Blue Motion Fitness Inc - YEAR 50 daily truths

Friendships

5/29/2023

Last weekend I had a lunch date with a couple of friends. Both ladies are members of an aquatic fitness classes I taught before the pandemic. We had great conversation, laughs and delicious food, (of course!).
I am very grateful for their friendship.
How fortunate I am to enjoy the great spectrum of friendships I have made over the last nearly 50 years!
With all the ups and downs in life, the all too many times I have put my foot in my mouth or am a complete flake - it is comforting to have friends that accept the real me.

Family Fun Means Family Time

5/29/2023

My daughter is an adult and my son is an older teen that looks incredibly grown-up. Sometimes my arms ache for their little toddler hugs, but I really am enjoying the present with them. Attending arts and cultural events with my daughter is a great pleasure. She is such a great companion. My son and I do appreciate very different pass times, but we do enjoy having long conversations about various topics. Hopefully my friendships with each of my kids will continue to grow as they progress through their life.

To lay down a strong foundation for our future as an aging family, my husband and I have always insisted on doing certain things, such as:

1. Eat evening meals together. Super hard sometimes with our various work and social schedules but it happens almost every night!
2. Grocery shop, complete house chores and projects together. Sharing the mundane moments of life as a family unit can be tedious but with everyone pitching in, we have a better respect for each other's time.
3. Asking each other how was their day and listening.
4. Attending events together.

That is why on a very hot Sunday afternoon, despite being exhausted from work, we attended a ball game with our kids and enjoyed a meal together that evening. Yes, I totally went to bed immediately after supper - but it was totally worth it!

Believe me, we all get on each others nerves. There is yelling. LOUD yelling. Our relationships are not perfect but they are strong.

Family Legacy

5/23/2023

My maternal great-grandmother had many children that provided numerous grandchildren and countless more descendants. Both she and her daughter (my grandmother) raised their families without the benefits of running water, electricity and all the comforts we take for granted. Without a doubt, these women worked very hard and were exhausted. Yet, when my mom spoke of her grandmother, with a smile she recounted happy memories of Christmas traditions, sleepovers with cousins, feelings of love and kindness.
When I think back to my maternal grandmother, I too smile with happy memories of delicious chicken soup, warm hugs and good times.
I witnessed the strong bond between my mother and her mother. They had a friendship, full of laughter, tears, angry words and forgiveness.
The gift of a mother/daughter friendship continued in the relationship I had with my mom. But I was cheated. Both my great-grandmother and grandmother lived much longer than my mom.
Fortunately the legacy of our maternal family line still continues with the friendship my daughter and I share. We laugh, cry, get angry and forgive. The incredible women we came from left us traditions based on love and kindness to share with the generations to come.

Self Progress Report

4/12/2023

In 24 weeks I turn 50 years old. Last August (when I first came up with idea of blogging about the goals for my 50th year) the idea was to share perspective on my daily life and encourage me to focus on goals and actions for a better year. Unfortunately, I quickly realized that my life is SUPER boring, as is my perspective on life. Still, writing did help me gain a better understanding of myself, so I decided to continue. Being open about my struggles and triumphs also connected me with kindred spirits!
Well here goes...
My progress report:
Completed goals:

emerged from the depths of despair
reestablished SUP Guelph
recertified aquatic certs
reestablished my fitness schedule

Surprise Accomplishments:

attending the PRO 2023 conference
recertifying my NL in October
visiting a dentist
booking a plane ticket

Goals that are in progress:

completing land fitness certifications
returning to aquatics full time

Change of plan/unexpected/fail:

CN tower climb
knee injury
blogging daily

Sharing my triumphs remind me that I am capable. The fails remind me that I did pick myself up and survived.
Funny! I began this blog to help me stay focused on my goals. But now I am too occupied with the activity of accomplishing goals and maintaining my new lifestyle to write about it. Further proof I am no writer.

Don't be a JERK and just say NO

3/20/2023

I dropped the ball.
Unfortunately, when I drop the ball … I tend to trip and drop a few more. Then what was a simple mishap is now epic. This could all be avoided if I had simply just said the following word:
"No."
This is not even about saying no to others. It is saying no to myself. It is about me facing the fact that I have limitations. It is about reminding myself to choose quality over quantity.
So, don't be a jerk and just say NO.

Borrowing Belief to Kickstart Your Own

3/14/2023

12 years ago, I mentioned to my husband the idea of returning to my aquatics career. I remember the moment clearly. The words "I want to get back to the pool and develop a fitness career" were said out loud before I could think! A fanciful daydream shared with my life partner after a day of changing diapers, wiping little noses and cleaning up after my home daycare.
My husband interpreted the conversation differently. He went out and purchased swim tickets. He believed in me and gave me his steadfast support.
He gave me so many tickets that I still had a hand full left 12 years later.
Thank goodness.
The last time I was swimming regularly was just before my mom passed away. Then COVID closed the pool. Depression robbed me of my motivation. My swim bag was pushed to back of my office and forgotten.
Then one day, after months of hard work climbing out of the deep depression well, I was ready to get back to my swim routine. Pulling out my wallet, I found the last few swim tickets. The power of Derek's belief in me still radiated from them.

Mermaid Madness

3/6/2023

Swimming is directly connected to my quality of life.

Being More Like Pollyanna

2/7/2023

Enjoying life during the journey does not come naturally to me. Life stresses are dominating. Paying the bills, and figuring out what's for supper .... again; the long list of mundane life moments clouds my ability to see how special life is sometimes. So, I wil continue to remind myself to enjoy the present. Next time, rather than flipping the bird when I get cut off in traffic, I'll be more like Pollyanna and play the "glad game"!
“Just breathing isn't living!” Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna

When You Are Ready

2/6/2023

Today I swam my first 1 KM swim since ... well, it's been a long, long time. It felt amazing! I wanted to get back to my swim routine for months but I didn't at the same time. Trying to add swimming back into my life seemed like an awful chore. I felt like I "HAD" to get back to my swim routine. There was no joy in returning to the pool. Why didn't I feel "the joy"?
At the time, I didn't understand that I just wasn't ready. I still needed to work out personal barriers to my joy.
Then over the weekend, I was having a conversation with my husband when it hit me hard. My body was craving to get back to the pool. I WANTED TO GET BACK TO THE POOL!!!! I am ready to get up out of bed Monday morning, jump into the pool before breakfast and get a Kilometer of swimming in before work.
AND I DID IT!
Thank you to all the patient and understanding friends that helped me face those personal barriers. Thank you to my patient and understanding co-workers for enduring my new eau de piscine.

Procrastination

1/30/2023

Procrastination describes inaction or delay. There are many reasons for procrastination and it feels different for each person.
Take a moment to examine the reason why. Dealing with the "why" will help get past it.
Another thing I have learned in dealing with my procrastination is that relying on the same solution is NOT always the answer. Talking it out and trying something NEW may be the way. Be prepared to hear the truth ... which can be bitter.
Also, remember this ... if you just need to talk out loud and are not interested in advice, preface your conversation with that fact. Or talk into a mirror - tip .. don't talk into a mirror in public ...

Author

Rather than experience this aging crisis alone ... I am inviting you to join in on the fun! I am on my way to 50 years of age. As I journey towards that 50th birthday, I will share my daily thoughts, triumphs, and disappointments. Don't worry it is not going to be all that good or polished - just honest, raw, and perhaps a bit of a train wreck.
Why share? Good question! In case there is someone out there also struggling with aging and would enjoy a laugh and connection. I assure you there will be no preaching. You will most likely not gain any useful tips - mmmm, maybe on what NOT TO DO.
Enjoy

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