Nah. Just turning a new page in the same BTWG book of health, well being, and fitness. So, here's just a smattering of BTWG/Sherri thoughts.
1) Thanks to all of the BTWG folks for all the insights they shared from their heads and hearts. You have no idea how much your enthusiasm and excitement keep us fired up and motivated. Your "ah ha" moments remind us of the "ah ha" moments we had during our BTWG class, and more importantly, they remind us that we should always be open and seeking those "ah ha" moments. They never end in life unless we close ourselves off to them.
2) Something that stuck with me during a conversation with Cindy and Jenna. We were chatting after a run together and as we the conversation turned to weight loss, one of the gals mentioned a friend who struggled with her own weight issues and was sensitive when comments were made about her weight. Did you immediately just now assume this friend was overweight? So did I. But there was yet another "ah ha" moment when Cindy shared that her friend ACTUALLY was sensitive to comments about being too slender, about being too "skinny". Interesting to consider how there are always two sides to the coin, right? Your struggles are sometimes the exact opposite health struggles of others. Don't assume that just because a person is slender that they aren't facing their own food andexercise and body image challenges. A good reminder "it's not all about you". You are just one manifestation of life and not more or less valid than anyone else's manifestation.
3) I am having trouble thinking of our fellow BTWG'er Kat without having bacon come to mind. I see articles now on bacon. I send them to Kat. I eat bacon and I think of Kat. I just saw a pillow and blanket with a bacon design all over it (truly hideous but it did make me salivate a little) and sent it to Kat. I read a very sad article about a farmer who recently fell into his pigpen and his pigs actually ate him with few body parts found (seriously, it was a horrific article ) AND I thought of Kat. (Who knew pigs were so aggressive!) Kat, so sorry....but you are now defined by pork products in my mind. There ARE worse ways to be thought of. :)
4) What part of your life are you living that you aren't happy about? What have you - over time - come to accept as a normal part of your life that doesn't serve you? A conversation with a friend recently about a toxic work environment led her to say to me, "Well, you know the story about the frog," she said. Hmmmm...frog? What frog? Turns out I didn't know the story and had to ask. If you put a frog into a pot of cold water, then put the pot on the stove and gradually heat the water, the frog will NOT jump out. It becomes acclimated to the gradually changing environment until - POOF - you have boiled frog legs - and sadly, a dead frog. BUT, if you put a pot of water on the stove, heat it up to boiling and then drop a frog in, what happens? That sucker jumps out - and FAST! (sidenote: hoping no one ever really tried these experiments with a poor frog.) The lesson? A good one...sometimes over time, ever so gradually, we get accustomed to what we do day to day, what we put up with, what we come to think of as "normal" or "acceptable".....and the truth is sometimes it ain't all that good OR it's good but it could be better !! Anyway, I think of the frog story now and then to keep me questioning, questioning, questioning! Shannon and Jenna and Karie and Sonia, in the same way that pork makes me think "Kat" (heehee), you all make me think "FROG". Bravo to you for all the very exciting newness and opportunity and fresh views you've brought into your life.
5) Looking forward to sticking together as a group for events and continued enlightenment!! Make sure you stay close and find camaraderie and support from this BTWG group and others. It's still easier than I can to admit to stray from the fitness and wellness path even after all these years, but being with others with a like-minded focus really make things easier....AND more fun! Please consider coming to PR Fitness for some workouts or yoga classes so we can continue to share in the journey!
CONGRATS ALL for everything you accomplished and learned and shared during BTWG...and thank you.
