At the end of 2016, I was cleared to start working out in the gym again (elliptical, light weights) and I had all these visions of going balls to the wall, of trying to reclaim what I couldn't do while I was injured or rehabbing.
Reading Rebecca Scritchfield's Body Kindness and seeing the documentary Embrace have kinda thrown a wrench into the works: I started asking myself:
What's the big rush?
What are you trying to reclaim?
What do you think you lost?
I got that sick feeling in my stomach when I realized I was looking at things the wrong way. If fought to reclaim something that was "lost," I wasn't giving myself any space to experience my body as it is. I wasn't allowing myself to grow in a new direction.
The second thought was that I wasn't giving myself much credit for how far I've healed. I sometimes forget just how bad it was and what it's like to live in a body that's not in pain all the time. Why would I want to do anything to jeopardize that simply because of a date on a calendar? This is still a marathon, not a sprint. That has not changed.
I still need to be patience and aim for balance....
With that in mind, I announce #GoTheDist 2017:
I invite you all to examine how you bring patience and balance into your daily life. How do you use patience and balance to care for yourself with compassion and kindness? Are there areas in your life that are out-of-balance and could use a little more attention? Do you find that you do not extend compassion towards yourself?
Use this as an opportunity to let go of a little of the unrealistic expectations you may put on yourself and become in tune with what realistic expectations and goals look like. Cheer yourself on when you choose to focus on how things bring joy into your life. Look for opportunities to grow and use patience and balance to let go of negative thoughts and emotions.
Maybe 2017 will be the year that we can all let go of the extraneous things pulling us out of whack and nurture the things that remind us of how good it can be to be centered in our own mind and bodies.
How to Join #GoTheDist 2017
Instructions are the same as always:
1. Click on the SUMMARY PAGE (bookmarking it would be a good idea as you will be using it often).
2. Fill out the next available line on the "Summary" spreadsheet. You are responsible for filling out your biographical information (columns A–D), your tracking modality and goal (columns E and F), your quarterly goals (columns G, J, M, and P), and your half-year and full-year rewards (columns U and W).
3. **CREATE YOUR INDIVIDUAL PAGE** (The information you have entered in step 2 should auto-complete to an individual page. Check your line number and then look at the bottom of the page. Match up your line number and double check that your information is correct. Ask if you need help!).
4. Rename the tab "@[twitter name]" or if you don't have Twitter "[nickname]"
5. Fill out the sheet as you wish. See step #8.
6. Update your own individual page as needed (if tracking is too hard, consider printing out your page and filling it out by hand and updating it online once a week). The total mileage will automatically be updated on the Summary tab as you report on your individual page.
7. Follow #GoTheDist on Twitter for support if you need it or to support others when they do, to announce achievements, and find new/old friends!
8. PLEASE DO NOT DELETE LINES OR TABS! Do not SORT. If you want to add columns, please add them to the RIGHT of the page. Please do NOT move your page around! You CAN bookmark your individual page using your browser to find it easily.
