Life Certainties
Although I know with certainty that I don’t have everything figured out, I have come to resonate with a few absolutes in life. Some are deep, others less monumental, but all are little pearls of wisdom that help every day of my life to hold some joy.
I believe this reality hit about 10 years ago: IT IS 100% NECESSARY TO KEEP A PAIR OF TOP-NOTCH TWEEZERS IN ANY VEHICLE YOU TRAVEL IN OFTEN. Even the most expensive lighting is simply not comparable to the blazing star in the sky when it comes to making every single hair that has sprouted from your skin more than obvious. I cannot count the number of times that I have spent time in the bathroom at home, plucking for perfection, just to check my car mirror before heading in for a date, or an interview, to see a long black hair on my chin that any attempt to pull out would just create a pig’s tail curl coming off of my face. I have found that keeping tweezers in my purse or wallet is not good enough. I either change purses or have to go through a metal detector that forces me to throw my beloved tweezers away. They take up very little room in the car, but I must admit, seem to be slung and lost to the point that you will have to replace them about every six months. Along with this, I think throwing a razor in the glove compartment is a good idea as well.
My mom likes to keep lists, one of which is the 10 or so vitamins she takes each day in the squares on her calendar. I believe this began sometime when I was in college, making her about 50 when her pill popping habit began (the good kind of pills, of course). I have to admit, I thought she was a little out there, but then I happened to catch a morning show where Suzanne Somers from Three’s Company said she took about 60 vitamins a day, so I figured mom was at least on the shallow end of crazy. Hind sight being 20-20, I joined the vitamin bandwagon about five years ago and people have probably mistaken me for a vitamin sales representative since then. I do not take the amount my mom or Suzanne does, but when I reach 70, I think any natural help to feeling my best will be welcomed. At this point, I religiously take one probiotic daily. Apparently, the va j j has a harder time keeping PH balance as a woman ages. Add in a male partner and let’s just say I will not let myself run out of probiotics. Along with those, I try to take a daily packet of 8 vitamins for active women. I have to eat when I take them, or I feel as nauseous as I did when I took prenatals. Some days, I just can’t choke down all 8 in the pack, so I skip that day and don’t beat myself up about it. While I don’t feel bad when I don’t take them, I certainly feel much better when I do. I know that I don’t eat enough food to consume the amount of nutrients that my body needs, so I feel confident in supplementing to make up for the lack in my diet. Furthermore if I ever have a sore muscle or body part, I head straight to the vitamin shop instead of the medicine cabinet. I have seen enough problems caused by prescription drugs that they are my last resort to feel better.
Despite the fact that my preferred sleep schedule would be to begin slumber at 3 am and wake up 11ish, I have always had a pretty active lifestyle. Providing a way for my body to naturally release endorphins keeps me happy and sane. Therefore, I try not to go more than two days without a workout. I don’t exactly have all of the science memorized, but I know for sure that when I run, dance, enjoy great sex, or in some way get my heart pumping in a natural way (non-caffeinated and legal), I feel awesome! When I go more than two days without exercise, I get antsy and moody and out of whack. I do have days when I feel too sluggish and tired to drive to the gym, but it’s sincerely mind over matter. I tell myself to just get in there and do one thing and more often than not, I feel in the mood to do more after that one thing. If I only do the one thing and jet, I still feel better about myself for getting that one thing in. If I absolutely cannot talk myself into a workout, I do a simple squat/weight routine in my house that takes about 5 minutes. I always feel better after devoting a little time to my body.
My sister-in-law says that she doesn’t like for people to touch her and, so, has never had a pedicure or a massage. I realize some people are nervous to have someone see them and rub them but I cannot bend on this one. In my world, massages are essential to a good life. One full body massage at least once a month keeps my mind and body feeling great. I have bought and returned many items and regretted money spent on food and entertainment, but I have never, ever left a massage thinking that wasn’t money well spent. Furthermore, the masseuse paid money to be certified to be able to massage; giving massages is how he or she earns an income. I would consider myself a blessing blocker if I didn’t purchase massages.
In my Balance post, I touched on meditation. My meditation practice is still a work in progress, but I can tell that my day is infinitely better when I take time out to quiet my thoughts and just appreciate being. My life as a whole improved when I began taking time to meditate. I do not have this mastered. I set my timer for somewhere between 10-15 minutes and definitely within the first three, my mind has started on some thoughts. I nicely push those thoughts to the side and have learned to not get frustrated at myself for having them. I mostly keep my eyes closed and envision peaceful images, but if there is a beautiful sky or the sun is coming in the window in a cool way, I will look at that and appreciate it while I meditate. The goal is to feel appreciation and peace and to stop (or slow down) my thinking about all other things. Worry is abuse of God’s gift of imagination. Meditation is a tool that aides me in controlling my mind, guiding it to imagine something I enjoy.
To recap: things I have figured out in life are: Tweezers, Vitamins, Exercise, Massages & Meditation = all good things. I do not have the most manicured face walking around Indy, nor do I have the most fit body. I still lose my shit from time to time, so me saying that exercise, massages and meditation have helped my mental just means I was totally bat shit crazy nearly 7 years ago. I’m still a work in progress, as are we all, and I hold happy anticipation to be able to add more to this list as time moves along. My smart niece who almost got me to die while scuba diving in the Pacific once asked me if I did yoga. I replied, “No,” and her response was, “Well, you should.” With that, she was off. Sometimes good things come along our path as simple as that. I have now “done yoga” which seems to be a blend of mind and mental, so yoga may be next on my Life Certainty list. While I was formulating the conclusion to this post, I was wearing my favorite bracelet, purchased in Costa Rica, that reads, “Pura Vida.” I realized all of my life certainties are pure~ they hurt no one and help me to feel my best. I walked into the gym and bought a water. The title on the bottle was the translation of my bracelet, “Pure Life.” If we stay alert, life will thrill us with coincidences & synchronicities that surround us.
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