June 1st, 2014 Flipping Perspective

June 1st, 2014 Flipping Perspective

One thing I didn't write last night and I probably didn't because I've said it so many times, but it's worth repeating: I'm not an expert. I'm not perfect. I don't pretend to know all of the answers. I'm just a guy living it, experiencing it and doing my best to articulate it. And I'll always be in learning mode. As soon as we declare we've got it all figured out and there's no need to learn another thing about this journey many of us share--that's when we're at the greatest risk of being humbled, and quickly. I've been there, my friend.

I'm so grateful for the tremendous support system this blog and other social media provides. When someone tells me they're going to start blogging, I encourage them 100% and I tell them, always make sure you're doing it for you. This is important. First thing is, it's for you.  It's a powerful tool in understanding ourselves better--to write, to journal--to get it out of our head and on virtual paper, so we can see it instead of only imagining it. Images and ideas in our mind flicker and easily get replaced by whatever is distracting our attention. By writing it out, you're transforming your thoughts into something you can study in an easier way. When you share these thoughts of yours and we read it and relate--a powerful connection happens and we discover we're not alone. You helping yourself sort things out, ends up helping others sort theirs too.  But never lose sight of the ultimate purpose of your writings, to help you. If you have a blog and it isn't on my list, please leave a link in the comments so I can stop by yours too.

I stayed up super late writing last night. It was worth it for me to get yesterday's post out of my head. And it isn't finished either--I'm still going over it in my mind and putting things into practice. I slept in today, then prepared a nice brunch. I caught up on some emails and messages and I took some time to relax and meditate. Shifting my perspective from a negative to a positive has not been easy at all. After experiencing all I enjoyed at a healthy weight and then going back up the scale and sacrificing certain freedoms along the way, I was in a very negative frame of mind. Flipping that perspective into a bright and positive outlook has been an amazing experience. I'm grateful.

I made the 42 mile trip South this afternoon to visit mom and prepare a nice dinner for two. When I visit mom, it's usually a given we're going out to eat. Not today. Mom helped me in the kitchen too--and this experience was more memorable and meaningful to me than any restaurant visit. Mom was fascinated with the precise measuring and weighing of ingredients. We prepared lean ground turkey and bean tostadas with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pink sauce (light sour cream and salsa mixture). We prepared two each with a side of pineapple and mango. The picture of this meal, along with anything and everything else I eat is on my Twitter food and exercise feed. Mom was amazed that this big, filling, deliciously satisfying meal checked in at 463 calories! I'm very blessed to have such an amazing mom.

We visited the cemetery after dinner to take some flowers to my brother Shane's grave. It's difficult to think it's been 13 years since his passing. Grandma and grandpa are right next to him too. It was a good visit to Sunset Memorial Gardens.

We enjoyed a coffee and conversation before I returned her home and headed for the lake for a 5K walk.
I had just started my walk when a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for North Central Oklahoma. I immediately contacted a co-worker who took care of getting the watch announcements on the air.  The goal was to get in my 5K walk, then drive back in time to cover storms on the air.  I was a little over a mile in when I got the call that the line was very organized and moving East/Southeast at 40 mph directly for our station's listening area. I had some time but not enough to finish this 5K. I could either try to run the rest of the 5K or turn around and walk at a quickened pace back to the car. I decided to turn around the way I came.  I did jog a little bit, maybe a minute? I did it long enough to realize I'm not there yet. I'm not quite ready for running. And that's okay.

I got back to the car and immediately headed North for my 42 mile race against Mother Nature. I beat her by 3 minutes. The first warning for Grant County was issued three minutes after I arrived.

I've talked a lot lately about getting a handle on my schedule and getting to bed at a decent time. But this is one part of my job that is always unpredictable. We cover weather 24/7. So we're always on call. It's almost 1:30am and I've got to be back here for my morning show at 6am.  I will adjust and do the best I can. I must remember to have some understanding and compassion for myself. I will likely work a split tomorrow, allowing for a long midday nap to make up for the sleep deficit tonight.

It's been a great day. I'm incredibly excited about it being June. I blogged every single day of May and to me that's a big deal! June 11th is my next weigh day and I can already tell I've lost weight. I have no idea how much...but I can feel it and see it. I've resisted taking a sneak peek. I don't own a scale at home--but it's right there at the YMCA, staring at me while I workout. And mom has a nice scale in her bathroom. But I'm a big believer in not weighing too often because of how it can affect our emotions, especially when we don't see a number we feel is fair.  Every three weeks is good for me.

Thank you for reading,
Strength,
Sean