It has taken me a while to write a new blog, because I haven’t done anything weird (shocking, right?) nor have I experienced any weirdness. Some of that is because it is summertime, when my home and work lives become much more chill. I love the time from Commencement to the first day the fall semester. It allows me to slow down a bit, enjoy blue sky, read for fun, and hang out with the people and pets whom I love.
I’m still swimming every weekday. This time of year, when I leave the house at 4:40 am, daybreak is near. The other morning, I watched the sun rise as I was swimming. Every other lap I got a quick look out the window and on one of those laps the sky was painted with the most beautiful pinks, yellows and orange colors that I have seen in a long time. I really didn’t want to swim that morning, but that amazing sunrise was my reward for getting out of bed.
I’ve been at this early morning swimming routine for nearly a year. There are days when I just want to give it up, but I keep going. I finally found a way of exercising that I love. I have also found a community of like-minded people who model this healthy journey. Skipping a workout is hard to do when I know that my pool/gym friends ages late 40‘s to mid-80‘s get out of bed, so I need to get up too.
When I share my workout routine with friends and family, they often respond by saying “oh I couldn’t do that”. You know, I used to be that person. The thought of getting up early was beyond comprehension. Yet, now that I have done it for nearly a year, I can’t imagine not swimming. The benefits have been greater than just increasing my physical fitness. I am calmer and less stressed. I solve work problems with greater ease. My creativity has increased. Most of all, each day I become a stronger, better version of myself.
I don’t share this journey as a way of bragging, because those who interact with me regularly know that I am far from perfect; my journey to healthy living is filled with potholes. I share my story as a way of encouraging others. Perhaps you have been wishing for a way to move more, get physically stronger or learn something new. Personal growth doesn’t have to be expensive. There are free resources available through public libraries, the internet, or by talking to people that you meet as you go about your day.
While Tinkering With Success, let’s use this summer to pursue our dreams, enjoy sunrises and sunsets, eat farm fresh foods, interact with people who make us smile, and find moments of solitude when we can reflect on what brings us joy.
BLT
Picture Source: http://imgur.com/fZG4o
Picture text adapted from: Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967
Judy Butterfield
Yep that quote is one of my favorites!!! Good for you!! You’ve developed a healthy habit and it will stick for a very long time, maybe for as long as you can get yourself to the pool. Keep it going!!!