The Reality of Aging

March 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I look in the mirror and see the lines that weren’t there even five years ago, a tell-tale sign of aging. I get out of bed with a few more creaky bones and aches or stiffness in places I hadn’t noticed even two years ago; another tell-tale sign of my body aging. Yet there’s that ever youthful Spirit that lives in me and has since I was a child. That Spirit still wants to run like a marathon athlete, wants to travel the world like a twenty-something backpacker and wants to dance till the wee hours of the morning and go to work fully functioning on just two hours sleep. Sometimes I still race through life like I did in my twenties and thirties and ignore the signs from my body that scream ‘slow down’ or ‘rest awhile’.

At the end of such a week I am usually exhausted and fall asleep on the couch ten minutes into our Friday evening movie. If it wasn’t for neck or back ache from having my body twisted awkwardly on the couch I’d probably sleep right through instead of waking at midnight and crawling into my bed. Still I subscribe to the illusion of my body’s eternal youth or perhaps it’s a big dose of wishful thinking. But reality has always had a way of creeping up on me especially when I’m deep in my own fantasy world. A recent car accident brought the reality of my aging body home when my physiotherapist pointed out the ‘beauty of youth’ when comparing my fifteen year old daughter’s rapid recovery from the accident to my snail pace recovery. My daughter is done with her physiotherapy sessions after only a few and I was told I still have quite a few more to go before I’ll be back to where I was before the accident. Seems I got hit with a bang in more ways than one through the car accident. I think the bang of reality might hurt just a bit longer than the bang of the car smash.

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Stress

February 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
No matter how much meditation I practice, yoga exercises or listening to calming music, there are some weeks when the effects of stress cannot be avoided. This past week was one such week. Perhaps it had something to do with the week beginning on a Full Moon because I sure felt and saw the werewolves out. People at work had their teeth bared as their tempers flared. Professionalism beat a hasty retreat as work demands and project tasks reached fever pitch. It’s been a while since I saw so called ‘professional’ people behave like common washer women forgetting professional protocol and conduct as voices rose and curse words flew around the room like malevolent birds. Someone once told me money or adversity will reveal the true colours of a person. As I watched the reactions and conduct during this past week when we were dealing with both money (projects over budget) and adversity (projects missing deadlines) I couldn’t help but remember those words. I suppose it comes back to that one word – stress. What a harmful and damaging thing it is and how much a part of our everyday lives it has become. Global financial crises, severe weather events, fast paced lives and the constant bombardment of social media contribute to the stressful times in which we live. Add to that our own professional and personal pursuits that usually involve a never-ending desire for the ‘next big thing’ and before long we’re on that treadmill of stress. And few of us recognise the dangers of stress. Even if we recognise that we’re not feeling content or peaceful we accept our feelings as a by-product of stress and we accept stress as ‘just a part of life’. But long-term ongoing stress has serious repercussions on our health, relationships and careers. I’ve seen the gentlest people turn into tyrants and destroy relationships because of stress. I’ve seen seemingly healthy people collapse from a heart attack because of stress. And I’ve been one of those who teeter between good health and poor health, calm moods and explosive moods and sound sleep and restless sleep because of stress. As I witnessed the effects of heightened stress this past week in my work place on my colleagues and myself I can’t help but wonder if our pursuit for personal and professional glory is worth it. I somehow doubt it.
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Full Plates

August 8, 2012 by 1 Comment

I’ve started a new writing project and the MS readathon in the past ten days. Sometimes I’m convinced I need my head read. What would possess me to take on two big challenges concurrently? It’s a timing thing really, like most things in life. And this time the timing’s rubbish. My daughter usually does the MS readathon every year, but due to a heavy workload at school, she would be under way too much pressure. So I decided to represent our little family in the readathon. At first I thought it would be a breeze because I read every day anyway, so why not combine my love of reading with fundraising for a good cause? Problem is, I set a goal to read 10 books in 31 days and if I wasn’t pouring a ton of energy into my new writing project which also has a deadline, it would probably be quite achievable without too much pressure.

I am just over half way through the 31 days and onto my sixth book, but the calendar is telling me that I’m going to be pretty busy with other commitments for the next two weeks. I may have to choose tiny books once I finish the current book to make the goal of 10 or sacrifice some sleep time. I’ll figure that out in the next few days.

Sometimes our plates in life are just full and the only thing we can do is chew like hell.

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Running to Meet Life Head-On

July 23, 2012 by 1 Comment

For years I avoided running. I had this story in my head that my left ankle was too weak for me to run without pain. I had sustained an ankle injury in my teens and whenever I tried jogging / running around my neighbourhood or at the beach, I always ended up with pain in the ankle.

But running on a treadmill is a different story altogether. I’ve been focused on getting my health and fitness back, so spent some time with a fitness consultant at my gym and she worked out quite a rigorous program. Somewhere in the program is a 31-minute fat burner in the form of interval training (i.e fast walking, jogging and sprinting for one minute at various intervals). I can’t say I was enthusiastic when she first put the program together, but I usually tend to try things before I knock them. She also said I’d probably find running on a treadmill a lot easier on my body than running on hard ground. She wasn’t wrong. And there is something about running and the adrenalin pumping that feels amazing. I find it clears the head and fills my body with such a feel good rush that I sometimes forget the time. Those endorphins really are the magic cure for all kinds of stress and tension. I love the invigorated feeling and the sense of accomplishment I get from completing my interval training workout. And the fact that I lost an inch off my waist in a week which I attribute to my regular visits to the gym this week and staying away from sugar and processed foods, is just another bonus to top off a great feeling of well-being. How much difference a week can make!! Last week I wanted to hide out under the duna and this week I’m running to meet life head on.

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Laughter – The Best Medicine

January 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Sometimes inspiration occurs in the ordinary moments of an ordinary day and we only realize it’s happened when we reflect at the close of that day or a memory flashes days, weeks and even months later. It’s the signs of our times that has us always waiting for that bright and shiny something – whether it be the latest technology, the grand gestures or the viral bit of news or gossip travelling around the globe at lightning speed – you know the kind of thing or information that if you don’t have or aren’t up-to-date with, you’re seen as coming straight out of the dark ages.

But every now and then a moment, day or week surprises me and I’m delighted to discover that I’ve not become totally immune to those flashes of beauty or inspiration. It’s heart-warming to know I can still find inspiration and joy in a simple lunch with a friend.

Today my partner and I caught up with a friend who is going through a serious health challenge. We started out talking about how he was going to get through this challenge and without meaning to we ended up in fits of laughter as we tried to come up with ways he could reach a fund-raising goal by manipulating his illness to illicit sympathy and therefore donations. Once we jumped on the laughter band wagon, we couldn’t stop and most of the lunch was spent with tears rolling down our cheeks – thankfully not tears of sadness or fear, but the kind that just spills over from excess, deep-belly laughter. This friend sent me an email straight after lunch thanking me for one of the best lunches and most fun he’s had in a long time. And I felt inspired by his ability to appreciate the moment, despite the voice of gloom lurking around in the form of his illness. It was so good to read his parting sentence which said something along the lines of “how can I not want to get better after a lunch like what we just shared”. I am reminded yet again that laughter is indeed the best medicine.

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Pajama Day

December 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I surprised myself last weekend when I followed through on the idea of having a pajama day. The thought enters my mind more often than I care to admit, but with my busy schedule, my daughter’s busy schedule and work deadlines, I dismiss it almost as soon as it shows up. Since my daughter was recovering from a bad cold and I felt the scratchy irritation in the throat area along with a few sniffles, I decided to indulge.

And it was the best decision I’ve made in a while.

The fact that the weather was lousy – cold and very wet all day – only added to our delight in pajama day indulgence. We lounged on the couch watching movies, ate delicious food which we took turns to cook and spent some time putting up the Christmas decorations throughout the house. The weather outside was indeed frightful, but our cosy, warm home and snugly pajamas were super delightful.

On the odd occasion when I’ve done very little during the day, I often find myself feeling guilty or internally chastising myself for wasting away the day when I could have used it more productively.

This was the first time, in a very long time when there was no internal nag urging me to get something done. And it felt so good. Yes my task list on my desk was still as long as it was the day before, but ignoring it for a day and allowing myself a total day of relaxation, fun and lazy indulgence with my daughter was like a double strength tonic for the soul.

I went to bed that night with an elevated Spirit and a satisfied smirk on my face. I highly recommend a pajama day to anyone just needing to disconnect from every day work, family and personal demands. And I plan to enjoy a pajama day at least once a month.

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Treasuring Ourselves

November 21, 2011 by 1 Comment

Seems like we’re caught in a never-ending spin of activity which largely involves building and nurturing others. Most of us spend at least eight hours a day building someone else’s business or dream. We spend another few hours catering to the needs of family, children, friends or communities. And if we’re lucky we might find an hour, maybe two to dedicate to our own needs or wellbeing. I believe therein lies the challenges we face with feeling whole, complete, at peace, serene or inwardly happy. When do we really just take a moment to be with ourselves…really be with ourselves and ask that simple question – what truly makes ME happy?

I recently finished reading a delightful book called Treasure Yourself written by Miranda Kerr, one of Australia’s leading models. It is a book I believe all teenage girls and young women should read and in fact even some older women (especially the ones who’ve forgotten to nurture and treasure themselves). There are some life lesson jewels in there that would stand our young women in good stead, before they start taking on that feminine role of being all things to all people.

I bought a copy for my daughter for her fourteenth birthday this past weekend and hope that she carries it with her for a lifetime and passes it on to her daughter some day. If I could leave her any legacy of note, I would like to remind her to make it a daily habit to connect to her inner Spirit and ask it what truly makes her happy and then I would love her to take the time out daily to honour and treasure the answer it brings her. Because I believe like the Samantha character in the first Sex and the City movie that sometimes we must say that thing we’re not supposed to say and it is simply this “I love me more!”

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Consistency: The Key to Health Success

November 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Settling back into routines after an idyllic holiday is always hard, but the hardest part is getting back to the healthy eating program. I usually give myself permission to indulge when on holiday and though this time I was mindful to still eat as healthy as I could, there were more than a few occasions when I just had to sample the chocolates of Hawaii or I talked myself into a treat from the Cheesecake factory. I savoured the opportunities and tastes and was thankful when I realized I hardly gained any weight on the holiday. A mere 500grams and I can only put that down to all the walking and moving we did while sightseeing.

Still I now find myself annoyed at the readings I see on the blood glucose monitor as they are naturally a bit more elevated than normal. I suppose I’m trying to get to the state of wellbeing where the odd indulgence isn’t going to impact too much on the body. But as my naturopath reminds me, my body is only going to experience long-term and consistent wellness if I coax and allow it to heal FULLY with proper nutrition and gentle exercise. The stop-start or fluctuations I go through between healthy eating and then indulging in decadent treats does little to help the body stay consistently healthy. He suggests I must allow a decent timeframe for my body to rejuvenate and heal itself (at least three to six months) of highly nutritious, unprocessed food, clean water, good sleep, gentle exercise and positive thoughts so it can turn off the weaker genetic functions and revert back to it’s natural divine blueprint of excellent health and total wellbeing.

Of all the experiments I’ve done with food and eating programs, I’ve found my body responds quickest and best to the raw vegetarian / vegan food eating plans along with two to three green smoothies per day. So it’s back to the blender and onto the internet to source a super duper food processor and some gourmet raw food recipes. The easier I make it to get back to my healthy eating program, the more likely I am to stick with it long-term. Let’s see how well I do over the weeks leading up to the festive season.

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Nature’s Garden

October 18, 2011 by 1 Comment

Since I was diagnosed with diabetes about four years ago, I’ve been on every path of healing, eating programs, meditations and body work to unravel the miracle natural cure that would have me 100% well again with normal range blood glucose levels, without having to take any medications. (I abhor the thought of putting drugs of any kind into my body, no matter what the GPs tell me). There’ve been intervals when I’ve achieved this and felt ecstatic, but for the most part it’s been a battle of trying this or that with little or no improvement. Having to fight the doctors has only added to the stress which in turn contributes to elevated BGL’s. What happened to the sage wisdom from Hippocrates “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”?
Most western doctors want to immediately prescribe some kind of drug, usually ending in “or” and few of them tell you the side effects on other parts of the body. They send you to a dietitian who provides a list of foods that are supposed to be diabetic friendly, in other words something that doesn’t aggravate the health issue too much, but definitely doesn’t cure it either. My journey has shown me that most of the foods listed on the dietitian’s recommended list do not help at all…many can in fact raise BGL’s.
Recently I started experimenting with foods from “Nature’s garden” as I call it. I decided I’d eat 90 percent of my food in their most natural state as much as I could which means little or no heat applied and I’d take the trouble of connecting to the energy of the food (in other words pause for even 10 seconds to connect to the life force of the vegetable or fruit, nuts or seeds, instead of scoffing it the way I usually do.
It’s been a week and a half so far with mostly eating raw food straight from my garden or from the organic / farmer’s market and I’m noticing a difference. Sometimes I consume my veggies, leafy greens and fruit in liquid form by making fresh juices or green smoothies and other times I just get creative with my chef’s knife and high speed blender. The most noticeable difference for me so far has been the boost of energy that remains consistent throughout the day, with little or no slumps, really good sleep at night (this is a big one for me as I have had broken sleep in the past) and glowing skin. At least a dozen people in the last fortnight have asked me what I’m doing to have such glowing skin. And yes the BGLs are actually moving in the direction I’ve always hoped for.
I’ve got a way to go to where I want to be, but for the first time in what feels like forever, I am seeing a consistent decline in my readings. Once again nature has turned out to be a comforting and healing friend.

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Cancer Claims an iCon

October 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The mighty force of cancer was brought home to me this week with a force as strong as a tidal wave as it claimed the life of an icon, Steve Jobs. Like everyone else around me I was glued to the news channels reminiscing on the life of a man who changed the world through technology and who seemed larger than life. But in the end, for all the billions he accumulated and the profound influence he had on the world, even he could not stave off the grim clutches of pancreatic cancer. It’s hard to believe someone of such iconic status would die so young. Fifty-six years is not a long life by any stretch of the imagination, but then perhaps he was one of the chosen who got to really embody the phrase ‘not here for a long time, but for a good time.’ From where most of us sit in the world, Mr Jobs definitely had a good time and was one of those rare individuals who did what he loved doing and made a mint out of it. But whilst millions around the world are grieving for the innovator who brought us the high tech toys with the apple logo, I will remember him as an example of someone who truly followed his passion and purpose. And never lost his inspiration to reinvent and recreate. And it was through his diagnosis of cancer that he perhaps shared his greatest insight.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” (Steve Jobs at Standford commencement speech 2005).

PS – To read the full story about my Dad and how he beat cancer, click here to buy the book, just $2.99 on Kindle and delivered in under a minute

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