Life By Kristen

Change is Good

I’ve noticed various changes about myself. Most of them small, but I’m learning quickly that small, deliberate changes in various ways of life add up quickly to make a noticeable change ( DUH).

Once again, I was slow to learn this somewhat obvious fact. More on that in a minute.

I’ve definitely noticed that yoga has made me feel better- I feel less of that crazed, frantic run around thing than I used to, though my brain certainly still lacks focus sometimes. Example: Q has learned the new Kristen language of “Can you grab me that thing on top of the black thing over there?” His (correct) translation= the remote control? But I’m a lot less worried about things and find I don’t stress as much over things that fret me such as “oh dinner kind of sucked? Oh well, another recipe tried and tossed out.” This sort of laid back attitude I think is serving me well; my adult ‘fails’ (like running out of toilet paper) don’t make me go into a tirade about being a bad grownup, but become a point of laughter. I definitely am sleeping better and my body doesn’t ache in the ways it did before. And, surprise, surprise, I find I feel worse when I don’t do some sort of physical activity each day. I know that’s what everyone has been saying for years, but I thought nothing could feel better than a comfy couch with a book, but there is time in the day so I can do both! My mind is blown. And my pants fit better.

Why didn’t I listen to people sooner about all these small changes racking up to equal a change in habit or lifestyle? Mostly because I’m stubborn and make excuses and complain. But as the definition of insanity involves doing the same thing over and over again, while still getting the same results, the way things were going for me definitely weren’t making my overall life quality any better.

Maybe it was just that I needed a tragic life event like losing Dad to give me a little dose of reality. Or maybe I just finally got sick of navel gazing and just decided to do it. I’m not sure what gave me the spark last April to sign up for a yoga class, or what made me change from putting pajamas on at 5 to sit on couch for 5 more hours to now putting on sneakers and going downstairs to the treadmill and weights. Well actually The Gilmore Girls on Netflix streaming had a lot to do with the latter ( and House Hunters too). Seriously, watching both while exercising has become something I ACTUALLY LOOK FORWARD TO IN MY DAY. Couch potato Kristen of a few years ago is AMAZED at this.

Other noticeable changes in my overall attitude I directly attribute to Q and to his Little Man. Both add so much to everyday- even when we don’t have Little Man in the house, just seeing his room and stuff of life around the house makes me happy knowing I’m building my own family. Last weekend when he was over, he drew the picture below. When I asked him what it was, he said: “It’s you and me and Daddy and some aliens.” My heart burst into a million pieces of love, aliens in all.

Change is good.