Margaret's Musings: The "Boing" Edition

Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains

Some Random Musings...

• When I hear people happily exclaim,  “I ran 2 miles and burned 175 calories!” I can’t get too excited for them.  Two miles is a lot of distance to cover to burn off a banana and three almonds.  
• If you go to the restroom and don’t wash your hands, people notice. And remember. And mention it to others. 
• Am I the only one who hears the “boing” when my eyes pop back into place after I roll them at some of the goings-on in today's world?
• I had to hide some folks from showing up in my Facebook timeline because I heard boing way too much.
• One of my Facebook “friends” may have boinged me, because I notice we are no longer friends. She did treat me nice at church, though.

Here’s the skinny on my fat, or how those verbs are working for me...

So….my January goals were no overt sugar (pie, cake, cookies, candy) and no restaurants. Other than some Little Caesar’s pizza at a grandson’s birthday party, I haven’t had restaurant food. No overt sugar. I’ve lost 12 pounds. 

I’d like to say my focus is completely off food, but I don’t always succeed. When I find myself fretting over what to eat/what I just ate, I make a conscious effort to find a better focus. Food obsession has had too much of my headspace for one lifetime, and since I only have this one life on earth, well…I should be living it instead of letting it pass me by.

Exercise?  Meh! I hate moving.   I try to take the stairs more than the elevator, though they just put the elevator in and it tempts me. I walk hills to my car.  I said I would stretch, but it hurts (said in my best whiny voice), so I don’t do it enough. I should focus on my attitude toward exercise.  I really don’t like it.  Maybe one of my February (my birthday month) goals will be moving more. Ugh.

And lest we forget the price some people have paid for freedom, and think that Martin Luther King Day is just another holiday...

Quotes from his speech:

In a sense we've come to our nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.

This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal."

Click HERE for full transcript

2016: The Year of Action...

2016 – The Year of the Verb! 

Instead of dreaming about it, I’m going to do it. 

At my ripe old age, it’s time to:

• Stop living in a fantasy world and actually write the book.
• Stop obsessing about losing weight…what/when/how I’m eating…and focus on something useful. After all these years, I realize that nothing I have tried (repeatedly) has worked, so why go back there?
• Start doing. Just do it! Help others. Give more. Be nicer. Replace negative thoughts/words with positivity. Teach the class I’ve been asked to teach. Read more. Study more. Learn! Write! 
• Refocus. If I keep dwelling on myself, I’ll only have myself to count on, then blame for the failure. Instead, I’ll focus more on the author and finisher of my faith.

…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…(Hebrews 12:1-2)

If you’re interested in where I am with weight loss gain, here’s the truth: I’ve regained almost all of the weight I lost. I don’t like it, but if I spend my energy beating myself up, I won’t have any energy left. My energy will be better served in living the best I can in The Year of the Verb.

But I do have goals concerning my health. For January, no restaurants, which is a really big deal for me, considering the greater majority of my meals are in restaurants, fast food in my car, and lunch from the food court at work. I have a feeling I’m going to save some money!

In addition, (again for January) no overt sugar because I do so much better without sugar.  I just cannot go back to the obsession of every calorie/fat gram/carb…every morsel…that goes into my mouth. It has never been a long-term success, and trading one obsession for another isn’t anywhere near what I want in life.

Hopefully, after a January with no sugar, come February, sugar won’t be as big of an issue.  I just refuse to obsess over weight issues any more.

Exercise? I hate exercise! I only plan to live more, love more, move more. Use the stairs, go more when invited…and stretching. I really need to stretch this poor sore, stiff body! Open doors for others, take carts back to corrals for others (instead of watching them through judgmental eyes for them parking the cart wherever they see fit). When I see a need, it’s my job to help however I can.

(I am making a commitment to read the Bible through this year.)

So that’s it. The way to achieve real change is to put God first instead of me. It won’t happen overnight. It may take a life time of working on it, but I’d much rather spend a life time of seeking Him than concentrating on change that I can’t achieve. He can help me when I can’t help myself, so I need to move over and let Him. My part is to help others.  Really, that is my part, my job as a Christian.

I hope your 2016 is happy and healthy.

I wish for you joy and peace, 

and success in all of your endeavors.