By Eva
LeFoy
While hiking yesterday on my lunch hour I thought
about what it means to be strong. Obviously there are different kinds of
strength. Emotional. Mental. Physical. I tend to think we all need some of
each. So far 2013 has tested all of them for me, and it’s not even June!
So, at five months into the year, what can I add
to the discussion on Four Strong Women? Stay the course. Pursue your goals.
Continue to try to do the right thing. Those are all difficult things to do
when it seems as though the world’s against you, as I’m sure you know.
Right now, my fitness goals seem to be least
complicated. Why is that? Well, I suppose it’s because I’m in the most control
over them. I can eat what I choose, exercise when I choose and so on. Hiking’s
a favorite. I hiked for a good hour and a half on Sunday (Mother’s Day) and had
a great time. Hiking for me can be a head-clearing experience. When I’m out of
breath and wayyyyyy up on the hills with nothing around me but the sound of the
wind through the grass, it tends to make me slow down. Not worry so much about
all the hundreds of things I have yet to accomplish. Sometimes I just sit down
and enjoy the silence, enjoy being alone for a just a minute. I know it sounds
bad, but it’s worth it. Trust me!
Running works too – basically anything that tires
me out enough so that I no longer think. I took up running after I quit smoking
and yes, DC Stone, it was ugly! But hang in there. You can make it! It must
have taken me the requisite six or seven tries, but I finally did it. At least
neither of us will be as bad off as my dad who, at age 71 just quit recently
after having a heart attack in February and bypass surgery in April. Yep. It’s
been a year.
My life’s complicated. It at times feels
overpopulated. I sometimes feel outnumbered! Emotionally ready to just give up
and break down on the yoga mat. Mentally going a hundred miles an hour. Physically
though … I can do. Like I said, when you’re gasping up a hill wondering if your
heart’s going to explode out of your chest and the wind’s blowing the grey
matter right out of your skull, you don’t tend to worry overly much. Like
becomes simple: can I make it to the next tree? Up the next hill? Over that
rise?
The answer is YES. And if you need a reminder,
give me a holler. I’ll be here waiting for you:
Blessings,
Eva Lefoy
Bio:
Eva Lefoy writes and reads all kinds of romance, and is a
certified Trekkie. She’s also terribly addicted to chocolate, tea, and hiking.
One of these days, she’ll figure out the meaning of life, quit her job, and go
travel the galaxy. Until then, she’s writing down all her dirty thoughts for
the sake of future explorers.
Contact:
5 comments:
It is not always to stay the course, but it's very gratifying when you do. Swimming is for me what hiking is to you, although I can't just stop and tread in the middle of the pool without getting run over by other swimmers. LOL I often say that swimming keeps me sane. All those endorphins that are released while exercising keep me from killing someone, or myself, on bad days, I'm sure. :D
Great post!
Marci
I'm with you there, Marci!
Beautiful words of encouragement, Eva. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I think I need to exercise more to clear my head. I often find I fix plotting problems best on a long walk.
I need all the encouragement I can get right now. Thank you for you wonderful words of strength, Eva.
Funny you say that about endorphin release, Marci. I can count on exactly one finger the number of times exercising actually made me feel happy or relaxed. It's always felt like a chore, waste of time or inconvenience, not to mention pain, literally, in the arse because I'm hella out of shape.
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