11 posts tagged “sparkpeople”

A group of us are doing a "Biggest Loser" at work -- comparing our percentages of weight loss. Monday is our first weigh in and then we'll end on June 2. Each of us has put in $20, winner takes all.

I am taking in my scale and a co-worker has volunteered to be our spread-sheet manager, banker and keeper of weight secrets!

I'm thinking I will do South Beach Diet again. I've got to kick my sugar habit. I'm trying to decide where I track my info. I like Spark People a lot, but Calorie King has a better food diary.

For the first time in my life, this is really about my health. Being trimmer would be great, but now my motivation is better cholesterol numbers, a healthy heart and well-functioning body.

We're always getting ready to live, but never living.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer

OK, but what is living and how is it different from what I am doing now?

Something we were withholding made us weak, until we found it was ourselves. - Robert Frost

Imagine someone regularly tying small weights around your ankles as you try to climb a mountain. Doesn't sound fair, does it? But that's exactly what you can do to yourself, a little bit at a time, if you don't watch out. When you think of who and what is standing in the way of your dreams, it's easy to forget your own responsibility. Even the best of us can be guilty of unknowingly hurting our own progress. Procrastination, lateness, being disorganized, pessimism, not being honest with yourself, severe self-criticism, downplaying achievements, focusing only on weaknesses while ignoring strengths, keeping goals a secret, demanding perfection, giving up after a small setback—these are all ways you can make it tough to be (and do) your best. Smart systems, the right attitude, and a promise to keep going no matter what will make a world of difference.

I subscribe to several daily e-letters from SparkPeople. Almost every day it's a message like this one that makes me think about my life.

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing—that's why we recommend it daily. - Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. - Elizabeth Foley

Look at a man in the midst of doubt and danger and you will learn in his hour of adversity what he really is.  - Lucretius, Roman philosopher

It's easy to stay true to our values when life is sunny. But because sometimes hope disappears, options run out, and bright days can turn dark, all you can really count on to be there is your own inner strength. These low points are chances to learn what you're capable of when you refuse to be knocked down for good. You may not be able to choose your hardships or options. But you do have the power to face what you're given with high character. Trust yourself and your instincts, and your best will come forward. Think about the last time you had the choice to fold under pressure or to rise to the occasion. How might you have handled it a little differently? If there's room for improvement, what actions would have made you more proud of yourself?

Oddly enough I was thinking about being an adult this morning. And how I have become one. Kind of unexpectedly.

I'm 40 and have never felt like an adult. I mean, really, what does being an adult feel like? I figured since mom is still alive and I don't have kids that maybe I'd skate through life without ever having to be one.

But as I lay in bed this morning I realized I felt like an adult.

There have been obstacles in my life these last few weeks that required I rise to the occasion. It wasn’t easy and I’ve had to tap into some inner strength I haven’t needed in a long time.

It would have been very easy for this time to have knocked me down, pushed me back into depression, but it didn’t. Instead it’s proven that I’m an adult.

Someone who steps up when no one else seems to. Someone who could swallow the tears when a loved one diseased with Alzheimer’s tries to bite or hit. Someone who could care for a dog vomiting bile like he was my own.

It’s been a hard month. One filled with tears and sadness. Putting a loved one into a nursing home. And leaving her there. Watching my mom see a friend of 53 years cease to be herself. Begging a sweet, sweet dog not to die before “dad” got home.

Maybe these are average life events, but I saw myself rise to the occasion and do the right thing. No matter how hard. And I’ve grown because of it. Sidled my way into true adulthood.

Sucks.

So tomorrow I go to  to see if I can play / shop / sunbathe / drink/ gamble my way back to being a non-adult.

Do something for somebody every day for which you don't get paid.
- Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, musicologist, doctor

It was a smart man. He knew that generous acts benefit everyone, including yourself. The small actions you take now, no matter how insignificant they may seem, can have profound effects that you may never know about. Sometimes, just living as a good example has the power to inspire. Not quite as well-known are the physical and mental benefits that being a positive force can have for you. When you help others, stress decreases and causes less physical harm. Work and athletic performance improve. A positive attitude appears. And the mind is eased as troubles are put in perspective. Doing for others can involve a small gesture (pick up trash, write a note of encouragement, offer to mow your neighbor's lawn) or an ambitious undertaking (volunteer at a neighborhood center, mentor a coworker, work with disadvantaged youth). Make a habit of thinking "What can I do today to make someone's life easier?"

In our lives, we have two or three opportunities to be a hero, but almost every day, we have the opportunity not to be a coward.

- Spanish proverb

Courage comes in many forms. In Hollywood, courage involves evildoers and daring deeds. In real life, rescue workers, police, and the military have the courage to lay their lives on the line for someone else or a cause. Even for those of us who live life on a much smaller stage, courage is no less important. The world and the future can be scary. Fear of failure, fear of change, and fear of taking a chance can be enough to keep us in bed all day if we let them. Do you live bravely or do you often look for the easy way out? Next time you're faced with two choices, choose the bolder. As this becomes more natural, you can be sure that you'll do the right thing when called upon. Stand up for your values. Stand up for your goals. Stand.

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once.

- Nietzsche, philosopher

Each day is a new chance to find joy and to dance. If you let it pass or think it useless, the chance is gone and you'll never get it back. When was the last time you played? Or just did something for the sheer fun of it? Joy is not found in the world around you, it's within yourself. You can make your own joy, especially during those dark times when you need to really feel alive again. Fun and play are healthy antidotes to taking life—and ourselves—too seriously. They're proven boosters of immune systems and mental health and make life worth the trouble. So do the twist. Sing in the shower. Learn a magic trick. Watch a cartoon. Challenge some kids to a game. Don't let a single day go to waste.

Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
-Maurice Setter

How many times are we blind to the good in front of us because we're looking past it for something better? It's like watching the railroad track your entire life, waiting for a train to come in and never realizing that you're sitting smack in the middle of the splendid Grand Central Station. Take a second look at your goals. Are they building on the good already in your life? Are you taking full advantage of the strengths you already have? Is it worth giving up what you have for what you might have? In many cases, the answer is yes. To that we say "Go for it!" with all the enthusiasm we can muster. Those are the meaningful goals. If the answer is no, try reworking your goals to include ones that complement your present life rather than substitute for it. Whatever the answer is for you, we could all use a little more appreciation for the pieces of silver in our lives.