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What are you Passing on to Your Kids?

I am sitting at my computer trying to think of a brilliant “thing” to write about that I haven’t written to you about before.  

We have had a crazy weather winter.  Today it started out cloudy and cold, on the way home from the gym it started to snow.  Within an hour it was really coming down although nothing was sticking at our house.  By mid-afternoon, the sun was out and it looked like a totally different day.  So I was going to talk about the weather in some regards but my mind kept wandering and the only thing that kept coming to my mind is that tomorrow my dad turns 80 years old.  OMG.  My dad is eighty.  How on earth did this happen? 

I was brought up in a house of girls.  I have three sisters.  The only males in our house were our dad and the dog.  I was number two, mine was the blue cup, I was first in line for hand me downs, and I loved spending time outside with my dad.  My father was a firefighter so he spent 4 days working, two day shifts and two night shifts.  As a result, we got lots of time with Dad in the daytime.  My dad always was and still is, an outdoors kind of guys.  He spent a huge amount of time in the yard doing gardening, yard work and even put a little workshop in the back of our detached carport so that he could be outside.  I spent a lot of time with him outside.  I learned very early how to mow the grass, trim the hedges, turn the compost, rake the leaves, and anything else that meant I got to spend time outside.  As I got older, I still spent a ton of time outside.  We went camping all summer where we learned even more about being outside.  How to light a campfire, row a boat, paddle a canoe, catch a fish, clean it, put up a tent in the rain, split firewood, find the right firestarters, identify common birds, shrubs, trees, and even how to cook on the fire.  Mom always cooked in the camper or on the table top stove, but Dad was in charge of cooking on the fire, things like toast, marshmallows, sometimes potatoes, roasts and of course hot dogs.

My time outside with my dad translated into a love for the outdoors and as we had our own family, it became important to us to teach our kids the same great things and hopefully end up having the same memories and love for nature.

Things have changed obviously over the years.  We started out camping in a hand me down tent, then dad made, yes made, our camper and then my parents move up to a fifth wheel.  Sadly, the fifth wheel is not used very much and hotels seem much more convenient for them.  But, the values that my dad instilled in us have become what we raised our kids with.  We used to send them outside to play and as a result, our kids love to spend time outside not as a punishment but as a time to unwind, relax and unplug.

Now, we will have the privilege to pass on this outside way of life to our grandson.  The fact that we will get to pass on something from a whole different generation that is still so relevant and still available and is still something that we want to do is really great.  My grandfather, who was a gardener, still resonates with me and maybe that is why I want to pass on this love of the outdoors to the next generation.

  • What are you passing on to your kids?
  • Are you passing on a love of fast food?  
  • Are you passing on a lifestyle that you want them to replicate?  
  • Are you sending a healthy message that is worth passing on?  
  • Are you going to be the inspiration to your grandkids?

What you do today really does matter.  Your family is watching and we know that kids learn more by duplicating than by watching.  So, set the example and live a life worth duplicating in the next generation or two.

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes. – William James

 

5 Things Holding You Back From Happiness

I just love this video.  The ending is or at least should not be a surprise.  

People really should really pay attention to this little list and take the time to really study what each point means to themselves.  Personal happiness is so very important.  It really shouldn’t be as hard as we make it, but like most other things in this world, if it is worth having it, it is worth working for.

So, let these five things lead you to find your happiness;

  1. the courage to live ‘your’ life
  2. don’t work too long and hard
  3. courage to express your feelings
  4. stay in touch with friends
  5. allow yourself to be happier.

Please for your sake and the sake of those around you, do your best to find your inner happiness.  Your physical, mental, financial health will greatly improve.

When Was the Last Time You Tried Something New?

I decided to take my own advice. I tried something new. I tried tennis.

Ok, so this not earth shattering and it has been done before and millions of people play on a regular basis.  But not me.  It has been one of those sports that on the TV bores me to tears.  I think about it and it doesn’t excite me either.  But every time we travel to a resort with multiple activities, there is always a place to eat, drink, swim, and play tennis.  I thought about that and then decided to spend a little time watching some people.  Normal people, not on the TV, in person, not out to kill their opponent, not worrying about the kill shot, not stressing about the score, but real people and guess what?  I started to enjoy what I was watching.  

Tennis is one of those sports that takes very little equipment and very little time to prepare.  It’s unlike team sports that you need groups of people to play.  It’s unlike many winter sports where it is expensive.  It’s unlike sports that need a lot of instructions.  It’s one of those sports where you can practice alone, on the right court, and it can be played on the spur of the moment.

I have tried many sports over the years.  I have played many team sports, I have rarely shied away from an activity challenge, but tennis was just never really on my radar to play.  So, when this chance came about, I said ‘why not?’

We put on our runners, grabbed a water bottle, and wandered over to the court, grabbed a group of balls, a racquet and ventured into the court.  Ok, so this wasn’t so hard.  It was just Doug and I, no pressure, “let’s see if I can even hit this little yellow ball.”  Well, apparently I can hit it.  Cool, it didn’t go where I wanted it to, but I could hit it.  It was way more challenging as the time went on.  Our goal was just to get it over and back a few times.  I guess our goal was pretty high.  I just had to keep reminding myself that we were beginners and it was actually expected that we would mess up.  

I was really glad we tried it and I would absolutely do it again.  It was really fun.  It was a large challenge.  I was sore from using my muscles in new ways and my feet were tired, but I did it.  I played something new.  Yay!

I keep talking in this blog about trying something new.  Just get out there and do it, and I finally took my own advice.  According to my activity tracker on Map My Fitness, an hour of tennis burns about 1000 calories WOWZA!  That is incentive enough to try it again.  Why not?  Part of staying on this journey of a healthy lifestyle is staying excited in your own lifestyle.  If sitting at home wishing you could go outside, feel more motivated, want to get moving, had the money to buy that next greatest ‘thing’ is the barrier between you and activity, then do the one thing that it will take to get you moving, move.  Just do something, anything, just get the blood pumping and you will feel better.  Then do something you like and eventually do something new and then keep looking for that new thing.  

Staying motivated is really hard, but it’s harder to reach your goal if you are not pushing yourself.  Be your own best coach.  

Tennis may not be for you.  Admittedly, at 51, it took me a long time to try it, and I don’t see myself joining the local tennis club, but it was fun and given the chance, yes, I would do it again.  It is something different when I need something different and after all, that is the goal.  When running is boring, the gym is dull, the opportunity is there, just do it.  

It's hard to make music when you're not excited about it. So trying new things and going for new things is something that I can enjoy doing. – Dierks Bentley

How to Support Your Partner’s Health Goals Like a Pro

I love this article because of what it doesn’t say.  

It doesn’t say that you have to do everything together.  It doesn’t say that you have to be something you are not.  It says you just need to be there. I have been talking about accountability and this is it pure and simple. Whether you have a live-in partner, training partner, online partner, the key to this is that you are accountable to someone else who is there to support you and you are there for them.  They will help in the good and in the not so good, but they are there.  I am so truly blessed that I am not trying this healthy ‘thing’ on my own, Doug and I are doing this hand in hand.  I know that I would have given up a long time ago and now I feel like I am accountable to those of you who continue to read and are there for me.  

Find a partner of some kind.  

Don’t go it alone.  

Remember, we are there for you and we will always be support for you.
https://blog.fitbit.com/how-to-be-a-supportive-partner/?utm_source=ET&utm_medium=EM&utm_campaign=20170215_FEBNEWS_NA_F_E_NW_TK_00_NA