Grateful

I've been wanting to write up a post lately but coming up blank on what to write about. Or better yet, I've had so many things I've wanted to write about I haven't been able to write about any of them. Does that even make sense? Maybe only in my warped view of the world. But here it goes:

The other day, a chiropractor visited one of my workplaces and gave a lovely talk on the power of nutrition and of course overall well being. In front of us a body stress survey was placed and everyone filled it out. As I glanced at the questions, I of course selected back pain. Immediately though I put the disclaimer that running and weight loss transformed my life and it's greatly diminished. Then went back and added, "oh yes and yoga and a new mattress." It made me pause and reflect on just how much has changed in 3 years. The changes have been gradual, but in the grand scheme I have undergone an extreme lifestyle change in a fairly short amount of time. My body has thanked me. I have energy I never used to have. I see myself doing things I never thought I would. I've lost weight (of course) and as a result, I no longer get back spasms from the simplest activity. I eat foods I never would have touched and the mantras I follow for my diet are more in line with holistic views. These internal changes are reflected in the way people view me. I'm no longer the girl sitting watching the world pass by stuffing her face with fake foods. I'm no longer running in place on the elliptical at the easiest setting wondering why i'm not getting anywhere. Yoga, running, weight loss and nutrition have not all entered my life at once, but this slow addition of each element has enriched my life in unidentifiable ways.

I may be overworked, broke and stressed about the general direction of my life but I can't imagine what it would be like if I still lived like I did 3 years ago and then added all of the aforementioned stressors. I was tipping the scales at 152 lbs on a 5'1" petite frame. I had resources around me - a city filled with bike trails and fairly clean air (compared to china or los angeles), lakes and tree line paths yet I couldn't even go up the littlest hill on my bike without wanting to die. I couldn't work a full 6 hour shift at the coffeeshop and not be in ungodly pain after. There were days I couldn't even stand up straight by the end of the day. Today after my 16.5 mile bike ride I am truly grateful that I've turned things around. It begins to feel like a broken record when I get going but I want to be that goodwill ambassador, spreading the word. This is my religious message to spread and it has. Many of my friends have joined me on this journey and I've seen the ripple effect.

My message is to start small. Find things you enjoy doing. If you don't enjoy going to the gym, try something else because if you don't enjoy it,  you're not going to stick with it. Not everyone needs to run. I'm stubborn and apparently a bit sadistic (in that I like the torture of pushing myself so hard I want to puke) so it works for me but its not for everyone. Find your happy place and your body and the universe will respond.