10,000 Things......

Monday, August 16, 2010

I was up early this morning. Joan and I drove back from Wisconsin after a very nice weekend with family, both in Chicago for a wedding and in Milwaukee for a bit of a family reunion. Because I took Friday and Monday off the rest of my week is brutal. Sparing you the details I’ll say this; each day starts very early and ends very late.

I was thinking about that while I was waiting for Joan in the car. She was saying good bye to my sister and I just wanted to get moving. I decided to check the email on the Blackberry while I was waiting. I saw a friend’s name that I hadn’t heard from in like forever. I opened the email and this is what it said:

"Isn't it rather mind-numbing, John, that for everyone, always and forever, they have 10,000 more things to be thrilled about, than not. U R Blessed.”

I didn’t feel blessed right then and there. I felt tired and wished the eight hour car ride home was more of a click my heels and I’d be relaxing in my recliner. I did what John always does, I felt sorry for myself. I was tired and didn’t really want to even think about Tuesday. Poor John.

"Isn't it rather mind-numbing, John, that for everyone, always and forever, they have 10,000 more things to be thrilled about, than not. U R Blessed.”

My sister, Mary, is a cancer survivor. She’s been cancer free for ten years. I hold my breath every time she goes in for a checkup. Prior to that she had a very difficult time conceiving. She had four miscarriages before my niece and god daughter Melissa was born. Mary is one of the kindest and most generous people I know. She has time for everyone.

My brother-in-law Mike lost an eye in a hunting accident when he was ten. Later as a volunteer fire fighter he witnessed a man being electrocuted in a live power line. He was powerless to help because of the high voltage. His daughter was married Saturday evening and I don’t know if there was a happier guy on the planet that night. He’s sixty and a runner and told me when I run in my first 5k he will run with me.

"Isn't it rather mind-numbing, John, that for everyone, always and forever, they have 10,000 more things to be thrilled about, than not. U R Blessed.”

Then there are you. Maybe you are one of the four hundred plus people here I have added as a Spark friend. I do not have adequate words to say what you mean to me. I read what you write, or the stories of your effort and your successes and all I can say is that I am honored to be your friend. Sometimes I cry when I read how happy you are because you have kicked an obstacle to the curb and are doing the most amazing happy dance.

There are things I don’t even realize in my life that are such blessings. I over look them in my haste to pursue my own agendas in life. I get in one of those funks and I shake my hands at the heavens and blame everything and everybody for my woes whether they are real or imagined. I do not see those blessings.

Could we start a list, me and you? I will keep track. Send me a blessing in your life or have another Spark Friend send it to me. I will compile a list and when we reach ten thousand I will figure out a way to publish them so the whole world will have ten thousand blessing to identify with. They don’t have to be Spark Friends blessings. They can be family members, or co-workers or anyone you know. We can create a list of hope for some people whose faith may be running low.

Will you help?

"Isn't it rather mind-numbing, John, that for everyone, always and forever, they have 10,000 more things to be thrilled about, than not. U R Blessed.”

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Am Amazing Dinner

Friday, August 13, 2010

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A Fun Filled Weekend

Friday, August 13, 2010

We are headed to Arlington Heights, Illinois today for a family wedding. Sunday we will travel north to Milwaukee to see my mom, dad and sisters. monday we come home. (Tuesday please be on the lookout for grumpy John!!!)

I'll be MIA until Monday evening. I hope everyone has a really great weekend and please remember that the very best coach/trainer/buddy you have is only as far away as your closest mirror. Believe in "the magic," and the tremendous beauty and potential inside of each of you. you guys are a large part of what gets me through all of this.

You are worth it and you deserve it.

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Do You Believe In Magic?

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Larry was waiting for me at the restaurant yesterday. He apologized for forgetting our appointment and asked me at least four times if I had told his boss, he’d forgotten about our meeting. When I told him I hadn’t he relaxes a bit but I still saw that impatient and frustrated look on his face. We exchanged a few pleasantries and I asked the all-important question: “How’s it going?”

Before I give you Larry’s answer I have to explain my process of working with people. I start out with weekly sessions, sometimes twice per week if necessary. As we move towards the end of our formal relationship I start to space the meetings out so that we meet every two weeks, every three weeks and then monthly. I use this process because I found out early on people can become dependent on the coach and then all we have done, when the day is finished is waste a lot of time and the client don’t feel like they have learned anything. Larry and I are meeting every three weeks.

Larry looked at me and said “This stuff doesn’t work.”

I’m used to this response. Imagine doing any sort of training and having your coach right alongside of you, all the time, telling you what to do and when to do it. Then the coach takes an extended coffee break and you are there all by yourself. A lot of people don’t like it.

“Larry,” I asked. “Do you believe in magic?”

Larry looked back at me and I wished I’d have snapped a picture of the look on his face. His short answer was ‘No.”

“Well it’s simple then,” I responded. “This stuff, as you put it, won’t work until you believe in magic.” I got up and excused myself to go to the restroom leaving Larry to ponder what I had just said. (Working with me is never, ever dull!!!)

When I returned I explained to Larry that the magic I referred to was the process where our belief becomes behavior. We can visualize things all we want and we can memorize mantra’s till the cows come mooing on home. None of it matters. It’s like looking at a plate of bacon and eggs: The chicken made a contribution, the pig made a commitment. Larry found out that simply repeating a bunch of inspirational lines over and over without putting them into practice is a recipe for failure.

I can believe I need to exercise daily and in my head I know it is the best thing for me. Until that magical moment occurs, where I get off the couch and venture out into the world to begin sweating, exercise remains a concept that has no value or meaning to me. I stare down at my belly and see no change and proclaim, “This stuff doesn’t work.”

I believe that tracking my food intake and staying within my calorie limits will allow me reach my goal weight, but if I only do it three or four times a week the result will not be a positive one.

Yesterday morning I was combing my hair (Yeah, go ahead; “What hair?”) and I noticed the shirt I had on fit better. I could start to see some definition to my body. Three personal training sessions are showing a result. I am not going to lie to you. I am one sore dude when I finish and I have asked myself if this is really the best thing in the world for me. Already I am noticing little things. My shoulders and hips are looser. My arms and legs feel just a tad bit tighter. It’s the magic that happens when you transfer your beliefs into action. I ache a bit but Jen is teaching me to use muscle groups I didn’t even know were there.

I left Larry with the same questions I have come to ask myself every morning. I’d encourage you to give it a try. It helps me focus my day a bit better.

If I really believe I am worth the effort and that I deserve to lead a successful and fulfilling life, what am I doing to make it happen?

I ask myself this question every morning and it is teaching me to be accountable for what I do and how I do it. Every small success, no matter how tiny it may seem, encourages me to do more and be more.

This stuff, as Larry called it, is magic. The magic that is you.

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Patience and My Inner Voice

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

If I ever begin to believe that I have run out of ways to improve myself I always know there is one issue in my life that will be there until the day I die. That issue is being patient. It’s a virtue, did you know that? That’s what I have been told all my life. It sort of makes it seem like if you are impatient well, then it’s a fatal character flaw. It seems that only the saintly and holy practice patience.

I think being an overweight person just makes me even more impatient, especially when I started to see very positive changes in my body, my mind and my health. It’s as if I wanted to wake up the next morning and have “all this done with.” When I drop a size of pants or shirt I expect that next week I will drop another, and so on. Instead of being patient, allowing my body to adjust to its new environment I push myself harder. That creates stress, and stress means I have a half pound gain that leaves me scratching my head. “Work harder,” I mutter.

If you follow my blog you know I began personal training last week. It has exceeded my expectations. Trainer Jen kicks my butt for an hour, smiles and pats me on my shoulder and sends me on my way. It’s a good butt kicking for sure, but at the end of an hour I have my money’s worth. I began this new phase of Project John (Not to be confused with Project Runway or The Rachel Zoe Project.) dead in the middle of my C25K training. I am running 2.5 miles three times a week and struggling to adapt to my trainers way of doing things. To make a long story short I hadn’t run since last Tuesday. My body went on strike. I did other cardio between my training sessions but I was feeling really “antsy.” I had invested all this time into C25K and now I had painted myself into a corner. Things needed to change or I could see a donut or two, or twelve in my future.

I had a good training session Monday and yesterday I was going to run for the first time in a week. I wasn’t looking forward to gutting out the 2.5 miles. I was sore. As I changed in the locker room that little inner voice spoke. “Why don’t you just run a mile today? No sense getting sick.” Did I tell you it was 102 here yesterday? I could live with that. I went upstairs and as I warmed up and then began to run a plan unfolded in my mind. “A mile today, a mile and a half on Thursday, two miles on Saturday or Sunday.” Then I’d be back on track. I finished my workout and I was satisfied with what I did.

Here’s my point. I listened to my best advisor, me. It is so easy to look to the left and right and begin to compare yourself with everyone around you. I have followed some of you as you went from being basically inert, to being athlete/warrior/heroes. You inspire me, but I am not you. My journey will curve to the left when yours curved to the right and even though you and I have the word “challenge” in common, those challenges are all different. Don’t get me wrong, I rejoice at your success, but the minute I compare my progress to yours or anyone else’s, I run off the road and into the ditch.

I am learning to listen to that voice deep inside of me. Sometimes it whips me hard and sometimes it pulls in the reigns to slow me down. If I really believe I am worth it, then I believe I deserve success and I will make the investment to be patient and wait for it to come to me some days.

As I write this I am listening to some music. The words that just ran across my ears were “Be careful. Be gently to yourself, coz’ no one else will. It’s a point of pride.” (Be Careful by Mutual Admiration Society)That voice deep inside of you is yours and yours alone. I am learning to have the faith to listen to it because when I do good things happen.

You are who you hang around with. Can you think of a better buddy or friend than yourself?

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