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