"Why February? you asked...

 

Not much needs to be said, eh?

Originally, we reasoned that there is not much to do in February, so it was a lesser-of-all-evils sort of default month for a wellness challenge.  But - and I don't know where you are located right now - the thought of me sticking my nose outside today makes even kettlebells look appealing!

To try to up-spin this a bit, consider the long-term impact of accepting and facing adverse conditions. Not the short-term impact, which is often discouragement, discomfort and, alliteratively, demoralization. You have to look farther ahead if you want to conquer adversity. To overstretch an analogy, think about even the fact that our eyes are set into our head in such a way that our natural gaze is FORWARD, focusing well ahead of us. It is a bit unnatural to crank your head down and look in the direction of your toes. This forward-focused perspective allows us to not only see what is coming toward us, but also to see over top of immediate obstacles.

It's February. It's cold. I don't always feel like doing things that I know are good for me. The important question, though, is "What perspective do I choose?"

 My answer is to choose a forward-focused perspective and keep moving toward your wellness goals!
 

DAY 4 Already! The Wellness Conundrum

Well, I'm four days and (two movies) into February and our wellness challenge. I am a bit surprised to observe that this year's transition into the challenge was not too bad. I know what to expect, for sure, and I think my oldish frame just went into autopilot without the usual mind games and stalling tactics. More kettlebells per movie minute than last year. And, as a data analyst, I can say that.

I hope you're managing to keep your motivation up. It's been a difficult year, with many things seeming to be out of our immediate control. Your wellness is one thing that you do have at least some control over. In fact, I would argue that we have management of our wellness. That means both the ability to influence our own wellness and a responsibility to do just that.

Our wellness is not an accident, and there certainly are factors outside of ourselves that impact our wellness. But not everything is out of our control. That is the conundrum - the fluid relationship between our external circumstances and our internal motivation.

Take control over what you can control. Make plans to improve wellness. Strike out in that direction. Adjust course when circumstances dictate.

But, above all, remember that you are not a passive, helpless bystander to your own wellness. You may have let yourself slip back to what feels like that... but if you point yourself in a positive direction and start moving, you can regain at least some of the lost ground.

Carpeing the Diem [Ouch]

Apologies ad infinitum to my mother, who, incidentally, knows more Latin than anyone I personally know. In fact, this is my second apology for the linguistically horrid title; I already dished that line out on her earlier today. After the laugh, I asked her, "Hey - how do you make that English "ing" in Latin anyway?"

And she told us.

Apparently, this refers to the "present continuous" tense, and she went on to explain how you make it out of infinitives and something else, and I got a bit lost as I was on my phone and not taking notes...

But who really cares, right? What is the significance of that small piece of information? Well, you're reading the blog, so I'll assume you're curious enough to learn the significance of it.

Mom is a few degrees north of 79 now, and she has been tracking with Parkinson's for over a decade. In spite of the ever-increasing ways Parkinson's steals bits of neural functioning, she has kept her good attitude and her sharp wit. And she had at least a bit of fun schooling me.

I referenced that carpe diem phrase in a blog post a few years ago (February 17, 2019 - I checked), but I decided I could recycle it here because when you are presented with a good opportunity, you're usually not doing yourself any favours by just letting it go by. Take it. With all the bluster of Sir Peter Ustinov's King John, SE-E-E-E-IZE it (as if it were Robin Hood). Grab hold of it.

That's the point today, on Day 2 of the 2021 Challenge: Seize the Day! You have the rest of the month to work on your wellness and, hopefully, you'll also want to support Parkinson's research at the end of the challenge.

Oh, and an update on the Kettlebells. I'm at 920, Dave. Just sayin'.  And 1 1/2 movies in.

Bonus question:  Guess what movie I watched first this year?

Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! It's Off to February We Go...

Hard to believe February is here again, and it has been a very challenging year to say the least! I have said most of what I wanted to say already, so I will try not to repeat myself.

Updates:

• The 10,000 Kettlebell Challenge 2021 edition is a go
• We are awaiting confirmation of some details from the RUH Foundation about the endowment fund we're promoting (for Parkinson's Research)
  
• I already started with the KBs and, as usual for the last week of January, I have sore hamstrings.

Good luck with your own personal challenge!

Richard