The A.M.

I am STRUGGLING to get out of bed this week. I have no idea why, but I’m blaming it on everything except my own laziness. I’ve already missed my three-times-a-week benchmark for morning walks—even though I’ve been going to bed early in anticipation of my alarm clock. I need to get out of this rut!!!

I have one last chance this week tomorrow morning, and I need to get to the gym (or at least out for a walk) since I’m leaving for Hidden Valley right after work tomorrow. I’ve been really good at going to the gym this week, but the early morning workouts somehow do more for my spiritual and emotional improvement than just pounding on the treadmill after work in a bundle of nerves and anxiety.

So tonight I’m hoping that the anticipation of a lovely weekend with M and his family is enough to get me hopping out of bed in the morning. If that’s not enough, I purchased a few new workout outfits at Target tonight. A new ensamble might just be the motivation I need.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

To getting into my new workout gear,

Lia

Tolerance.

Today has got me thinking a lot about tolerance. And patience. I don’t consider myself to be an extremely short-tempered person. Actually, I think I can be fairly composed in situations that test my patience. I’m proud of my ability to appear unruffled despite situations or people that knock on my nerves.

But today (and for the past few weeks), I’ve been slipping. I’m not sure if it’s the stress from working long hours or the loneliness of being in a place without a support system, but recently I’ve just been losing it in situations that don’t usually solicit that response from me.

Now let me clarify. By “losing it” I don’t mean throwing a full-blown toddler tantrum or screaming or punching or crying. I just feel my blood boiling inside, and I struggle to retain that composure that I used to be so proud of. Sometimes it’s over big things like a disagreement with a close friend. But most of the time it’s over smaller things like a coworker breathing down my back or a passenger knocking me with his backpack on the metro. Where is my ability to brush it off or laugh or just take the punches? How did I lose this ability so quickly? Most importantly, how can I get it back?

Let’s start with the small stuff. A deep breath would probably solve my frustration with the oblivious train passenger. A polite retort would probably stave off my annoying coworker. Why can’t I remember to consult these options before I start sweating and huffing and cursing the ground they are walking on. (Charlotte York style, of course.) And then, the bigger stuff is even more complicated. Instead of addressing the issue head-on, the way I would prefer a friend to address me, I just get cranky and quiet and miserable. Not good for any of us.

Today I’m reminding myself to calm down. Not just in the big moments, but in the little ones too. My own version of “don’t sweat the small stuff.” Literally. I’m sure I will be presented with many moments tomorrow that will challenge my patience, and I’m hoping that I can respond with tolerance to at least a few of them.

Oh, and getting out of bed before 7:45 would be a nice thing, too.

To taking deep breaths,

Lia

Rejuvenating the Trifecta

So it seems like I’ve been meaning to start a blog for over a year now. I’ve been reading blogs from ladies all over the country on topics from fashion to weddings to parenting to life’s daily struggles. I’ve found myself identifying with these women of different generations and cultures, and I am finally ready to join this alliance of women who are sharing their tips, secrets, struggles and joys with the rest of the blogosphere.

However, I’ve been delayed in my venture into this project because I couldn’t think of a title that captures what I am hoping this blog will accomplish. The “trifecta” is something that I’ve been working on in my life ever since I graduated college. It was developed with one of my best friends, and it was designed to help us adjust to our melancholy attitudes in the post-college workplace, and it’s a concept that I’ve been trying to identify with for the past two years. To me, the trifecta (emotional, physical and spiritual well-being) is not only a state of mind, but also a condition that I need to work towards every day. Now that I live in Washington--far away from my friends, my boyfriend, my family and my hometown--the need for the trifecta is more significant than ever, and I will use this blog to track my progress in rejuvenating my focus on the trifecta in all aspects of my life.

I should also mention that right now, this blog is only for me (and for one of my best friends who has promised to embark on this blogging journey with me). I’ve never been much for journaling, so I feel like I need to get the hang of this before inviting the rest of the world into my life and all its hopeful, strange, scary and sometimes embarrassing moments.

But for now I want to focus on this moment. I feel as though this day was an appropriate day to re-start my focus on this mission because I’ve had many trifecta-inspiring moments in the past 24 hours. I was blessed with a visit from a great friend who always engages me in ways that allow me to wear my emotions on my sleeve. She always encourages me to share my beliefs, and I feel like I leave every conversation with her smarter and more thoughtful than I was before. I’m jealous of her ability to find and identify with higher meaning in our challenges, and pass that knowledge on to those of us who are fortunate enough to be her friends. If that’s not emotional and spiritual well-being, I’m not sure what is.

To complete the trifecta, we woke up this morning for an early day power walk through my neighborhood. It was a beautiful morning with a light breeze, and our simple conversation led us to picking out houses for us to live in (and somehow I agreed to let her be my live-in nanny, even with her questionable affinity for children). That morning pleasure lifted me through the rest of the day, especially when work was about to get the best of me.

My goal is to take a morning walk three times a week for the next few weeks. I’m hoping it will give me perspective, peace and a little much needed time with God each morning. Some days I’ll be blaring Shania on my iPod and some days I’ll just be strolling in quiet reflection, but I’m looking forward to having some easy moments to myself each day.

So I guess this is my first blog. Looking forward to continuing to build the trifecta and discovering more of myself and this city along the way!

To continuing the early mornings,

Lia