Positively Weightless: May 2020

Love, sweet love. Okay I am sorry that was a horrible joke. If you do not get the joke I made between the title of this post and the first sentence then I suggest you minimize this page and listen to some music that is older than the early 2000s. Just as I talked about last week we all have different ways with coping with things. For me and my family humor has always been one of them. Instead of a fully sad and tearful mourning of a lost loved one, we choose to talk about the good times and laugh about the funny stories. Not everyone is like this of course so it has gotten us plenty of dirty looks and judgements through the years, but I digress. I am writing today with a heavy heart. I am writing today something I feel I need to do my part and do. I like to think that writing is my super-power in some ways, so I want to use that in a way that can hopefully help others, as I always have tried to do.

I am going to start off by saying I am not here to judge anyone for their opinions, views, actions, or words. I have always overall kept this page a safe place for all. Sure I have given advice that reflects my views (wear those dang masks to the grocery store) but I do not feel I have ever pushed my political views or opinions on world events ever. I want to keep things that way even today but that does not mean I still cannot speak my mind. Let's go back to the title and the horrible joke I made. The world genuinely does need a heck of a lot more love in it. Love has never hurt anyone. Love never fails. Love comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes, colors, genders, species, and forms. Do not mistake my meaning of love either. Love is respect. Love is understanding. Love is seeing differences but ignoring them because they mean nothing. The one thing you can never have too much of is love.

So what is the opposite of love? Well hate of course. In order to talk about love and overcoming hate, we have to talk about where the problem stems from. Hate lives in so many people's hearts and that is such a horrible thing. I used to have a lot of hate in my heart as well. Hate for not only things around me but for myself. Some of you may be familiar with the TV show "Once Upon a Time" that was popular a few years ago. I remember one episode where the evil queen shows that after Snow White took an action out of hatred, her once pure heart now had a spot of darkness in it. Sadly I think we all in some ways have that spot on our hearts. Once childhood innocence is lost, we truly can never go back. But what we can do is keep that small spot of darkness from becoming a fully dark heart. If you live every day full of hate then please take some time to reevaluate and decide what it really is in your life that you have hatred towards. What are the reasons you have that hate in the first place? What specifically caused this? I think if we all did this it would open our eyes quite a bit. Anger is often hurled in the wrong direction. Anger is justified for many reasons, but it is also not justified as well. If your anger directly hurts somebody else who is innocent then the real problem falls within you.

Do you know what a direct result of love is? Compassion. Unfortunately unless you live in a cheesy movie, it is impossible to wake up in the body of someone different than yours. We can never truly walk in someone else's shoes and understand what they struggle with and what their life has been like. Compassion is a cure for this. Telling somebody "I may not understand what you are going through, but I can do my best to let you be heard, and change what you are going through," is compassion. Many times people just want to be heard. That sometimes means staying quiet and not talking over them as they speak. That also means truly listening and absorbing things and doing your best to see things their way. Until you have lived through what they go through, then you cannot fully understand but you can have compassion. The world is never going to be negatively affected by more love. When you love someone you are willing to listen to their struggles and mourn with them. When you love someone you take on their struggles and feel pain from them as well. We all enjoy the love stories in movies that leave us with a smile on our face but what those movies leave out are the fights and the misunderstandings. They leave out the nights the couples go to bed angry at each other which in turn means they leave out the makeup kisses. Love does not mean we always need to get along. But what it does mean is we respect one another. I obviously used the romantic love as my example here, but this goes for love in all shapes and forms.

So what am I really going on about here? Why am I spewing all this talk about love when there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of it going around the rest of your feeds at the moment? For that very reason. I saw a tweet recently (I couldn't find it again to credit the person, so if you know it let me know so I can) that said we all need to use our own individual weapons during this chapter of a history book we are currently living in. As I said in my intro, words are my self-proclaimed super-power. Words are my weapon, and positivity is the ammo (wow sorry even I cringed with that horrible metaphor). I do not have superhuman strength nor am I someone that can be out shouting things from the rooftop. What I can do is spread the same message I do every week to the small following I have with my page here. It may not be much, but that is all it takes sometimes. If just a small portion of us went out and spread our love to the world, it would certainly have a domino effect. With each new generation, more love is born everyday and hate is snuffed out little by little. We can change that even faster by showing compassion and empathy. In the end, we all bleed the same.

No comments

Happy Sunday everyone! Here we are with yet another weekend that is almost over. The plus side to that is that most of us are off tomorrow so we can enjoy an additional day to enjoy the nice weather. Things are on the move to being a little bit more normal again but a lot of us are still staying at home and keeping our distance at the moment. I think one main thing I have learned through this entire experience has been just how different we as humans cope with things we are not used to dealing with. Some of us completely shut ourselves inside while others fought it completely along the way. I am not here to judge any side, but I figured why not talk about a couple of the many ways people cope with stress, especially during the current pandemic we are all facing.

First I think it is important to revisit some of the previous examples I have used before. A lot of people have been baking more during this pandemic. I personally have a loaf of honey whole wheat bread baking in the bread machine as I am typing this post out. I have seen a lot of posts on the internet also criticizing people for this as well. A lot of people are saying that they should not be using resources as a hobby or just to post a pretty picture on Instagram. I think that is incredibly harsh personally. As long as the baked goods are not being wasted and are being enjoyed by someone what harm is there in making them? The grocery store shelves are a lot better stocked right now so there shouldn't be the issue with finding ingredients and such (except yeast, I am amazed every time I go to a store and it is gone, but shoutout to my sister Cheryl who has been able to find it for me this entire time). I say as long as the person isn't harming anyone in the process let them bake! This really goes for any hobby people are occupying themselves with right now!

I think another thing is the criticism with keeping active and eating right now. I will be the first to admit that during this quarantine (especially once the gyms closed) I have been struggling in this area. Like I said we all have different coping mechanisms. I have always been an emotional/stress eater, so throw me into a quarantine period on top of no access to a gym and it is a recipe for disaster. I have been doing my best to push through that though. My trainer has been sending me programs I can do at home with no equipment needed, and I am continuing to eat my Eat Rite meals for lunches and making good choices whenever possible. In result my weight has pretty much stayed the same so in one sense that is a small victory for me. But I have seen so many judgements all over the place of people saying that these circumstances should not be an excuse to back track. On one hand they are correct. You should be doing your best to stay on track, but on the other hand things are far from normal right now. We all have different levels of motivation and self-control. Cut yourself a little slack in this department and make the best possible choices you can. If you are thriving in this area right now also, you are absolutely allowed to be proud, but maybe be conscious of people who may be struggling right now and not handling it that well.

I think one of the most important coping mechanisms to talk about is how people are dealing with the virus in general and how others are discussing them. I have put little pieces of advice in my previous posts but the most important thing is that we all need to do what we think we need to do for our and our family's health. To some people that means social distancing even still now when some of the restrictions have been lifted. For some it means wearing a mask when we go to the grocery store and leaving the house with a full kit of hand sanitizer and disinfectants. Some people think doing all that is absurd and leave the house with nothing extra. Everyone is valid in their opinions and to take what actions they feel necessary, but what is not okay is the judgements people are passing on others for their actions. It is one this to express concern to a family member or friend if you think they are acting reckless and you don't want them to get sick, but it isn't okay to start full on arguments with someone, especially an essential worker, because you disagree with certain regulations. We are all coping the way we see fit, so spewing anger and hate at one another is not helping anything.

Overall I think we all just need to throw away the judgements and realize that we are all handling things our own way. Maybe you are baking a loaf of bread every other day or reading an entire book series in the course of a couple of weeks (guilty!) or you are at the best stage of health because you are jogging every day. As long as you are not hurting yourself or someone else there is nothing wrong with any action you are taking to get yourself through this uncertain time. Try that new recipe, read that book that has been collecting dust on your bookshelf, go for that jog, or skip that workout you just have no motivation to do. As long as you are doing the best you possibly can then you will get by and that is all that matters. Keep your opinions to yourself about how others are handling things as well. We are all getting by the best we can so let's continue on that path so we can get back to our routines sooner rather than later.

No comments

Here we are on yet another Sunday. I apologize for not posting last week. I figured that since Mother's Day couldn't quite be what it usually is this year, that I would take the week off and spend it with my mother. I hope all the mothers in the world reading this had an absolutely lovely day. They deserve the praise even more now given all the hats every mother is wearing at the moment. I know things are slowly starting to open back up and such right now, but overall life is still very much at a different pace than it was a few months ago. I figured today could be a check in post, and I could offer up some encouragement to those of us that may be struggling, as well as put in a positive message (of course) as well.

How have you been spending your newfound free time? Many of us are doing things around the house or trying new recipes. Have you used this time to take up a new skill or hobby like I suggested a few weeks ago? I can promise you I have done more baking in the last two months than I have that last two years combined. Of course I shared the baked goods too since I cannot be trusted with them myself. What about more leisurely activities? I have read four books from the time I have been working from home alone, which is pretty mind boggling to me. Overall I would say that I have been spending the time pretty well doing some of the things I may not have been making time for before.

So now that we are likely past the mid point of the amount of time we will be working for home and having extra time on our hands take some time to consider what you accomplished. Did you finish the book you've been wanting to read? Did you work on that project around the house and even better did you finish it? Take some time to consider some things you may want to accomplish still and set out to do them. I personally was going to skip the vegetable garden this year but decided that since I will be home most of the time I could use the summer project. Now is an even better time to work on a project like this. Even if things are starting to slightly go back to normal, there is still time! I think if any positive thing came out of this situation it is the reset it gave many of us.

Finally I want you to think about the person you have been and will continue to be in the future during this global pandemic. Did you look out for your family, friends, and neighbors? When you did need to go out in public did you treat any essential worker you came across with decency and respect? Did you follow basic protocols by business and the government to ensure the safety of not just you but all the people around you? Nobody needs to know the answers to these questions but you, but I want you to truly think about them to yourself. If you answered no to any of them I think it is time that you reevaluate yourself, your morals, and your priorities. Now as I have always said I am not here to judge anyone but I am going to always encourage my readers to act as decent human beings at all times. If this pandemic has taught you anything, let that be that life is precious and fragile and it can be over before you know it. When your time comes you are going to feel a lot better about yourself if you spent your life spreading compassion over selfishness.

I hope every single one of my readers is doing well and staying safe and sane through everything. I know this has been a rough time for everyone in some way, shape, or form. Hang in there and know we are all in this together. Spread kindness to the essential workers and even make a small donation to the first responders during this crisis if possible. When you go out in public for goodness' sake just put on a mask to prevent any spreading of the infection. I understand that these things are annoying but it takes a lot less effort to just do them than it does to complain. Tip your deliver drivers well and spread kindness and appreciation wherever you go to the people that are still working exposing themselves to this virus every day. Keep up with your projects and activities and hobbies to keep yourself occupied everyday. Before you know it we will be back to sharing smiles and spreading love in person.

No comments

Here we are on another Sunday evening. Is it just me or are the days blurring completely together at this point? Sure I have a bit of a routine on weekdays as I work from home, but its obviously not the same. How are we all holding up with our fitness routines? I would be lying if I said I am sticking to things 100% of the time. The main reason I love going to the gym so much is because it is a place I go solely for that purpose. Working out at home has far too many distractions that are a lot more appealing. Let me connect that to the point of today's post. If you are like me you are having a hard time keeping interested in workouts, maybe you need something to change things up a bit? I haven't had a post dedicated solely to reviewing a product in a long time, so I figured why not use the time I am stuck at home to try something out to review!

Yoga is a pretty popular practice that a lot of people like to add to their fitness routines. In college I practiced yoga a lot more often and I was able to pretty much keep up with some of the more advanced programs, but I lost that ability through a lack of practicing and gaining some weight since college. I still love it and can keep up decently well though! I was scrolling through Amazon a while back when I came across these Yoga Dice by Chronicle Books. I immediately thought this was such a fun idea! So what exactly are yoga dice you may be wondering? Well the little box comes with seven dice, each including a variety of poses for each chakra. In case you don't know, Chakra is each of the centers of spiritual power in the human body (Oxford Dictionary). You roll the dice, and then use the positions that show up as your routine. Sounds pretty simple right? Well it is! You really have a lot of flexibility (no pun intended 😉) while using these when it comes to a yoga routine. Basically there all no rules other than rolling the dice. The rest is up to you!

So to talk a little about my experience with them, I thought they were a great idea. I spread out my yoga mat on my bedroom floor, made sure I had some comfy clothes on, bare feet and all, and rolled my dice. I figured I would include a picture of my very first roll of the dice! So what now? Well this is where your creativity and motivation comes into play. The first time I used the dice I did the poses in three different cycles and held each pose for about thirty seconds. I didn't quite like that way of doing things, so the next exercise I changed things up a little. Yoga as some of you may know also focuses a lot on breathing with the poses, so I decided the second time around to do just that. I did a much slower session this time, focusing on breath and really focusing on the relaxation. Instead of counting seconds with each pose, I focused on my breath and did deep inhales through my nose, and deep exhales through my mouth. I did a cycle of four breaths with each pose. I found this to work the best for me. Overall I was able to use these dice for a good number of yoga workouts.

What are the pros and cons of this product? Let's start with the pros. I think the best reason someone will like this product is because it offers an alternative to set yoga programs that may get stale overtime. Every roll of the dice offers a brand new program for you to personalize and make your own. I personally rolled the dice once and cycled those poses a number of times. You also can do them once, then roll them all over again to make a whole new cycle for your second round. The dice also comes with a nice little booklet to describe the poses and which chakra they line up with (which is nice for the wildcard pictures on each dice that give you a chakra symbol to pick a corresponding pose.) I think this is a great yoga tool for those of us that are beginners or just not as experienced as an expert. How about the cons? Well I think these would not be great for someone who likes a more structured workout. Some of us just prefer a video of someone demonstrating each pose as they go and following along. If you are not a fan of learning things on your own you probably will not enjoy these at all.

My overall review of this product is that I loved them. I have enough of a yoga background that I did not struggle with these at all, and I loved the ability to cater my cycles to fit my needs best. I also loved that the dice came with the little instruction book I mentioned earlier. I know a number of poses just from past experience, but being able to read through the little booklet and refresh my memory on how to do a pose was great. I think this would also be great for beginners for that very reason. If you are more experienced with yoga and are looking for a nice challenge, I would suggest you skip this and continue with your practice as is. I love to do yoga mid-week as a nice way to stretch out my muscles and let them recover before weight-training again. I fully plan on continuing to use these dice at least once a week for this. If you are interested in these at all, the link to the Amazon page is here. Stay active and healthy as much as you possibly can right now and remember not to beat yourself up if things are a little messed up for the time being! Stay safe!

No comments

Positively Weightless

About me

Followers

Total Pageviews

Follow Me

Popular Posts

Blog Archive