Thursday
So often when I’m at the gym, I think of how life is a marathon and not a sprint. It applies to all areas of life.
Growing up – you can’t rush it. It just has to pass by. You can’t go from Grade 1 to Matric in a day. It’s got to take its time and be nurtured. Learning has to take place. Even the best learning is a marathon. The learning that is crammed for is soon forgot. That which is carefully considered, memorized and memorized again stays in the brain for decades to come. Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen…. stuck in my brain for 4 decades! Physically you can’t get from baby to adult in a hurry. The marathon-ness of life takes you through each stage of development in its own time. Some teeth at 4 months, some at a year. Some walk and talk by 1, others only later. It all takes time.
Physically, getting fit takes a lot of time. I think the biggest mistake people make when it comes to exercise is the expectation that you can go to gym and work your backside off in a hurry and then be fit and thin. Yesterday I had a weight check up on the same scale as I did 2 and a half years ago. After exercising consistently for more than 18 months, I weighed an entire 500g less than I did last time. If you choose to get fit, psychologically prepare yourself for a lifestyle and lifetime of exercise. It doesn’t just happen overnight. I wish it did. There are a couple of things that have pushed me along. One is that I’ve heard ‘sitting is the new smoking.’ With my job I can sit for hours to get the job done (today it has been 6 hours and 40 minutes.) It has prompted me to get up and walk. The other thing is the goal I set myself to try to walk 10000 steps a day. My relatively inexpensive fitness watch monitors it. When I don’t go to gym, I make it a mandatory achievement. When I do go to gym, I allow myself less. Yesterday I cycled 20km so only did 8000 steps. Today, I did more and have just crossed the 10000 steps mark.
The marathon-ness of life also extends to building a house and getting orthodontic work done…don’t I know! Nothing is quick. It is a marathon.
And so patience is called for. Perseverance as well.
Take one step at a time and be sure to keep your sense of humour.
So these are things that pass through my mind when I’m plodding along!
Psalm 61:3-4
You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.
God is up for marathons. Each of life’s marathons, He will be there to the very end.
These are the days.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
Gym:
- 35 minutes on the treadmill.
- 10 minutes on the cross trainer
- 15 minute circuit.
Braces:
Day 205
Sent by Lenore’s Joe: (Cat truth!)
