Upfront disclaimer: I’m super tired tonight. I hope I don’t ramble or leave sentences half-finished. Have you ever been so exhausted that you couldn’t string two coherent thoughts or sentences together? I’ve been like that a couple of times this week.
I’m super busy at work. It seems like I’m busier than I’ve been in a year. This is sort of strange considering that I also now have an assistant for the first time in more than 10 years. I was sort of mulling this over when I left work tonight as I rushed to make three stops and still get home in time to let out the dogs, feed them, change clothes and get to Zumba. At one moment I thought, “I’m so busy. Thank God I’ve lost weight and have the energy to get everything accomplished.” Then I realized that, to some extent, I’m busier because I lost weight and have more energy.
I’ve always done my job well, been efficient and productive and accomplished a lot. However, in recent years, it was harder to do what I needed because of my awful physical condition. Everything — even walking across the grounds to another building for a meeting — took so much energy. Having to go up stairs made me groan. I’d sometimes have to give myself a little mental shake for motivation. Now there is decidedly more pep in my step. If I need to go to another building, or if I simply want to take a break from my desk for some fresh air — and to see dolphins — I go without second thoughts or misgivings. Having an assistant take on some projects I’d normally do while we also come up with new things, is terrific. Between that and my improved physical condition, I’m ready to take on the world — not to mention new endeavors.
When I got home, a Zappos box awaited me on my front steps. After I failed to find cross trainer sneakers during my weekend shopping expeditions, I went back to Zappos and located a couple of likely pairs. I looked at both and decided I liked the Asics better so I laced them onto my feet and headed out to Zumba.
What a difference! My other sneaks are walking shoes so the tread is more pronounced and defined. I’d noticed in Zumba that I wasn’t able to pivot smoothly or do some of the dance steps. The cross-trainers have a smoother tread and a little circle on the sole. These traits made it much easier and more comfortable for me to pivot and turn. I had a great class!
From my feet to my chest, the right tools or the right fit can work wonders. I mentioned that I had a bra fitting done over the weekend. I’m wearing the new bras that I bought and enjoying big improvements in comfort, support and lift. Honestly, the right bra is a life changer – or, at least, a definite silhouette changer. Wearing the bra made me look like I’d dropped more pounds in my mid-section and chest. Bonus!
Later at dinner with a good friend, I employed the tool of eating slowly. (French Dip roast beef is a really good meal to practice this technique on, by the way.) Take a small forkful, dip it in the juice, place in mouth, chew slowly, swallow. Repeat process. Eating this way made a big difference. I ate less than half of the meat, one forkful of the roll, and two small onion rings. I packed the rest of the meat into a to-go box and pushed away the plate.
Before I log off and trundle off to bed where I’ll no doubt conk out when my head hits the pillow, let me leave with this thought. A well-stocked tool kit contributes a lot when you’re working hard to build a better life.
Weighty Matters 
Agree. I’ve had to dig through my toolkit in order to survive the workload over the past ten days. I’ve been told before about my tenacity. I clung to that thought.
I kept chanting that I could do it, and do it well, so long as I kept moving forward. So while I felt like I was buried beneath a mountain of papers, (and would have preferred burying myself under the covers of my bed) by tackling something every day I got to cross one more thing off the huge list, and gradually I could see my way clear.
And you need different tool kits for different lives. Building a life of better eating is different that building a life of no or little anxiety and depression … and yet there are similarities so some of the tools would be the same. I think I’ll write out what all the things must be in my tool kit. What all must be in yours?