Category: wednesday word

Deployment thoughts, wednesday word

What works best for me…

Movin' it with Michelle

When I saw the Wednesday word over at DebRuns was pragmatic, I just had to jump in for the link up.  Make sure to head over and check out her blog.  Debruns.com!!!

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From vocabulary.com, the definition fit me perfectly. Well. Lately.

“The opposite of idealistic is pragmatic, a word that describes a philosophy of “doing what works best.” From Greek pragma “deed,” the word has historically described philosophers and politicians who were concerned more with real-world application of ideas than with abstract notions. A pragmatic person is sensible, grounded, and practical — and doesn’t expect a birthday celebration filled with magical creatures.”

Up until this deployment (well even before that to be honest as my single Mom duties have increased over the last several years) I dreamed of being so many different things.  A writer, an avid runner, a Chef at my own restaurant, a life changer and so many more magical things that put the light in my eye.  But as of late, the pragmatic side of me has since kicked in, and I find myself just doing what I can do get through the day.

But what kind of life is just getting through the day? Not one for me, I can tell you that.  So as I talked about last week, I wanted to start running again.  But with temps in the 90’s with humidity out the roof I decided I couldn’t put it off anymore.  Practicality was for the birds and I had an overflowing plate that needed to be cleared.

So last night I dusted off my treadmill, fired it up, and RAN TWO MILES.  Life changing?  No.  Day changing?  HECK YEAH.

run
The smile says it all, my mini snapped the pic!

After the run I was so pumped up that I did 20ish minutes of strength training and a NINE minute straight plank. Yup. I did that.

she made it a whole minute!

I was reminded of the amazing powers of a good workout.  My mood lifted, and I even slept for almost 4 hours straight last night, waking up only once for a total of 5 1/2 hours of sleep. #winning

So while doing what I can is all I CAN do right now, sometimes I still have to follow my heart.

Are you idealistic or pragmatic?  Thoughts on running on a treadmill?

Cheers!

Michelle

Deployment thoughts, wednesday word

Give a little…

Movin' it with Michelle

Encouragement!!!!

This is my first time doing the Wednesday word linkup with Deb Runs.  I’ve wanted to jump in, but sometimes I couldn’t come up with a post, and others I just couldn’t find the time.  But this week’s word, ENCOURAGE sparked a little fire in my soul, so I just had to take the time to write. And I even got it done, and scheduled to post, EARLY!  🙂 Please make sure to check out her blog, and all the other Wednesday worders!  🙂  (I know, that’s NOT a word, LOL)
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What does it mean to me, to ENCOURAGE or to be ENCOURAGED.
Quite simple, actually.  For me, it’s lifting others up when they are struggling, for sure.  Whether it be in training, at work, or just life in general I know we ALL struggle and a good word of encouragement is always a GREAT thing to receive in my opinion.
Some ways I like to encourage or lift other’s UP:
Smile and say good morning/afternoon when you see someone.  Every day as I walk through the halls of the hospital both before and after work, I make sure to make eye contact with at least 2-3 people and give them well wishes and a smile.  Even when I don’t feel like it, I do it, and guess what-it ALWAYS makes me feel better to get that smile in return.  Remember, you never know what happened just 5 minutes earlier in that person’s day, and what a difference a smile can make to their life.  I’ve been on the receiving end of those smiles, and trust me when I say it can change a person’s life.
Take the time to reach out and ask people, “How are you doing?”  And when they respond, really listen!!!  We are all “busy” but no one is ever THAT busy to encourage someone that might be having a rough day.
High five/smile at passing runners!  This ALWAYS gives me an awesome boost when I might be struggling on a long run.
Make that phone call/text to encourage someone who might be going through a tough time in their life, or are struggling with their goals.  Sometimes just knowing someone is there for you can make such a huge difference. I can tell you that while dealing with the loneliness of deployment, having someone reach out to me means SOOOOOOO much.
And quite importantly, don’t forget to encourage/cheer for those who are SUCCEEDING in their life, even if you are not where you want to be in your life.  Quite often celebrating the joys of others really helps ENCOURAGE our own well being.
One of my dearest friends and me, at the finish of her first marathon.
One of my dearest friends and me, at the finish of her first marathon.
Those are my tips for encouraging others, do you have any you’d like to share?
Cheers!
Michelle