Change --> Joy

Happy New Year friends! This has been the first week of a brand new year. This is the time when people around the world make resolutions and are excited about starting over with a clean slate. I have been there too. The problem is keeping that new year excitement going. In the past, I found myself giving up on riding my stationary bike every morning about 4 weeks into that hopeful resolution. Giving up leads me to feel bad about myself and adds to the cycle of disappointment and depression.

Last year I did better. Instead of making resolutions, I made a dream board. I cut out pictures of things I wanted to happen in 2019 and pasted them on a board. I put a picture of that dream board as the wallpaper on my phone so I would see it all the time. Honestly, I made almost everything on that board happen and I was pretty happy with myself. Can you guess what the only thing on my dream board that is still a dream and not a reality? You got it! Losing weight! Even though I made other good things in my life happen, I still found myself unhappy.

Friends, in the last several months and even years, I had lost my joy. I could hold it for a few moments, but it slipped through my fingers quickly and I found myself struggling with sadness and mild depression. Whatever the reasons for this circumstance, I couldn't take it anymore and decided to DO something about it!

So, this year, I am building on the success and failure of last year. I made another dream board. I pasted WORDS relating to the things I want to make happen this year. There are things on that board about writing, staying connected to God through daily devotion and meditation, traveling, and spending time with the people that mean the most to me. Instead of making a goal to lose a certain number of pounds, I am going to work toward leading a healthier lifestyle. Being active, and being mindful of what I put into my body, including more water and less sugar, are the things I am going to focus on. I need to change habits that have been with me my whole life. So I am also focusing on two words, one that leads to the other: CHANGE --> JOY.

CHANGE --> JOY

I created my dream board last Sunday and began thinking of action steps to make these things happen. Monday morning I began a 30 day yoga challenge. I found an online video and jumped right into it. I completed day 5 yesterday. There are several poses this big, out of shape body just cannot do, so today I went back to day 1 and began again. So what if I can't go directly from downward facing dog to rag doll? I want to get stronger...and I am beginning to be!

CHANGE -->JOY

It's working! The endorphins that are released during the yoga are making me feel better. I haven't cried in almost a week and that is a BIG improvement! I have been journaling every morning as well which is helping me put my feelings into words. This is all improving my joy quotient and making me feel like Linda again.

Renew my strength.
My daily devotional verse today was from Isaiah 40:31 "...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint." 

My knees may crackle and hurt and my lower back may ache. I may get shaky and wobbly when trying to hold onto half moon pose and not want ANYONE to see my downward facing dog, but I feel myself growing stronger!

This is the YEAR the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it. Come rejoice in it with me! There is SO much to be worried about these days! Let's focus on the things we CAN change. I'm just at the beginning of my CHANGE -->JOY journey. Want to join me? Message me and we can do this together! We can compare notes, encourage each other and hold each other accountable. I promise I won't laugh at your downward facing dog if you don't laugh at mine! ;-)

Peace and joy my friends!