Before I explain what the illustration’s all about, here’s how it went with my BABY STEPS last week.
BALANCED DIET / PROTEIN INTAKE
I jotted down everything I ate to make sure I was getting the recommended 78 grams of protein each day… or close to it. Being vegetarian is quite a challenge when it comes to proteins — most days, I made it to 65-70 grams. I have to get used to eating more of everything: beans, nuts, tofu and other soy products.
CONCEPT/DESIGN FOR “ABOUT” PAGE
Had quite a few crazy ideas which — unfortunately — aren’t do-able. Maybe I’m expecting too much of this. Then again, I’d really like to come up with a fun way to introduce myself. Back to the drawing board!
AND NOW FOR THE BABY STEPS INTO THE SOUL
Time came to a halt last week. It’s as if one extremely long day went by. Or better yet, one never-ending night. Yeah… it was kind of dark for a while.
First, a friend of mine needed help. Without going into details, let’s just say that I put everything on hold in order to *be* with her. She’s better now — thank the Universe!
But somehow, it got me thinking about where I’m going with this blog, the whole internet thing, being stuck at a desk in front of a computer instead of being with actual flesh and blood people out there in the real world. This situation is getting weird. It’s not how I want to spend the rest of my life.
Then I caught a cold and the trance-like fever amplified my feeling of isolation. I even managed to injure my foot and couldn’t get out of the house for my morning walks. I was in prison… in a trap. Arrrrrrgh!
Naturally, all that was left for me was to think-think-think. I’m still thinking as I type, How do I get out of this rut? I’ve been in this housing co-op for 28 years. Sure, it’s a nice flat, the rent is low, I’m near the metro. But deep down in my soul, I know that it’s time to go. But where?
I want the road, adventure, mountains, nature;
to walk along oceans and step deep into forests.
I want the unexpected, the out-of-the-ordinary,
the not-the-same-as-yesterday.
My cocoon period has come to an end.
I’m aching for change.
I’m ready for it.
And once I create that change, I’ll have something
more interesting to blog about!
For the past 2 days, I’ve been feeling more tired than usual; my bet is I’m not eating a balanced diet.
So I’m going to start jotting down / counting my food intake to make sure it’s all good, especially the protein intake as I’m vegetarian.
I checked on the internet and saw that I should be eating 1.5 grams of protein per kilo. I weigh 52 kilos (115 pounds), so my daily dose comes to 78 grams. Divided between 6 small meals, this means I need to eat 13 grams of protein every 3 hours.
Maybe I should go back to logging my daily food intake on DailyBurn. Not sure if I have enough time, though; for the moment, I’ll keep track offline and see if that’s enough commitment for success.
And yeah… I stopped my weight-lifting routine. That’s another thing I have to go back to — sheesh!
BABY STEP
#2
Come up with a concept/design for my “about me” page.
I’m proud to say
that I’m well on my way
to making it a habit to
every day. Olé!
Yes, my one and only BABY STEP this past week was to stretch for 20 minutes every day as soon as I got home from my morning walk.
Result:
I love it!
Of course, I was lucky to have the sun shining in my kitchen all week long; with a little imagination, I felt I was by the ocean, lying on a beach towel. What can I say, I’ve got a talent for make-believe — it’s one of the main ingredients in my recipe for happiness.
Music is also a big part of the mix. I now know exactly how many James Taylor songs it takes to accompany my 20-minute routine — I put his greatest hits on “play” and I stretch and relax and feel the pain from Something in The Way She Moves to the end of You’ve Got a Friend.
Conclusion:
I won’t say I’m hooked just yet. No. I’m going to wait another week or two. I want to see if I’ll be as enthused about the whole thing when there’s no sun around to give me a high.
Surprise:
On Saturday morning, I went skating for the first time in 24 years. It took me less than 5 minutes to realize that I could still stand on two blades and glide, Baby, glide. Another habit, maybe? — We’ll see!
My morning walk by the river
has become a habit.
I’m hooked.
I’m glad!
Here’s what the trail looked like yesterday, around 8 a.m. — I was blown away by the different shades of blue.
Now that I’m in the habit of strolling along the river every morning, I get to notice the changes. For instance, this big crack wasn’t there the day before. You’ll be happy to know that even though I’m not comfortable with stepping onto the ice, I mustered up enough cojones to capture this picture… just for you.
Another fun thing about my new habit is that each morning I choose a different place to stop and sit and BE. This was yesterday’s *magical* spot — cool, huh?
Of course, I was already a big walker prior to engaging in this daily routine (a New Year’s resolution). Since I don’t have a car, I walk all the time, I walk all over the place. I also pride myself in walking super fast (beep! beep!) and for long distances — I get all pumped up and sweaty… it’s what keeps me fit.
What’s particular in this case is that my morning walks have turned into really nice dates with myself. YESSS! I’m starting to understand what Julia Cameron calls the artist date. I know, my dates aren’t exactly “artist dates” because I don’t go to different places to participate in different activities, but the end result is the same: I’m pulling myself out of the mothballs. I’m rediscovering who I truly am and asking myself what it is I want to live for the rest of my life. This makes me relax, and play; I’m being more creative, more happy.
Come to think of it, each morning walk is like a little road trip where I feel free and ALIVE. I’d love to just go on walking non-stop. I bet I could walk all around the world.
Only downside: When I miss my morning walk — like I did today, on account of the rain — I crave the river’s energy. The day just ain’t the same without it.
