On...

I often choose the harder path.  If there are two ways to do something and one is super easy, I'll pick the other. Sometimes this is foolish. And sometimes, this has taught me great lessons. Perhaps this is why I like spin so much. Spin is one of those classes that does not get easier with time. I mean, you could make it easier, by decreasing resistance or speed, but then, why are you taking a class at the gym in the first place? For most people, spin doesn't get easier. The moment it feels like your body can handle it, you crank up the resistance or pedal faster. So here are the lessons I learn from spin, every single time I go: 1. Nothing worth doing is easy: Each instructor teaches spin class a little differently. Some like to focus on strength training (this means a lot of heavy climbs). Some like to focus on speed work (this means a lot of sprints). And some, like to do a lot of interval training (this means a combination of speed work and strength training).  None...

Anyone can be nice.  Nice, to me, equates with being polite. If you've been taught basic manners, you can be nice. You may not, deep-down, believe how your acting, but you can fake it and be nice. I am not always nice. In fact, I have a snarky side. Many of you have seen it. Sometimes I get irritable and grouchy and say things that I don't really mean in the broad view, but probably mean at the time I am saying them. My brother, over many years of growing up and sibling drama, has been the receiver of my snarkiness more than perhaps any other human being on the planet. But, that being said, one thing I strive for, is to be kind. I can't say I am always kind in every situation, but my general intention in life is to be kind. Kindness is different than niceness. To be kind is to be genuine in your concern for others; to really care about their pain, their success, their life. Kindness doesn't mean you don't get angry. Kindness doesn't mean you don't do...

Recently a friend came to visit me and she gave me a framed quote.  It is as follows: The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sails. - William Arthur Ward This quote speaks to me for several reasons. One: I grew up sailing (or more accurately, I grew up a frequent passenger on my parents’ sailboat), so I like the imagery. Two:  I am a positive person who has been through a lot of changes recently. Pessimism is something I rarely identify with, although I can understand how easy it could be to fall into its trap - misery begets misery. Optimism, though, is also a trap - a feel-good trap, but a trap nonetheless.  It is a make-believe way of looking at the world. Realism, however, is empowerment. If you understand that the world around you changes, and that you also have the ability to adjust with those changes, to make choices, and that you have strength to deal with the challenges that will occur throu...