Challenges in the midst of blessings

What are your favorite childhood memories?  Are there reoccurring times you remember fondly?  Did you have a fort in your backyard?  Did you go to camp each summer?  Did you go skiing each winter?

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Yesterday morning we were blanketed in 11 inches of white.  The entire day was spent living in a beautiful snow globe.  This morning we woke to another 12 inches on top.  It’s truly beautiful.  Even more so because I no longer have to leave the house on days like this now that I’m a stay-at-home mom/grandma/trophy wife.  (I like the trophy wife the best, except when my son reminds me that everyone gets a “thanks for playing” trophy these days.)

Where was I?  Ah, yes, snow!

These multiplying inches bring back great memories of playing outside when I was a kid.  Growing up in Michigan usually meant snow in late November/early December that remained through February.

We lived on a dead end road and the snow plow would push a glorious mound of white playground and leave it three feet past our driveway.  We spent hours as kids digging holes in that mountain, climbing to the peak, and sliding back down on our bellies.

Having fibromyalgia has changed winters in Michigan for me.  By this evening the temperature will be -40 with the wind chill factor.  (That is extremely cold, even for these parts, and we haven’t seen this much snow at one time in quite a few years.)  It hurts down deep in my bones.

Saturday my daughter and I shared the shoveling duties.  I was having a pretty good pain day and my husband was helping friends move and my son was battling the flu.  That left all the scooping to us girls.  My wrists and shoulders are still sore today but the job had to be done.

Despite the aches and pains, I really enjoyed getting outside in the snow.  I bundled up more than usual and shoveled a few scoops into a pile and then stood to watch my breath leave me like a cloud of smoke in the midst of falling flakes.  Trying to remember to P.A.C.E. myself!

The best part of being out there was the memories replaying in my mind.  As kids we played outside until we were called in to thaw.  We’d drink some hot cocoa while our gloves and boots dried over every heating vent in the house.  Once our noses had turned from bright red back to their normal color we’d venture out again!

I think sometimes in the midst of our illness and the pain it can bring we need to stop and remember life before.  Not to make us sad or angry at our current state; but to be thankful for what we once had.  Each phase of life has its blessings and its challenges, its comfort and its pain.

I always try to remember there are so many that are so much worse off than me.  Not to sound pious but I’m thankful I have fibro when it is compared to a number of other illness or diseases.  I’m thankful for the strength to shovel some days when there are so many that cannot leave their bed, home, wheelchair, etc.  I’m thankful for the warm house that was waiting for me when so many are out in the cold this winter.

So today as I’m hoping this flare caused by the shoveling is on its way out, I’m trying to remember that it was caused by something I’m able to do that so many others are not.  The challenges in the midst of blessings.

Stay Well! ~ Live Joyfully!

S.M.A.R.T. people reach their goals!

So it’s the New Year and it’s the time we’re all thinking about resolutions and goals.

The most popular goal we set each January – lose weight. Of course, the health and fitness industry knows this as well. You’ll find aisles at the store packed with workout equipment, protein bars and meal substitute shakes. Gym memberships go on sale or at least they offer some great reward for joining this month.

The momentum for the first few weeks of the year is great! We keep us the strict diet, we purchase our gym membership and we tell everyone to watch as we finally lose the weight this year.

So how come we’re not a nation filled with healthy people living healthy lives at a healthy weight? How come 25% will drop their New Year’s resolution by next Wednesday? 60% will stick with it through June and then fall off the bandwagon. 5% will actually succeed and lose some pounds but 95% of those will gain it back. Why?? What’s the big mystery to keeping a goal or resolution?

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We don’t plan to succeed. We have the best of intentions but you can’t lose weight just because it was a good idea to do so. You don’t actually reach any goal based on hopes and dreams.

The key is to be S.M.A.R.T.  Each goal needs to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.  Using this principle can help us reach any goal, not just goals concerning our health.

Here we go; I’ll use my health goal as an example.  I have joined the masses this year and have decided to take off some weight.  When I was going through the weeks of information classes for the clinical study I’m in (I also talked about this fibromyalgia study here and here) we talked about our different medications.  All three of the meds I take have weight gain listed as a common side effect.  Great, huh??  It kind of left me feeling defeated but I decided just to accept the hand I’ve been dealt and even though it may be a bit harder struggle I’m going to make it happen.

Now let’s see if it’s a S.M.A.R.T. goal.

Specific – I plan to lose 50 pounds
Measurable – I own a scale, and I’m not afraid to use it
Attainable – A pound a week is a pretty realistic goal
Relevant – The loss of extra weight decreases so many risks of diseases, let alone the fact that less weight and better muscle tone will make it easier on my body for my overall pain – so it’s very relevant to my life
Time-bound – I will reach this goal by Dec. 31, 2014

Well, I guess it meets the S.M.A.R.T. test but I also think there is one more step after that. You have to get the tools in place. I signed up for sparkpeople.com as a way to track my dietary intake.

What goals do you want to make for 2014? Whatever they are for – health, finances, career; anything at all – make sure they’re S.M.A.R.T.!
I wish you all a wonderful 2014!

Stay well! ~ Live Joyfully!