[Posted 10:30 AM EDT - Thursday morning, 04/02/2009]
HOW COMMITTED ARE YOU?
Osda Sunalei [Good Morning in Cherokee]
Read the last Daily Message titled, Let's Go Crazy Folks!
As you may know from a previous Daily Message, I started a new workout routine last month during the Aries Moon that you may have seen advertised on satellite or cable. It's the P90X infomercial that says, "Get ripped in 90 days!" I'll be honest with you folks, after I closed my women's health clinic several years ago and headed down this leg of my spiritual progression path, I really ignored my health for a long time and spent many sleepless nights on my computer. Then I'd get up and do it all again the next day. Needless to say, as a result, my metabolism started running slower than molasses; actually it was slower than a sloth. I couldn't even metabolize caffeine fast.
For seven years I have been sitting behind this website (full-time) typing like a banchee. Many days I sat here and typed continually for 18 to 20 hours on end and there were also many times when I typed 30 hours straight creating page after page after page. That's not even close to a joke. I really did do that. It takes that kind of committment and dedication (possibly even a hefty dose of craziness) to put in hours like that and then do it all again the next day. And for many of those years I was typing without creating one single dime for months on end, but I kept going.
About three years ago I was answering e-mails when a woman wrote in and asked how many steps she should take in one day. I wrote back that at least 10,000 steps should be achieved. Then I wondered, after sitting at this desk typing and talking for hours on end, "How many steps did I take in a single day?" I jumped on my bicycle and rode to the store and bought a pedometer. The next morning I put it on right away and at the end of the day the number read 76. I was horrified! I took only 76 steps that day?!?!?! I hadn't gone out on my bicycle or walked to the store and that was the number! Seventy-six steps!!! That's when I started thinking more seriously about my health and that's when I started circling the park twice a day to ride 16 miles every day. Still, it wasn't enough. Then I made certain that I did my Yoga Sun Salutes every morning. Still, it wasn't enough. Plunking down on my butt every day was not giving much to the rest of my muscles, nor was it giving the most important muscle in my body (the heart) what it needed. I've been riding 16 miles a day for three years but I need more. There's no doubt that I'm active, energetic and I go, go, go but I wasn't giving my body what it needed most from me . . . and that was ME and my undivided attention.
What my body needed from me was quality of time, appreciation, committment, attention, respect and most importantly, Love. Heck, if I can't give myself those things, do I really think someone else can? Quite honestly folks, I did not Love my body. I mean Love in the sense of respecting it. Riding the park and doing yoga did not repair all the softness that occurred over the most challenging years of my Life. So my brother Sam (Gemini) told me about this P90X workout, then he brought me over a pull up bar and now I'm on day 33 of the 90 days. "Get ripped in 90 days!" I'm so committed to the health of my body now that I've actually dropped 15 pounds since February 28, 2009. No kidding, I have dropped 15 pounds and the softness is finally tightening up. As I've always told my patients, the only way the weight will come off is through proper nutrition and exercise. There is no other 'easier' way. Contrary to popular belief there is no pill that will do it either. It dawned on me that I should be a picture of health. After all, I do have this alternative health care website that is ranked this week at 114,035 out of 215 million websites in the world with the number one slot being the best. Geez, I should be a picture of health and right now I can't say that is a true statement. My gosh, I have a North Node Virgo for Goodness sake and Virgo rules health, exercise, fitness, food and daily regimen!
When I drove to Nashville with Leslie last week, I had my dumb-bell weights, my mat and P90X CDs with me. When I arrived at my brother Tom's in Champaign, Illinois on Friday I had everything with me and before we went out for sushi, I did my workout in his front room. Saturday when Tom (Capricorn) left to go workout, I put the CD in my computer and did my next workout from the 12 CDs in the program. I did the same thing on Sunday and the same thing on Monday before I drove home.
I am more committed to giving myself quality of time, appreciation, committment, attention, respect and most importantly, Love than I ever have in my Life. I don't just 'make' the time to workout . . I 'take' the time to work out. On the first day my brother Sam took my starting pictures. On the 30th day my brother Tom took my pictures while I was visiting. I told Tom that I wasn't going to show anyone my before pictures but I'd be happy to show them the after pictures. He said, "WHY? If you are going to inspire people, then show them what you went through. SHOW 'EM!" So I guess that's what you'll be seeing folks when I hit the 90 day mark just before my 48th birthday.
"Now get out there, go place yourself UP!
and practice being you."
-- Dr. Loretta Standley
Denadagohvyu ['Until we meet again' in Cherokee]
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