Dreams do come true!

The best part of single parenthood is that your world revolves around your child.  The worst part of single parenthood is that your world revolves around your child.  Although I've found there are time that this a very good thing and the other day was most definitely one of them!

I had bought B a new bike for Christmas in the hopes that she would want to join me in my runs.  She had told me last year "Mom, running is your thing.  It's not my thing and that's ok I have my own thing.  Maybe when I'm an adult it'll be my thing."  Ya know I was ok with that. She's pretty honest about her thoughts and I could totally get behind that thought process.  But she likes to ride a bike and this bike is big enough that we can do some mileage and we both benefit!

So on Friday morning I took her and her bike to the park and gave her the option of playing in the park or riding next to me while I ran (says the woman who likes to wear earbuds and listen to podcasts as she runs).  So we started on our way...about a quarter of a mile in, she pulled up next to me and talked to me while I ran.  Oh how I love this child!  She just talked the entire time and seemed to enjoy the ride.  She even plans on joining me next week!

Meditation is hard!

Ok so on the path of being more "awesome" this year (thank you Kid President) I have started the 30 day Meditation Challenge via DoYouYoga.com (I highly recommend this site for all of the instructors as they are fabulous!)  Anyway, so as I'm trying to figure out myself - as this is the year of me - I want to try meditation.

I'll be honest, I totally got the idea about meditation through Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I will also admit, I saw the movie first but then I had to read the book...and then I read the book after that, Committed which is definitely a book to read a you contemplate marriage and relationships, but I digress.  When Julia Roberts goes to India to Pray she learns some invaluable lessons about herself.  She learns two important lessons, the first is that she is never in control until she lets herself go.  She must let go before she is able to throughly be at peace with her choices, with her love, with herself.

The part of the book that discusses meditation is key and just as influential as places such s the Mayo Clinic which describes meditation as:  "Meditation can wipe away the day's stress, bringing with it inner peace."  Yet the way it is described and shown within the book and movie makes me want to dig deeper into meditation and taking control of my own thoughts and abilities. So here I am in the midst of the 30 day meditation challenge and its hard.  I know I will make the 30 days as I feel extremely committed and I firmly believe in the research that shows the increased benefits of meditation but I just wish it was easier.  I'm only involved with 10 minutes of meditation a day but I have problems focusing and keeping it together for that time period.  I know that at one point Elizabeth Gilbert is able to sustain her meditation and get to the point that you hear about from people who have practiced meditation all over the world.  I have faith that one day that group will also include me but for now it doesn't.  And that's ok as I still have my running.

Happy New Year! Welcoming in 2016....

The new year is a time for resolutions and re-inventing one's self.  People around the world are deciding if they want to make this the year of getting fitter, eat cleaner, start a business, etc.  Each year we start he year by having a desire to reinvent one self but we really never get to that point.  If we start by thinking we need to start from scratch then we get stuck.  On the other hand if we take what we already know about ourselves and say "Yes" we may have a different outcome.  

Shonda Rhimes wrote a book "Year of Yes".  

This book describes the changes that are made by just saying yes.  Yes to all parts of life that are good for you.  Say yes to things that scare you, say yes to things that make you better.  Stop telling yourself no.  The more we deny ourselves the more we find we crave all that we wanted.  So say yes.
I think @melcharbonneau said it best "Remember, it's a new year, not a new you.  You were already awesome...this year your'e just going to be more awesome."  This is all about saying yes and being awesome!  Instead of focusing on the negatives of yourself and who you are, look at the positives and go for it!  For example, I make people feel good about themselves, I listen well.  But what else can I say about myself?  I can list all the negatives - too much grey hair, too many muffin tops, arms are flabby...yes I can keep going but that's not the point.  So this year is my year of yes.  I've already started...I'm writing my blog and am hoping to make it more consistent.  I started the year by running 2 miles, part of the Run the Year 2016 challenge.  I have a race scheduled for next Friday - ok that totally came up due to a bride's wish to run before her champagne brunch but a race is a race.  I am choosing to look at portions and trying to figure out how to balance what I like to eat and what I should be eating.  But I'm saying yes to being healthy and helping my daughter be healthy.  Now to say yes to being ok with my ups and downs....