Journal Prompt :: Day 2

Spend five minutes writing. Set your timer and go!


Where could I go today?

Journal prompt :: Day 1

Spend five minutes writing. Set your timer and go!


What do I love about my body?

Jump in with both feet!

How often in life do we allow someone else to determine our happiness, our stress level or our schedule? Today, you are taking back some control. You are going to make the decision to do something different. Besides, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Let's make a change... together.

If you are an avid gym rat, if you are training for a half marathon, you know what PR means or you were up at 6am to hit the weight room, this post probably isn't going to help you. If you just felt like you were going to be sick and have no idea what any of that means, that's okay and welcome!

This week, you're going to walk. Yep. I know you have sneakers. And some socks. You live on a road. And you have a phone or a watch. Or both. BINGO. You're ready!! The ultimate goal? To complete a 5k (that's 3.1 miles).

Sunday 8/30	Monday 8/31	Tuesday 9/1	Wednesday 9/2	Thursday 9/3	Friday 9/4	Saturday 9/5
Rest	15 min walk	Rest	15 min walk	Rest	1.5 mile walk	30-60 min walk

When you get to Friday's walk, if you don't have a specific area with marked mileage, you can download a free app that will calculate your mileage for you (try Nike+, MapMyRun, or RunKeeper). Be sure to check back daily for your journaling prompts. Have a great week!

~Darcie

Why not try something new?

I am looking forward to this week because I will be trying something new, or a few somethings new. Let it be said that I hate change. It is so uncomfortable for me, but sometimes change is absolutely necessary. So, here's what I am doing this week.

1. I'm changing my morning routine. Most mornings, the first thing I do is check Facebook. Why?! There is nothing life-changing there. Instead, I am going to be intentional about reading my devotional first. I have also changed my Facebook news feed to show me some inspirational posts FIRST before I dive into what everyone is whining about or what they ate for dinner last night. Hehe.


2. I am taking on an 8-week project with this blog. We will be working up to walking a 5k by the end of the October, and there will be journal prompts each day to help encourage you in new ways and refocus on life instead of stress. If you would like to join us, that would be awesome. If not, that's awesome, too!

3. My kids are headed back to school on Wednesday, so I'll be coming up with my new daily schedule. I need structure and stability just as much as they do, so I am setting myself up for success by planning ahead.

4. My final change for the week is a meal plan. We've done these in the past. However, our summer schedule was nice and loose. As school starts up and we begin our busy dance schedule, it is extremely important that we have a plan each day (or dinner becomes a huge stress point).

What about you? What are you going to try new today? This week? This month? This season? I'd love to hear how I can help you!

Roots and wings

Life is a balancing act. Period.

This morning, I was feeling particularly exhausted and overwhelmed. My husband has been putting in long hours at work. I am trying to enjoy the last few minutes of summer with our kids, make sure they are still learning responsibility, and keeping myself sane. I started wondering if I am a good enough parent. As the tears welled up in my eyes, I remembered a funeral I attended several months ago. During the homily, the priest was talking about a plaque that hung in his parents' home.

"There are two gifts we should give our children; one is roots & the other is wings."

He talked about the necessity of giving our children roots, a firm foundation, a loving household, the wisdom to know the importance of hard work. We can't expect a 5 year old to have the same understanding of chores as a teenager. And we also cannot expect them to know much of anything without solid instruction. In the next breath, he stressed letting them go. We raise strong children so they can go off on their own and know how to make good choices. They can become who and what they want because we are behind them, supporting them. 

Yesterday, our oldest daughter took a test at school. Classes don't resume until next week. However, she has spent her summer break learning Geometry on her own so she could take an advanced math this year. I don't know many teenagers who want to study during their time off. But our daughter is an exception to the rule. She successfully passed the test yesterday and is taking a Junior-level math class as a Sophomore. 

Last night, she wanted to celebrate with her friends by going to the fair. For one minute, I panicked. I was not going to the fair, there are lots of people there, what if something bad happened, and on and on. Then I laughed at myself. She has roots. She knows right from wrong. She is a good kid. It's time to let her try out her wings. I dropped her off at the gate and watched her walk off with her friends. For several hours, I didn't hear from her. "Hey, can I get a ride home?" The text message made me smile. She liked her wings, but she has a firm foundation.

And so it goes. I will never be a perfect parent. But as long as my kids have roots and wings, we're gonna make it.

I am not your competition.

Sometimes I think we completely miss the boat on things. As a society, we are quick to judge and quicker to condemn. It seems to be our first instinct to tear people down rather than build them up. I don't believe this is the way we were meant to live.

Last night, I got a very hurtful message. Alright, that's an exaggeration. It was a really nasty message intended to tear me apart, it made my ears burn (they get red and hot when I'm angry) and I have a nice sore in my mouth from biting my lip. Literally. For the first hour after I read it, I used all sorts of cuss words, texted my best friend, and tried to decide between screaming at the top of my lungs or going for a high-speed drive with the radio cranked and my windows down. To your disappointment (and mine), I washed the dishes and headed upstairs to journal.

Why would she say those things? Are they true? Am I really <insert awful things she said about me>?

Woah. Wait a minute. Breathe in for 4... hold the air for 4... breathe out for 8. (Thank you, Les Mills BodyFlow!) I know who I am, I know what I've come through and I know what's truly in my heart. None of that information aligns with what she said. So it sounds like an open/shut case, right? Ehhh, not so much.

I don't like conflict. I would rather smooth things over and bite my tongue than cause an argument with someone. However, I couldn't let this one go without finding the lesson. And then it hit me... I am not your competition. I don't want you to be jealous of me. I don't have it all together. I'm not perfect. I am not trying to be better or faster or stronger than you! I have my own outrageous expectations of myself, I promise. But none of them have anything to do with you. And truthfully, I hope we all make it. I'm pulling for you. I love seeing new people at the gym -- they inspire me because I remember how hard it was to walk through those doors. When someone tries a class for the first time, I pray that they come back. That first class is the hardest one. And the regulars are just as awesome -- they are still fighting for their health everyday, despite injuries and obstacles. Until recently, I was training with a team of mostly first-time half marathoners. Some of us had never run before. Ever. I am stoked to see each one of them cross that finish line. But once more, I am not your competition. I'm your cheerleader. I'll cheer for you even if I don't know you and I hope you would do the same for the next guy.

So the next time you feel tempted to pass judgment on someone or spout off hurtful words, why not listen and encourage them instead? There is no woman out there who can tell you she has too many good friends and I find it hard to believe I could find a man who wouldn't be excited about a new hunting buddy or more pals with whom he could watch the game.

I'm rooting for you! I know you can do this! Thanks for believing in me, too.

Elephant in the room...

Fake. That used to be a very good word to describe my life. I faked everything because on the inside, I was absolutely miserable. I wasn't happy. My clothes were never comfortable. I constantly wondered what other people were thinking when they looked at me. Life was hard.

You see those top three pictures? The first one was taken on a retreat. It took everything in me to hold it together for that weekend. The middle picture was taken in paradise, literally. We were in the Dominican Republic on an all-expenses paid trip. Next to me (but cut out of the picture) is an incredibly inspiring woman I couldn't wait to meet. However, I just wanted to go home. You can't hide in a bathing suit on the beach. On the right is a picture taken in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I loved seeing the mountains and spending time at a family wedding, but it still took everything not to feel like I was the elephant in the room.

The bottom pictures were all taken after I made the decision to change my life. In February (on the left), I was snuggling with my kids and I remember not having to force that smile, the extra material on my sweatshirt just laying in my lap. The middle picture was taken at a birthday party. I loved being in a dress and heels that day. I felt more alive than I had in years. On the right, a bathroom selfie. Yes, we have a gorgeous skylight in our bathroom and I have a collarbone!!! That day was an "I look HOT" day and I had to take a picture! (I am pretty sure I am still completely in love with that day and that picture.)

Bold. That's the word I should use now. I don't like to live life inside anymore. I go out and play with my kids. I try new things. I wear shorts and tank tops, skirts, and fitted things. I do the things that used to really scare me. And I don't give up as easily anymore. I have found the happiness I only prayed for, but didn't know really existed.

I know everyone won't have the same story as mine. They shouldn't -- we each have a journey. But you don't have to go it alone, and you really can accomplish it if you want it!

One decision can change everything

The past year has been anything but ordinary for me. I never imagined that simply being unwilling to be miserable would change the course of my entire life.

I was never super skinny or extremely fit. In high school, I played sports but lost interest after an injury put me on the bench. My focus shifted to music and the arts. Becoming a mom at an early age, I began raising a family and very quickly, I put my health and happiness on the back burner. I struggled with depression, my husband worked long hours and life was exhausting and demanding. Food was comforting. I like comfort. Don't we all?! It wasn't until I had reached my heaviest weight (290#) that I realized I needed to do something different.

I'll never forget that day, crying while the kids were at school and my husband was at work. I had weighed myself that morning. Really?! Why in the world did that seem like a good idea?? 290. 290?! That can't be right. I stepped off the scale, reset it and tried again. I was mortified. How could this have happened? Panic set in. I needed a different number on that display. And more importantly, I never wanted to feel that way again.

I looked online for easy answers. Workout programs. Diets. Anything. After a few months of fumbling around, I had started going to Zumba classes with my mom. The instructor (who would later become my coach and best friend) asked if I wanted to run a 5K with her. I eagerly said, "Sure!" And then in the very next breath said, "But I don't run?!" Jump in with both feet, right?? I am thankful for her everyday!!!

Since I began this journey last year, I have now lost 95# and dropped 7 sizes. I have gone from not being able to run for 30 seconds to training for a half marathon. I am discovering what it is like to love life, to wear "normal sized" clothing, to be happy with myself instead of hating the world. I don't have secrets. There are no shakes, patches, pills, surgery, diets or potions. This is all possible with willpower, desire and sweat. Period.

This journey is no longer about fitting into my wedding dress, finding the desire to get out of bed each day, or seeing a certain number on the scale. My future is still being written, but I am certain it will include building strength, challenging myself everyday to be better than I was yesterday, and changing the world one person at a time. As Calamity Jane said, "I figure if a girl wants to be a legend, she should just go ahead and be one!" Won't you join me?