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Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Try Something New

Lately, I’ve been experiencing more pain in my back, hip, and foot. Part of my problem is that I sit at a computer for hours working. Another problem is the formation of my left foot and the fact that it causes my pelvis to twist. During vacation, I went barefoot too often and walked from the water to the house in just my swim shoes. After a few days of being off of my exercise routine, and doing things that I don’t normally do, my whole body ached. 

Knowing that certain things cause my body to hurt worse, also gives me hope that by changing certain things, I could cause my body to hurt less. So I vowed to stop going barefoot. I also decided to invest in better shoes. You know you're getting older when you buy shoes based on comfort and not cuteness. 

When I first started wearing my Chacos, they hurt my feet so bad. It felt as if I had rocks under my arches. My hip and lower back, however, felt better right away. Enduring the pain, I decided to give them a good effort. After a week, or so, the pain went away. Now it is pure bliss. 

I also decided to change my workout routine for two weeks and document my results. Instead of just doing workout videos, I took my workout outside. For a week, I have started and ended my day with a walk. Walking is different from any other workout for me. It helps me to think, pray, and just be present in the moment. In other workouts, my mind seems to drift, but walking helps me to focus. The natural movement has helped also my foot pain, back, and hip pain. I’ve even been running.

This past week I have learned that we are never stuck. If we don't like our current situation, we always have the ability to change something about our day. I am also getting up every day—even Saturday and Sunday—at 5 a.m., and going to bed at 9:00 p.m. The small changes have helped me tremendously. 
Photo credit: Unsplash Tomas Jasovsky
Watching the sunrise and sunset, walking and talking to God, and cultivating more gratitude in my life has helped me to live in the present moment of today. I have been productive, happier, and more creative. 

Sometimes we just need to need to take inventory of our own lives. Where are you right now? When I looked at my own life, I realized that I was wasting too much time and stuck in a rut. So I developed a plan to help me get out of my rut. It required discipline on my part, but the rewards have been amazing so far. 


Is there anything about your life that you’d like to change? Just because we find ourselves in a rut doesn’t mean that we have to stay there.  

Love and blessings, 

Candida

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Conquering My Day

Every day we start with a blank canvas. We get to decide how we will use our day. Once we make good habits and get momentum going with our day, then it is easier to accomplish our goals. When we pause, however, and take a break, then we lose our momentum and it is like starting over from the beginning. I am speaking from experience. 

Before my vacation, I got up early, read my Bible, prayed, wrote a daily blog, and then exercised. It was my routine and I didn’t even think about it—I just did it. Then, I allowed myself to skip one day. The first day it was hard for me to break my habit. After that I searched for an excuse every day until I found one. I stopped blogging, stopped exercising, and adopted different habits. I even allowed myself to eat dairy. Not only did it make me sick, but it affected my energy and my mood. By the end of my vacation, I felt horrible. Instead of going back to my healthy habits, I continued on the downhill spiral. It’s been a month, and I am just now getting back into my routine.

So how can we get back on track?

1. Decide that we will no longer accept our bad behavior. 
2. Develop a plan to get back on track. 
3. Commit to the plan and the daily habits that will help us succeed.

I was having such a hard time getting out of bed every morning, until I read these verses. 

Proverbs 20:13 (KJV)
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

Proverbs 25:28 (KJV)
28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

Romans 12:11 (KJV)
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Prayer has also helped me. When I get up early, have my coffee with God, read my Bible, take time to pray, schedule my day, and walk with Him, then my whole day goes better. In order to serve Him accordingly, then I have to spend time with Him. In the last two days, He has blessed me with so many new ideas. When we show up, with the desire in our heart to work, God will give us something to do for Him.

Love and blessings, 


Candida

Author shares message through Zippy the zebra