midlifejourney.com

Author: Pat Mullaly

I used to laugh when my grandmother told me, “As long as you have your health, you have everything.” I was young and foolish—a teenager and I thought I would be healthy forever. To my mind, being healthy was natural, a fact of life. Many more things: boyfriends, money, freedom to do what ever I wanted was far more important than my health. I never worried about it.

Now that I am in my “middle-years” I realize how right she was. I took my health for granted and looking back now, know I did not take the very best care of this body of mine. I’m beginning to ache in all the wrong places. Glucosamine Chrodroitin (a vitamin that lubricates joints) is becoming my friend! And they tell me that nagging pain in my shoulder is arthritis. Oh joy!

But all is not lost. It is not too late. I have discovered if I give my body the time and exercise it deserves, I can actually grow stronger, improve my health and well-being, sleep more soundly and live longer.

I am only just beginning this journey back to my body center, and realize how disconnected my life and work have made me. It’s time to listen and take action.

There’s a great article by Kathy Ekdahl of Personal Best Personal Training under “Keeping Fit” on this blog. Read it. It’s worth the extra minute or two.

All the best to you!

I have a meeting scheduled for 11 am today. It’s an important meeting that I don’t want to miss… but there’s this niggling little voice that keeps telling me to check with the client to be sure I’ve got the date right.

Of course, I’m wrong. Right time, wrong date. Client sent me back an email confirming the meeting is in two weeks!!! Not today.

I can blame it on my electronic calendar not keeping up with reality, or blame it on my memory not keeping up at all. Now that I am in midlife, I find my mind plays such tricks more often than not. So I am searching for, and slowly discovering ways to keep my mind— my memory— at maximum capacity, humming along, working smoothly.

Learning to play an instrument has helped, though I do not practice as well as I should. Sudoku puzzles have become addictive and that keeps my mind buzzing, and I found a couple of websites that have memory games. (See below.)

If you have ideas, or feedback re: memory issues, please share. Thanks.

Memory game sites:

• http://www.youramazingbrain.org/yourmemory/default.htm
• http://www.zefrank.com/memory/

Seventeen years ago I bought a one week time-share in a small hotel on Cape Cod for $3,000, which was a lot of money for me at the time. Some have told me it was a bad idea. And for some people—especially if you are a teacher or have kids—it is a bad idea. You are always competing for vacation weeks that everyone else wants. For those people, a time share only works if you use it yourself.

I bought my time-share to use only as a trade-in. I never stay at it myself, but I bank my one week a year with RCI, a time-share exchange company. Yes, I have to pay RCI a membership fee each year, and an exchange fee when I actually confirm a trade, and there is the yearly maintenance fee on the one week time-share itself… But even with all that, I have done very well. All those yearly fees adding up together are still under $500. — a lot less than I would pay out of pocket for a week’s vacation at some of the fabulous locations I have visited, i.e., Sedona, AZ, Hawaii, Orlando, FL, Glacier National Park, MN, and the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

It takes long term planning for some locations and the competition for the most popular weeks is fierce. I have the lowest level of time-share: blue time/floating, which means I have very little leverage, unless I do plan far ahead. For me, this is not a problem, in fact, it gives me something to look forward to.

Bottom line: If you have flexibility as to when you can take a vacation, and you don’t mind planning far ahead, a time-share can bring heaven to your door. Otherwise, it can be a nightmare.

Here in New England we have to deal with driving in the snow. And this winter morning is no exception. I headed out early, just after the snow began to fall. No traffic, no snowplows yet, no sanding. The most dangerous time to drive. With just the first 1/4″ of the white stuff on the ground, there was nothing but “slick” for my tires to grab. I spun out three times before deciding to head home and stay safe.

Going slow and steady is one way to deal with slick roadways. It may annoy the people following along behind, but it’s important to not let that get to you. Being careful saves both your life and theirs. Spinning out only brings disaster, not to mention the heart in your throat as you totally lose control.

A metaphor for life!

I don’t know about you, but I have a heck of a time trying to cram in all the things I need to do between the time I get up in the morning, and head to work.

I need an hour at the gym, plus twenty minutes to get there and back, a half hour—at least—to write, 45 minutes to eat breakfast, get in a shower, dress and get out the door. It’s the juggling of time that drives me crazy and if I am not totally disciplined and move quickly from task to task… I’m lost. And it doesn’t seem to matter what time I get up. I need just about two and a half hours from the time I get up till I’m out the door.

I’m sorry, but I can’t move before 6am. Any suggestions?