Tag: MLpurpose

More on Well Being and Happiness

Here are the rest of the notes from the workshop I went to on Well- Being this week that was offered through the Center for Consciousness and Transformation at my University (employer) 

Happiness is a choice

  • 50% is genetic
  • 40% is something you can control
  • 10% is circumstances 

Happiness strategies 

  1. express gratitude
  2. look on the bright side/cultivate optimum 
  3. don’t care yourself to others
  4. practice acts of kindness 
  5. nurture social relationships 
  6. write out pain/upset
  7. learn to forgive or let go 
  8. increase flow experience /lose track of time 
  9. savor joys of life, put time aside for it
  10. commit to goals 
  11. practice religion/spirituality 
  12. exercise, meditate, act happy (fake it til you make it)

Other thoughts and notes: 

  • Flow: focus and habits
  • Correlation between age and satisfaction – comfortable in own skin, dealing with set back
  • Overall we are too focused on negativity/weaknesses – keep a gratitude journal
  • Gratitude matters – feel happier, more determined, more energetic, more optimistic, and more likely to offer support to others. you sleep better, exercise more, and experience fewer symptoms of physical illness 
  • 9 out of 10 people say they are more productive when they are around positive people 

Miles 16-19 were again under 10 min/miles! I couldn’t believe how great I was still feeling. We saw Jenn around mile 19.5 and I became an emotional wreck. I teared up and began to think about my entire journey to this point. I remembered sitting in her office and chatting with her about her first marathon and thinking, “Wow! If only I could be as strong as her.” And after 16 rough weeks of training I had made it and was running in my very first marathon.

Part of one of my former students/running minions Marine Corps Marathon recap! ::Tears::

Gratitude

I went to a well-being workshop at work today.

We were asked to list 5 things we are grateful for today, mine are:

  • my physical ability/health
  • my friendships
  • my drive
  • my dog Freddie
  • my morning radio show (Elvis Duran)

We were also asked to reflect on a time when “I was at my best” and why

My best was LA marathon training.

  • I had a routine
  • great health – I was exercising regularly
  • I was in a job for 4 years and friendships for 4 years where I was living
  • I had motivation thanks to David Cook and ABC2
  • I was facing a cross country move so I had lots of goodbyes which caused me to savor moments
  • I was also looking ahead to new beginnings
  • I was excited about my upcoming marathon and LA trip
  • I was FOCUSED
  • I had a great support network both near and far
  • I was blogging regularly
  • I had clear goals

I want to get back being at my best. Focusing on my fitness makes me the best version of myself.

More notes from that session coming soon…

I spent Sunday spectating the Marine Corps Marathon and let me tell you, it was really amazing to be on the other side of a race. I never had spectated a race before and never really had the motivation to get up that early to cheer, however I had 3 friends doing the 10K and 7 friends doing the marathon. 

I had a sign for my roommate who was doing the 10K and raised over $3,300 for my favorite charity ABC2. I was between mile 3-4 with some ABC2 folks to cheer on the 10K people. It was dizzying to try and spot friends in that whirling crowd! 

After the 10K cleared I got to ~23 of the marathon course to cheer on my friend Tim who was doing the marathon with a hand cycle. It was his first marathon and he KILLED IT. He was doing sub 5 miles and finished in 2:00:51 (and yes he’s slightly pissed that he didn’t do sub 2). It was really inspiring to see the hand cyclists go through. 

I then took the metro to mile 19-20 where I told my friends I would be to cheer. I had Gatorade and a big smile for all my friends. Thank goodness for automated text updates. My friend Sarah (who finished sub 4) was the first to pass. She was working hard and threw gave her handheld water bottle at to me and I gave her a Gatorade while cheering. Then a few minutes behind her comes my friend Mike and his twin brother Will (who finished in 4:02 and fun fact they ran half marathons one in NYC and one in ATL on the same day while training and finished 46 seconds apart – TWIN magic). Mike and Will were across the pack, but came towards me and my Auburn shaker. I was smiling so hard and managed to pass off both Gatorades to Mike. Not too long after my friend Kayla and her cousin Kat (sub finished sub 5) came through and they gave me half running hugs and happily took my Gatorades. 

I was so happy to be a smiling face as they all approached new miles (Yes all of them were FIRST TIME MARATHONERS!!!) and to give them a extra boost of electrolytes. They all later told me how helpful both seeing me and my gatorade were! 

Finally I saw my friend Kevyn who was running her 5th consecutive MCM, but was fighting a foot injury which led to her walking the last chunk of the race. I was able to walk with her a little while and give her some words of encouragement.

It was SO wonderful to see my friends and cheer them on, but I also loved cheering on all the other runners. Many of the slower or sore people really loved my sign. I remember that sign from last year and it really helped me keep things in perspective. Thank goodness for the cowbell or I would have yelled myself hoarse. I stayed out there until all the remaining official participants passed. 5+ hours of cheering was ALMOST as exhausting as running the marathon. It made me sad that I wasn’t running, but I have 2 Ragnars on my horizon and hopefully the Dublin Marathon next October! 

Bottom lime – if you’ve never spectated a marathon – DO IT. It will change you as a runner for the better!

Mistress No More

Well if you’ve found your way over here from My Quarter Life Catharsis than Welcome!

This blog here has been my “mistress” for far too long and I think there’s more than enough room in your “favorites” for 2 blogs from me (and my AWESOME tumblr – I like to write, sue me).

Like I said some of the posts are strictly number based and that’s what I thought the blog was going to be, me transcribing what I write in my little notebook onto a blog, but it’s become more than that. It’s become a story of my successes and failures, accomplishments and heartaches.

So if you care to read it, I suggest you look at the archives and start at the beginning. You can skip the posts with my weekly tallies if you’d like, but I don’t want it to be a secret anymore because I’m so proud of myself and where I’m headed.

My friends fitness blogs have been really inspirational and I want to put this out there to inspire and motivate others. Also I think writing all this makes me more accountable, and even more so now because I have invited you all to read this, but I did it because I believe in myself and the power to make changes in your life.