Everything in life has a beginning, middle, and an end. Running is a great metaphor for that. Have an amazing day!
Beginning, Middle, and End
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Tag Archives: happiness
April 2nd: Gotta have a lot of “huevos”
Translation: The problem with the recipe for happiness is that, you need a lot of “balls” (the word huevos literally means “eggs” in Spanish but it is also a crass way of saying “balls”)
Hmmm, do I have the “huevos” to pursue my happiness? Am I truly committed to my goals and what I want out of life? To be honest, I’m not quite sure if I’m 100% brave enough yet. Certainly makes you think… and giggle, lol.
March 11th: Things That Make You Smile
I absolutely love this quote from Mark Twain… The longer I live and the more I experience, the less I regret anything. Life is all about taking the most from both the bad and the good… and many of the mistakes we make in life are due to impulsive decisions that, at the moment, make us smile. How could ANYONE regret that?
On the note of kissing slowly (BTW, did anyone realize what a romantic Mark Twain was before reading this quote?!) … I will be very frank with you all and share that kissing is one of my all-time favorite things to do in the UNIVERSE. When I saw this short video on Facebook today, I absolutely fell in love with it. It is a video called First Kiss. The artist had 20 complete strangers kiss as she recorded their awkward first interactions and how they changed after just one, very passionate, kiss.
I think its a very sweet and touching way of documenting one of the universal experiences of being human.. (sigh) Did I mention how much I love kissing?….
February 18th: Happiness
Enough said…. 🙂
February 15th: Choices
Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could choose everything we had in life?
What if even those unwanted circumstances we were dealt with were given a different meaning? What if our personal tragedies became sources of power and strength rather than weakness, hurt and victimization? I’m choosing to see them that way.
February 12: How to be Happy!
Yup! Pretty much my philosophy on life. Couldn’t be happier with what I got! 🙂
February 7th: Attitude of Gratitude
Today I am grateful for having an attitude of gratitude. (You must be thinking: Cristy, are you saying you are grateful for knowing how to be grateful? My answer is: YES!) Every morning when I get in my car, I say my prayers before I turn on the radio. I have a lot to be grateful for and reminding myself of this puts everything in perspective at the start of my day.
I’m grateful for the health of my family, our closeness, for my job, my financial stability and for friends who love me. I am grateful for all the twists and turns my life has taken and for all the things that God has taken out of my path for my own good. I’m also grateful for my resilience and innate happiness.
But having an attitude of gratitude is a little more than just being grateful for what you’ve got… In my opinion it’s also about seeing the best in people and appreciating what they put forth, even if it’s less than what you’d want. How many times have you wished a family member, a partner, a friend or even a co-worker could give you something more than what they’ve presented? Maybe you wish they were better listeners, more generous, more consistent with their word, less argumentative, a better provider, happier, more cooperative. But what if what they’re presenting to you is all they’ve got?
Seeing the best parts of people and overlooking what you don’t like may not be the best approach to finding a life partner but, I like the fact that I’m the kind of person who focusses on the best parts of people and falls in love that best part. My family members and close friends sometimes drive me insane but, I focus on all the ways they contribute to my life that I just can’t live without. I’m grateful for any and all contributions no matter how great or small in my life. I am especially grateful when people give me little reminders of how they appreciate me too 🙂
January 6th: Back to the Grind
Now, don’t think that I’m some kind of weirdo workaholic when I tell you this but, I was actually looking forward to coming back to work today after my two week winter break. I WASN’T looking forward to getting up at 5:50am or driving almost an hour on the Turnpike to get there but, I was looking forward to getting back into my daily routine.
I enjoy feeling productive, feeling that I’ve made an impact in someone’s life even in the minimalist of ways. I like that I can be creative daily and that I have flexibility to try new projects and ideas with the kids. I also had fun catching up with co-workers and friends.
Gratitude: January 1st and January 2nd 2014
2013 has not been the easiest… It began with inspiration, hope and promise but turned to heartbreak and disappointment towards the end. But you know what?… It wasn’t the worst year ever either… I’ve done some amazing races and met some goals I never though possible. I saw 2 of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World (Machu Picchu and Chichen Itza) and my family is in good health and we’re all together!
During my two weeks off from school, I’ve spent some much needed time resting and thinking and have processed everything that has occurred. This is all I can say:
1. I am proud to be the kind of strong woman who remains positive and has belief that things can be better despite everything I went through in 2012.
2. I have finally realized that the BEST things that have ever happened to me have been those that have so effortlessly fallen into my lap that I felt almost guilty about having them because it was though I hadn’t “earned” them… In turn, the WORST things that have happened to me have been the result of me trying to fruitlessly and painfully force a square peg into a round hole…
3. I am pretty awesome and am not going to waste time hanging out with people who don’t agree 🙂 Because, if I love you… I think you’re pretty awesome too.
4. I am surrounded by the most beautiful group of loving friends and family in the Universe. I am proud of this because I have fostered (and continued to foster) these relationships.
I’ve decided to dedicate a few minutes of my day, EVERY DAY this year to think about what I am grateful for and log it on this blog. The first few days of this year I have spent time running, hanging out at the beach and thinking about all that I am thankful for… and here’s what I’ve come up with:
Jan. 1st: I’m grateful for my health and my body’s ability to run. I had a great 4 mile run with a new group and met up with a friend I haven’t really connected with much and had a wonderful time!
Jan. 2nd: I’m grateful for the gorgeous sunshine that finally came out today and allowed me to spend some time at the beach. I have been coming to this same spot on the same beach since I was a little girl and it doesn’t get old….
The Small Stuff: The beauty of my Saturday morning route
I am admittedly spoiled. I live in South Florida where people from other parts of the country come to vacation and aspire to retire. What could be better motivation to wake up at 5:30am every Saturday than a view of the ocean as the sun is rising? Believe me, it makes it worth every minute out of bed. Actually, early morning runs have not only privileged me to gorgeous sunrises but to some wildlife spottings that could rival a National Geographic film reel.
At one point, I was having so many cool sightings that my updates became an eagerly awaited topic of morning conversation between myself, my boyfriend and his daughters. Between red foxes and giant snapping turtles crossing the street, hawks chasing squirrels and dinosaur-sized iguanas sunbathing, it was getting pretty kooky! But, even the things that aren’t so kooky get me excited to be on my ocean-side Saturday morning route or even my weeknight route. A bright red cardinal sitting on a telephone wire, circular Sea Grape leaves rolling like wheels on short golf grass, boats tied up in their docks bobbing in the water and a handsome (and very fast) man waiting for me by the car with a cold bottle of water… that’s the good stuff.
I wonder, however, how many people actually take the time to notice these small things or even get pleasure from witnessing them.
I once had a co-worker at the hospital I previously worked at who would teach his patients about “mindfulness.” “Mindfulness” is the ability to be truly present and to find pleasure in the HERE AND NOW. It was a difficult concept for many of his patients to master, and I’ll admit that I wasn’t able to be truly mindful at that time in my life either. I mean, it’s not easy to get out of the madness in your own head! With some time, growth and self-reflection, however, I’ve come to realize that although getting giddy about seeing a red cardinal on a telephone wire is pretty nuts, it’s just me being mindful of the awesomeness in the details of life. And those details bring me joy.
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- Intracoastal
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- Sea grape leaves (my favorite)
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- Intracoastal
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- Gorgeous morning
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- Beach Sunrise
* Where are your favorite routes?
* When is your favorite time to run?
* What amazing things have you been witness to on your runs?
* Are you mastering being “mindful”?
* What small details in life give you joy?
Please share your stories and pictures!
Little Miss Sunshine State 