Thoughtful Thursday

I thought I would write a post, once a week about something other than art. I love creating with my whole heart, but if you're not taking care of yourself, if you're not happy, it's a lot harder to get creative. 

One of my New Year's Goals was to get in better shape so I decided I would go on a 2 mile walk every other day. I knew there would be times when this wouldn't go according to plan so I promised I wouldn't be too hard on myself. But I really wanted to stick with this plan as best as I could. 

When I first started going on these walks, my time was about 45 minutes for 2 miles. I was okay with that at first, but it didn't take long and I wanted more. Over time I've become more and more competitive with myself, a part of me that I didn't even know was there. I kept pushing myself and was able to get my 2 mile walk down to 27 minutes. Sometimes I'd even get into the 26-minute range. But that was it, I hit a plateau. 

To break the barrier, I added a few minutes of running and I was able to get my best time down to 24 minutes, 43 seconds so far. I don't do a lot of running; it's primarily walking because I'm so not a runner. Nevertheless, I feel victorious when I beat my best time, even if it's only by 1 second! It still feels like I accomplished something extraordinary and I'm ready to shout it from the roof tops for all to hear!!! 

Bottom line is, to feel good about yourself or anything for that fact, you don't need a big win. Sometimes it's the smallest victories that feel like the biggest and have the most impact on your well being and state of mind. You are your own biggest fan when it comes to personal accomplishments.  So, what is your victory worth celebrating today?

Photo by Maria / Sunset in Key West, Florida