Unexpected Gifts
Every time I start a 100 Day Challenge, I have this idea about how it’s going to play out. You would think that after doing a few of these challenges that I would know better than to expect a certain outcome! I decide what my challenge will be, imagine how great I will be at it, anticipate how the results will change my life and then the reality hits during the first few weeks of the challenge. What this pattern continually helps me to remember is that while things don’t always go as I planned, there can still be some great results and unexpected gifts.
For example, my challenge was to walk for a minimum of 20 minutes everyday. The first week into my challenge, I started having back trouble and as a result have not been able to walk the way I intended. However, it has helped me to discover ways to be gentle with myself and to find a compromise. This might not seem significant to you but I tend to be an all or nothing kind of person and in the past, I might have given up the idea of walking and changed my challenge to something that wasn’t physical. But this time around, I have been looking for more of a “middle way” – a way to honor my challenge and honor my physical body. As I continue to work with the pain in my back, I have been a bit more creative like breaking my walks into 5 minute segments through the day, walking in a mall where there is no ice to make me slip or simply slowing down. And here is where I have discovered another gift of this challenge within a challenge – by walking more slowly, I am able to take in more of my surroundings and there have been some delightful things to see now that I can take the time to see them.
Creativity, slowing down and really seeing my surroundings are definitely some of the unexpected gifts I have experienced in this challenge. What are some of your unexpected gifts?
Joyfully,
Deb
to help me keep on track with ‘taking good care of myself’ I have enlisted the help of a chiropractor who is not only helping my body ‘bend and stretch nicely’ – she is really into nutition (flax anyone?!) and encouraging me to do stretches/core exercises specific for me — she keeps me motivated for she believes that a healthy nervous sytem – proper diet – and exercises are the concerstones in achieving all the health-happiness and vitality that awaits me!
Hi Deb – I am emailing from Maui so it has been pretty easy to stay on track – I have been walking everyday along the beach or doing some aqua sizes in the pool on my own – no teacher req’d – I also made sure that I brough Stephen Covey’s 8th Habit with me to read – Talk about changing bad habits – I have started with one that I also teach – “What is my role in any given situation? The first goal that I am working on right now is “making sure I understand the other person’s point of view – and make sure that they feel understood by my” This is not as easy as you may think because when involved in any relationship it is imperative that the people in our lives feel understood – this is the most basic of human needs and desires! It is emotional oxygen! So that will be my self improvement challenge that I will need to work on everyday and keep a journal to make sure that I am staying on track. My way is not always the best or only way!
I couldn’t sleep the other night and happen to come across a PBS special with Dr. Christine Northrup on it – she has published some wonderful books – Hay House is the organization she is involved with and it is an women empowering group = there is a “I Can Do It” conference in Toronto on May 13-15 – I wish that I could attend but it will not be possible this year! I am going to make this a priority for next year – check out the websit – icandoit.net
Thanks for the update Deb!