As a part of Healthy U, we learn skills to help with our nutrition -- how to make better choices with our foods & what our body really needs -- and we learn about fitness -- how to make choices to increase fitness and make it reasonable & fit in our lives. We also have a mental component that deals with a wide-range of things.
The greatest thing I am learning is from the mental-side of things...
Let me tell you a little story from long ago, roughly 13 years ago.
I was in high school and I was... on the High School softball team and a travelling summer softball team. I was a member of Cabaret, A Cppella, the All-Girl's Chorus and took private voice lessons. I took a solo, mixed double and sextet to contest each year. I was the boys basketball manager, played on a club volleyball team, and went to every home baseball game. I was the president of National Honor Society and secretary of the Future Teachers of America chapter at my school. I was SUPER involved in my church: going to Youth Group, planning services, leading Bible Studies, and teaching VBS. I was a member of SPIZ (our school-pride organization), SCUFL (foreign language club), and Student Council. I was selected as a STAND Exceptional Teen and went around giving speeches to elementary aged kids about making healthy choices (the irony). I had great friendships and managed to keep my GPA above an 11.0.
You're probably thinking "WoW! That's a lot!"
But ya know what?
When someone in my AP History class said "We need to make a History club" who was one of the first people to put her name on the list?
Me.
Guess who also had two grand mal seizures, terrible heart burn and awful sleeping & eating habits.
Me.
I was in high school and I was... on the High School softball team and a travelling summer softball team. I was a member of Cabaret, A Cppella, the All-Girl's Chorus and took private voice lessons. I took a solo, mixed double and sextet to contest each year. I was the boys basketball manager, played on a club volleyball team, and went to every home baseball game. I was the president of National Honor Society and secretary of the Future Teachers of America chapter at my school. I was SUPER involved in my church: going to Youth Group, planning services, leading Bible Studies, and teaching VBS. I was a member of SPIZ (our school-pride organization), SCUFL (foreign language club), and Student Council. I was selected as a STAND Exceptional Teen and went around giving speeches to elementary aged kids about making healthy choices (the irony). I had great friendships and managed to keep my GPA above an 11.0.
You're probably thinking "WoW! That's a lot!"
But ya know what?
When someone in my AP History class said "We need to make a History club" who was one of the first people to put her name on the list?
Me.
Guess who also had two grand mal seizures, terrible heart burn and awful sleeping & eating habits.
Me.
I have ALWAYS been the girl who over-extends myself.
I say "yes" to every committee, foundation, board, team, extra-duty, tutoring, supervising... you name it and it's on my resume`
I am learning that in order to take care of myself, I have to say "no" to some things I have been involved in.
Because I have had time now to really think about what is in my life, I have also had the opportunity to think about what I WANT in my life.
I've also had the chance to take stock on how being involved in each different thing is adding to or subtracting from my quality of life.
I really had this thought {just like high school me} that the more involved I was in my community, the happier I would be. The more groups I was involved in, the more people I would know, and the happier I would be... And I'm realizing that's just not true.
There was a time (before Healthy U) when I thought that I would keep 'filling my plate' both figuratively and literally.
I would imagine the different organizations that I wanted to be a part of and think about what great connections or whatever it would bring me.
And now I know how/why people get burnt out and "quit" these community groups.
I am realizing that #1. these groups aren't really adding to the quality of life that I have or want to have. and #2. part of that reason for that is that these groups have very little progress being made. It is hard for me to stay with something if I don't see it progressing & moving forward.
I say "yes" to every committee, foundation, board, team, extra-duty, tutoring, supervising... you name it and it's on my resume`
I am learning that in order to take care of myself, I have to say "no" to some things I have been involved in.
Because I have had time now to really think about what is in my life, I have also had the opportunity to think about what I WANT in my life.
I've also had the chance to take stock on how being involved in each different thing is adding to or subtracting from my quality of life.
I really had this thought {just like high school me} that the more involved I was in my community, the happier I would be. The more groups I was involved in, the more people I would know, and the happier I would be... And I'm realizing that's just not true.
There was a time (before Healthy U) when I thought that I would keep 'filling my plate' both figuratively and literally.
I would imagine the different organizations that I wanted to be a part of and think about what great connections or whatever it would bring me.
And now I know how/why people get burnt out and "quit" these community groups.
I am realizing that #1. these groups aren't really adding to the quality of life that I have or want to have. and #2. part of that reason for that is that these groups have very little progress being made. It is hard for me to stay with something if I don't see it progressing & moving forward.
And so.
I know that some of my decisions in the next coming year will seem crazy to some people.
But I am realizing what makes me happy, and some of these groups are making more debits than deposits into my soul.
I am realizing too how much I don't get involved in the drama of things.
I know that some of my decisions in the next coming year will seem crazy to some people.
But I am realizing what makes me happy, and some of these groups are making more debits than deposits into my soul.
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| Our Healthy U group went bowling on Wednesday! It was SO fun and I scored an AWESOME bowling score! Woot Woot! |
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| I went out and messed with all my flowers on Saturday morning and I was surprised by these beauties! I had dug out a rose bush that was suffocating them and now they can live! Another lesson that sometimes things have to be removed for other things to flourish. |
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| I'm also finding and making time to hang out with this guy. {and he's finding and making time for me, too} Which sometimes means walking the chicken barns together or going to pick up a fridge. Rearranging my priorities hasn't been all bad. ;) |
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