Sunflower: exercise

This is my doormat. And this is the message that greets me each day as I enter and exit my humble abode: Live, Laugh, Love. We've seen it before - on placards and knickknacks, bric-a-brac and fridge art. It's good to surround oneself with positivity. But if, in the hustle and bustle of life's interminable duties and chores, we forget to notice these encouraging reinforcements - well then, the message is hollow.

Which brings me to my most recent rumination: the concept of wellness. Perhaps you heard of the six dimensions of wellness?

The National Wellness Institute touts the benefits of a balanced life, which includes:

intellectual (check!)
emotional (check!)
social (check!)
occupational (check!)
spiritual (check!) and
physical wellness (um.....uh oh.)

Well, five out of six isn't bad, is it? Sigh. Okay, I know. I've got some work to do. But what does it mean to be physically well? And where the heck is my motivation? I seem to have misplaced it somewhere.

I was a scrawny child, all knees and elbows. I never gave a second thought to wellness and though I was never a fan of exercise or sports (I really really dislike sweating), it never really mattered before.

That was then, this is now.

The advent of my recent birthday has caused me to reflect. I'm in my MID thirties now. My body has CHANGED. My once fast-as-lightening metabolism has all but abandoned me and I am scrambling to maintain my dress size. But even more disconcerting is my family's long history of heart disease and stroke. It occurs to me that life is fragile, and so precious. I truly want to be around for another 35 years and, as my insightful sister pointed out, I need to begin to "prepare my old lady self" now. What kind of 70 year old do I want to be? The housebound, achy, and miserable kind? Or the spunky, chase-the-pool-boy-around-the-yard kind? My vote is for the latter.

Hmmmm...I may have just found my motivation.

So what comes next? Well, I'm not going to make resolutions or empty promises, but I AM going to be aware of my physical wellness (do I eat a balanced diet, get enough exercise, and have regular medical checkups?) and I will continue to have that conversation with 70 year old Niki, to see how she's getting on. I would certainly hate to miss the opportunity to get to know her - she sounds like quite a gal!