What the mind conceives: a good luck talisman for success

 

The other night at the gym, the women’s workout room was packed full of all ages, sizes and shapes. It can be a challenge, but I try to avoid comparison making. However, I must admit I struggled with envy over one woman. Not the way her hair remained perfect during her workout while my ponytail stuck to the back of my neck. Or how she didn’t break a sweat while she lifted yet I smelled, coincidentally, like an onion. Or how her outfit was color coordinated while I sported the throw-it-together-and-hope-I-match look. It was her pink workout gloves I couldn’t stop looking at. Seriously: pink workout gloves. In the past, I’ve attributed more focused yoga practices to a new mat or fun new shorts. So why not a stronger workout session with pretty workout gloves? Yes, I bought new ones. And yes, I lifted better. What the mind conceives, the body achieves. At least that’s the story I’m sticking to.

What is your good luck talisman for success?

Working out the cobwebs

 

In my post ‘Fodder to fuel a passionate life,’ I talk about my recent adventure on the road, absorbed in all things books. The following morning, decked out in layers to accommodate the desert morning chill, I returned to my muse, this time the mountain trails beneath my newly broken-in boots and sunshine lighting my path. En route, I chose one character from the book I ‘wrote’ aloud during last month’s hike and, for two hours, I fleshed out a 3-D person as real as you or me. The key, I learned in a weekend workshop, is to plot your story via motivation. The clearer picture you develop of the individuals who live and breathe on the page, the more believable they will be to your reader. And, if you’re lucky, your characters might end up writing the book for you. Those two hours zipped by before I knew it—another creative and physical workout under my belt. Until next time.

How do you work out the cobwebs?

Image courtesy of dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

15 days of thanks

[Image credit: Felixco, Inc.]

Several of my friends on Facebook have been posting what they’re thankful for each day.  These posts range from appreciation of the tangibles like husbands, children, friends, deodorant and pajamas to the intangibles such as playfulness in life, God and the sunrise.  But instead of listing something each day, I stored them up:

1. Each and every one of my girlfriends who are as unique as the pattern on a butterfly’s wings (you know who you are) who build up, inspire and never let me forget I’m loved.
2. My family near and far.
3. Bikram Yoga for its healing benefits, inside and out.
4. A strong body and workout buddies to share the pain and sweat.
5. The promise of Someday.
6. Books.
7. Nut and rice crackers (gluten free!).
8. White Russians.
9. Coffee.
10. Permission to giggle.
11. Dark chocolate.
12. My new church.
13. Medical insurance.
14. Both my jobs (publishing assistant and writer).
15. Galaxy SIII.

What are 15 things you’re thankful for?