Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Getting a Tune-up is Important

Well, I don't think it's any great secret after my last few posts that I was taking some "time off for bad behavior". What I didn't realize was that I wasn't feeling like myself during that time, I felt bad. Because I felt bad, I would continue to keep doing the same thing over and over, expecting that at some point things were going to change and I would feel differently (does that sound familiar to anyone?) Yes, that is the definition of "insanity" (whether or not Einstein was actually the one to define it, is up for debate, but it's true, regardless of who coined the phrase). And that was me, driving around all over the place, like a kid on a bumper car grid. No goals, no end in sight, just out there for the hell of it. I didn't really equate my actions with how I was feeling. Then, I finally got the hell off the bumper cars (I mean really, what in the world is the appeal for self-inflicted whiplash, anyway?) I started paying attention again (in the world of Weight Watchers, it's this little activity known as "tracking"), I started challenging myself with monthly fitness goals, I started writing again (hey, yes...nice to see all y'all again!). In other words, I started acting like the myself again.

When I say that I was acting like "myself" again, I don't mean the "me" who would come home Friday after work and not leave the house (or even open the door) again until Monday. Not the "me" who would consume a breakfast that would feed a family of three. Not the "me" who couldn't walk to the mailbox. No, she's gone. For good. No matter how much "time off for bad behavior" I take, she's never coming back. I rediscovered Me 2.0. The one who does 5Ks and Half Marathons, the one who isn't afraid to sweat, the one who feels good physically because she feels good emotionally and vice versa. When I got my groove back (OK, it's a process. Technically, I'm still getting my groove back), I noticed I felt better during Orangetheory classes, I felt better on the bike rides, I felt better just getting up in the morning. Yes, taking care of your mind, body and soul makes it easier to take care of your soul, body and mind.

In other words, what I've really learned is that when I'm not feeling quite right, when something feels off, I should listen to my inner voice (no, not the one begging for Red Velvet Cheesecake) telling me to take care of myself. It is important take a look at what you are doing or not doing, examine what habits you lost or picked up  get a tune-up. Your body is the most important vehicle you will ever have, make sure that nothing gets in the way of your ability to keep it in mint condition. Treat it like Cameron's dad's Ferrari in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. You are not a bumper car stranded on an electric grid, destined to give someone whiplash. No, you are a magnificent piece of Italian machinery, built for excitement and the freedom of the open road. You can only drive with the engine light on for so long before permanent damage is done and no vehicle can perform in peak condition without the proper care. 

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