Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Can Wellness be Fun?

Ask yourself: Can wellness be Fun, with a capital F?
When people hear I’ve run a half-marathon (and I try to tell as many people as possible), they groan sympathetically.  Then they usually ask what my time was.  They don’t ask me if it was Fun.
I do yoga stretches before I run.  When people comment on it, they tell me how agonizing it looks, or how painful it would be if they tried it.  They don’t ask me if I Enjoy it.
When people talk with me about losing weight, they tell me I look like I’ve never had a weight problem.  They tell me how hard it is for them to lose weight.  They don’t ask me if it feels Great to be at a healthy weight.
My point:  wellness can be Fun, with a capital F.  How, you ask?  Just a few thoughts.
I really enjoyed training for my half.  I liked pushing myself and feeling the gains.  I liked meeting people who were shooting for the same goals.  I felt Empowered, and that’s with a capital E.
I love yoga.  I like learning new poses and practices.  I like meeting new people who are also learning and seeking.  Yoga is Empowering.
I work at maintaining my weight.  I like the satisfaction I feel when I know I’ve worked hard at exercising and not overeating.  I like hanging out with people who take diet and exercise seriously.  Maintaining a healthy weight is Empowering.
The point is not to run, do yoga or eat a particular way.  You can walk, Zumba, meditate, rock climb, bike, swim, tennis, read, macrobioticize, veganize, guitar it, sing it, belly dance or pick your own Pleasure, with a capital P.  The point is to figure out how to Enjoy your wellness plan, and have your own unique kind of Fun.  Feel Empowered.
 I Got a Feeling, Black Eyed Peas

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

A Nerd with an Edge: Lao Tzu Meets Hollywood

For a quick, fun read that combines Lao Tzu, the Kabbalah and Hollywood, check out Ken Goldstein’s Way of the Nerd.  He’s got pithy insights:

* If things are coming your way, you’re on the right path. If things aren’t, you are probably toxic.

* If you don’t like the ‘movie’ of your life, walk out.

* Why think you have to be committed to any part of you that isn’t working for you?

* Go for things you want. You’ll either get lucky or end up wiser.

And it’s a neat story about his own successes, and how he navigated the bumps on the road thereto.  Not to mention a cool Bon Jovi story.

Hell, he’s even got a workshop coming up next week, The Day of the Nerd.  I’m thinking that if I had the time and was in CA, I’d check it out.  It sounds like a lot of fun and a painless day of introspection and growth.

It’s now or never…
It’s My Life, Bon Jovi