It could be the books I'm reading or the fact that I'm certainly in my 30's but I've been thinking a lot about risk and happiness lately. Initially I started this blog as a way to motivate others to achieve their fitness goals, however, you, my readers, have loving allowed me to expand on what it really means to be 'healthy'. Not just physically healthy but mentally and spiritually as well.
I am currently researching and thinking about taking my blogging to the next level and paying for a web domain. I'll keep you posted as the research continues but for now I will continue to post to blogger. The thing is, I think I'm ready for the next 'big thing', the next challenge. At least I am wanting to be ready. As it so happens I've been afraid to take any kind of risk, lately. If it in any way is going to make me uncomfortable or involve potential failure or heartbreak then I am not interested. Maybe it's because I've reached complete mental exhaustion. It occurred to me, while on a run the other day, that I'm tired of things being hard. (I know I hear my tough love friends saying "Well tough cookies sister, cause LIFE IS HARD.)
I didn't realize how mentally/emotionally beat down I was until I realized that just making it through the day to do household chores was making me tired. Everything requires effort. I'm not lapsing 'back into the grey' as I call it, aka battling with my depression, but I am just utterly spent.
Helping the man with his presentations for work, training for a marathon. We've decided to put our house on the market...when? HA! First, we need to fix it. A part-time job, family dynamics have shifted a little. Anyway, the purpose here is to say that I've been hiding from heartbreak by doing the bare minimum and not taking risks.
The problem with that though is without risk, there is no reward. To take a risk means to challenge yourself in new ways. For instance signing up for a race, taking a cooking class, applying for a promotion, a blind date, a new house. These are all ways in which we challenge ourselves daily.
According to Gretchen Rubin writer and creator of the Happiness Project "Challenge brings happiness as it allows you to expand your self-definition. The more elements that make up your identity the less threatening it is when any one element is threatened."
Taking a risk, guarantees, that at some point you will fail. However without these risks, without these challenges, we cannot grow. If we don't grow we will never know what it means to love deeper, cook better, run more effortlessly. I haven't been willing to put my heart (moving) or my body (the marathon) on the line for things that are happening all around me. Right now, I need my own wakeup call.
To bring back last week's mantra, I need to step into the ring. In order to be courageous, I have to be vulnerable enough to put my heart on the line, as Brene Brown said in her Netflix Special The Call to Courage "Vulnerability, which is scary, hard, and dangerous, is never as bad as saying "what if?"
Everyone always asks, "How can you run? I could never do that!"
I think because it's the one thing I do to practice bravery because even if it's a bad run, I feel better for having done it. That... and attempting to become a bow hunter. Ha!
Alright, I am outta here. More next week.
Blessings,
A
I am currently researching and thinking about taking my blogging to the next level and paying for a web domain. I'll keep you posted as the research continues but for now I will continue to post to blogger. The thing is, I think I'm ready for the next 'big thing', the next challenge. At least I am wanting to be ready. As it so happens I've been afraid to take any kind of risk, lately. If it in any way is going to make me uncomfortable or involve potential failure or heartbreak then I am not interested. Maybe it's because I've reached complete mental exhaustion. It occurred to me, while on a run the other day, that I'm tired of things being hard. (I know I hear my tough love friends saying "Well tough cookies sister, cause LIFE IS HARD.)
I didn't realize how mentally/emotionally beat down I was until I realized that just making it through the day to do household chores was making me tired. Everything requires effort. I'm not lapsing 'back into the grey' as I call it, aka battling with my depression, but I am just utterly spent.
Helping the man with his presentations for work, training for a marathon. We've decided to put our house on the market...when? HA! First, we need to fix it. A part-time job, family dynamics have shifted a little. Anyway, the purpose here is to say that I've been hiding from heartbreak by doing the bare minimum and not taking risks.
The problem with that though is without risk, there is no reward. To take a risk means to challenge yourself in new ways. For instance signing up for a race, taking a cooking class, applying for a promotion, a blind date, a new house. These are all ways in which we challenge ourselves daily.
According to Gretchen Rubin writer and creator of the Happiness Project "Challenge brings happiness as it allows you to expand your self-definition. The more elements that make up your identity the less threatening it is when any one element is threatened."
Taking a risk, guarantees, that at some point you will fail. However without these risks, without these challenges, we cannot grow. If we don't grow we will never know what it means to love deeper, cook better, run more effortlessly. I haven't been willing to put my heart (moving) or my body (the marathon) on the line for things that are happening all around me. Right now, I need my own wakeup call.
To bring back last week's mantra, I need to step into the ring. In order to be courageous, I have to be vulnerable enough to put my heart on the line, as Brene Brown said in her Netflix Special The Call to Courage "Vulnerability, which is scary, hard, and dangerous, is never as bad as saying "what if?"
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Everyone always asks, "How can you run? I could never do that!"
I think because it's the one thing I do to practice bravery because even if it's a bad run, I feel better for having done it. That... and attempting to become a bow hunter. Ha!
Alright, I am outta here. More next week.
Blessings,
A
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