for Healthy Healing.
- Ethics and Finance: An Introduction (Cambridge Applied Ethics).
- RAIDers of a Lost Art: Reinventing the Art of Business Process Excellence.
- SKELETON SEASON.
- Leremita (I luoghi e i giorni) (Italian Edition)!
The good thing is that the definition of hard work varies from person-to-person: Hard work is all relative to what you are capable of doing. In college and medical school, given the mostly stable and predictable schedule, I was able to work out pretty regularly. Sure, it took some extra planning such as packing gym clothes and something to eat, but it was easy to find the time to squeeze in a good workout most days of the week.
Even in residency and fellowship, with a more unpredictable and crazy schedule, there was still enough structure to find time to do something physical about three days per week. As expected, things changed once I finished my formal training and started working a real job! My hours were less predictable, I was more tired than I was in fellowship, and we were saving money to buy a house.
What I Learned From The Worst Year Of My Life | Thought Catalog
For the first few years I worked out at home, using some basic equipment and a pull up bar in the garage of our tiny rented house. I would squeeze in a quick workout on nights or weekends…whenever I could.
I thought this was just a short-term phase, like a one- or two-year stretch I would just have to endure before getting back to a stable schedule where I could throw exercise and other healthy habits back into my life. I also realized that I was headed down the path that most people end up taking in young adulthood: With all the best intentions we put ourselves third to raise a family and built a career.
Wait a minute, there are only 24 hours in a day…where would I find the time? We actually all have plenty of time, if we do the important things first! It has shown me how to be more raw with myself and with others.
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I always knew I had this unshakable strength inside of me, but this year, I was able to put it in practice! I gave myself permission to breakdown and fall apart countless of times. I gained strength in the shattering process of my soul, and I gained strength in the rebuilding of it. If I have to walk naked for the rest of my life to stay true to who I am, I will do just that. If I have to be alone for the rest of my life to stay true to who I am, I will do just that. If I have to continuously break through my comfort and fears to stay true to who I am, I will do just that as well.
This year, I freed myself from material possessions. Although, having a place I can call mine is definitely something that I desire, but it is no longer something that I need. I will now appreciate it differently. Whether that is love, time, money or things. I learned that people genuinely do care.
I had so many people who reached out to me wanting to help mend my heart in the many ways they knew how.
Motherhood: A Season of Magic
I learned that my intuition is something that I need to respect more. My feelings have been so on point this year, and it makes me wonder why I was never able to trust my feelings as much before. I resisted those messages as long as I could. But I realized that some people are not good for me.
Last year I wrote down six things that eventually changed my life…this is #5.
You know that feeling when you are happy and are aligned with who you are, some people feel bitter towards you, they cannot stand your light? Whereas deep down, they just want to feel as connected to themselves as you are. It made them so uncomfortable that it somehow made me uncomfortable; therefore I shifted my energy to match theirs to avoid any kind of conflict or pain.
I just took shit on as my responsibility because it made me feel like I was doing something of value. I did more harm to myself and to others by keeping people in their comfort. I want to be around people who raise me up, who allow my light to come through, and who allow me to be me.
I learned this year, very recently at that, that I need to stop trying too hard, in every area of my life. I diminished my worth time and time again, because I had people who provided for me financially, but never really valuing how much I was providing them in return in every other way. To the point where I lost myself in giving myself away, thinking that the more I give, the more I will be of value. I let go of years of anger and resentment from never being fully accepted from the people that I love, simply because I am different and do not fit the traditional mould.
I learned that not everyone will enjoy my writing or what I have to share, but also that those who do love what I write, love it with all their heart. I learned that I have SO much to offer through my gift and through my calling as a writer. I opened my mind to so many ways to write and to share the things I want to share. I no longer limited myself to one way, one audience, one genre, or one medium. Not everyone of course, but the ones who matter did.