Live in the Now

For years, I seriously did not age.  I was a 24 year old that still looked like I was 16.  My first job out of college I worked for a Blood Bank and would go around to high school classrooms educating teenagers on the benefits of donating blood.  The funny thing was I would be stopped in the hall constantly by teachers telling me to go back to class. 

Then it happened….I aged.  I realized this change when my oldest was about 18 months and we had our family picture printed larger than life.  There it was plain to see… I had crow’s feet and sun spots.  I know that this is a natural progression to age, but at this moment I had on repeat in my head, “Wear your sunscreen, take care of your skin!”  These are all things that I knew.  Even my children know.  But as a teenager, I believed that I knew better.  I would spend endless hours in the sun unprotected and always end up burning my nose.  My husband even nicknamed me “Rudolf the Red Nose Megan.” As a teenager and in my early 20’s I did not realize how my choice not to wear sunscreen would manifest itself years later.   I am now reaping the results of those choices. These were small choices with large consequences.  This doesn’t mean that I have given up.  I can’t undo all of the choices made, but I can do my part going forward. 

My point of this post isn’t about sunscreen and skin care (but really you should wear it every day) rather to open the dialogue about our health and wellness.  How many times do we say; "I will start this when"…"I will be happier when I weigh"…"I don’t have time to…?" I am human and have fallen into these ruts multiple times throughout my life.  It is easier to put this off thinking, “This really doesn’t affect me.”  Somehow we think we are exempt from poor health creeping in.  A healthy lifestyle could seriously be making the smallest changes in your life.  Let’s take for example, if you are sedentary and start going on walks every day.  In a week you will feel slightly better, but let’s take a look at a year down the road…think of 10!  Why are there people hiking mountain peaks in their 70’s and others who are housebound?  Your decisions today affect your future.  PLAIN and SIMPLE.  You aren’t just working to look good in a bathing suit today; it is for your grandchildren and your health later in life.  There are things outside of your control with your health, but give yourself the best fight.   Where ever you are in the process, start today at taking better care of yourself today!

Starting is always the scariest part.  Will I be able to do this? What if I fail?  Do I really want to put forth the effort?  To me, it feels like the starting line of a race.   The worst part of any race for me is the 5 minutes before the gun goes off.  I pace back and forth, questioning my abilities and even doubting myself.  Once the gun goes off and I have taken my first few steps my anxiety subsides and I get into a rhythm.  This doesn’t mean there isn’t a part when I want to quit.  The most important thing is I am on my journey.  Take that first step.  Stop hanging out, pacing back and forth in front of the start line.  Live in the now, don’t wait until you think it is the “right time.” There is never and will never be a “right time.” There will always be a sick child (that was my week…be creative), or something else that needs to be done.  Starting really is the simplest part of the process.  Don’t wait until you have the exact piece of equipment you need, the right gym membership, or the friend that said they would do it with you.  Just get off your booty and get out there doing something.  Live in the now, and I promise you will have a more fulfilling future. 

My husband is from the great state of Iowa so most analogies in our family revolve around farming.  Your health and wellness is like planting your crop….for Iowa sake let’s say corn.  A farmer has to start somewhere; a crop doesn’t just appear in the fall for the harvest.  They have to start by planting the seed.  Stay with me here, the next step is consistency.  If it is exercising or healthy eating, it is about consistency.  Just like the farmer, you have to keep working at your crop.  You can’t walk away from it in hopes that it will flourish.  Constant work yields results.  That doesn’t mean a farmer that does every step correctly doesn’t have hiccups along the way.  We are human and have challenges that will arise.  Don’t let those become a crutch from working on a better you.  A healthy YOU is the greatest gift you can give your family.  

Now let’s talk results.  How many times do we start eating healthy on Monday and don’t have washboard abs by Friday so we think “Why even try?”  Just like the farmer, results take time.  For example, if you are overweight you didn’t become that way over night it was a results of small choices over a period of time.  Becoming fit and reaching your goals is also a series of small, positive choices that will take time.  We are a society of instant gratification.  We want everything the minute we decide that we want it.  There is no exchange for consistency.  Your results will come, maybe you won’t see them in a week but in a month you will start to see your dedication to your goal shine through. In 6 months you will see serious changes, think were you will be next year at this time or 5 years down the road.  If you want to be hiking mountain peaks in your 70’s, you can’t decide in your 70’s you are going to start taking care of yourself.  Create a goal with the long game in mind not just your next trip, or wearing a bathing suit.  Create healthy habits for the long game.  Plant the seeds today that will yield a harvest of health and wellness for years to come. Life is too short to wait until tomorrow to enjoy.  Live in the now!  Participate in life! Just Begin!!