You Can Do It!

You have thought about getting healthy . . .

But you just don't know where to start. I never exercised when I was younger and never even played sports in middle or high school. I became somewhat athletic when I joined a softball league in my 20's.  I went on to become a fairly good outfielder and excelled at running the bases because I was quick and teachable. I played softball into my mid 30's and quit once our daughters started playing sports and there wasn't time in our schedules for mom and daughters to play. They won out and I gave up softball.

I didn't start exercising regularly again until my early 40's when a good friend asked me if I would like to run in a 5K run with her. I had never even run a mile before!  So, I started a journey of what has become a life habit and began "training" for a 5K. Running is a great sport that doesn't require a lot of equipment. A decent pair of running shoes, a pair of shorts, t-shirt, and sports bra and you are in business! And it doesn't even have to match!

I began running/walking using driveways as my benchmarks. I would set a goal to run so many driveways, then walk a few, and just kept the pattern going until I was running more than walking. Eventually I was running the whole way! 

The 5K came and went, and running became a regular routine for me that I looked forward to.  In order for running or exercise to become routine, you MUST work through the drudgery that comes in the beginning.  You will say, "I really don't want to do this today!"  You WILL get to the point when you will say, "I want to do this today."  It does happen, I assure you.  You will then feel better when you do it and worse when you don't.  Most people don't get to this point because they don't stick with it long enough.

My regular running routine began with my sweet friend where we ran together for 8 years Monday-Friday at 5:45 am in Michigan, through every temperature and weather condition! I thank Liz for developing a love for running that I didn't even know was there. My days of running all began with an invitation. 

So, how can this help you?  If you already run regularly, think about someone you could invite to join you. You never know; you could change her life like Liz changed mine. If you aren't a runner but would love to start, begin your journey by walking each day, and running a little more each time as you build up your cardio strength.  Then, consider inviting someone to join you!  You will find it will keep you on track knowing someone is going to be there and you may help each other build a routine of healthy living!  The important part of having a partner is to create a schedule and hold each other accountable to being there!

I would love to hear if you start a running routine or invite a friend to your run!  To your health!

WHERE COULD YOU BE ONE DAY?

I am constantly inspired by women around me.  We can learn great lessons from those we associate with to improve our lives, help us to see something through different eyes, or to do something we only dreamed about.

I have a great friend, Karen Weaver, who inspired me today to write something about her.  She’s a great mom to three wonderful kids, a wonderful wife to a guy she adores, and has created a life for herself that she’s proud of – and should be!  After being in a party plan business for years, she was ready for a new challenge.  So, she took a sewing class and started sewing!  She had never sewn before – it just sounded fun.  She thought about what she would love to wear and couldn’t find in the marketplace, so she started sewing tunic tops and dresses.  She set up a website, took some pictures of her wearing the clothes, and her “store” was open!  That lead to numerous online orders, friends telling friends, and then taking her line to Etsy, the online shopping site, and more business came her way.

She started her business in Savannah, Georgia, and has since moved to Greenville, South Carolina. With the move behind her, she decided to take her business to the next level. She searched for new fabrics, traveled around to find a manufacturer that could take over the sewing, and created some new designs and pieces to expand her line. She still selects all of the fabrics, color combinations and designs each piece herself.  She has created a business plan and is off and running in a big way. She is now being featured at the Atlanta Apparel Mart next week as an Emerging Designer, and will have two of her pieces in the Emerging Designer fashion show!  Way to go, Karen!

In talking with Karen, I asked her if she ever thought she would be at this place of heading to the Atlanta Apparel Mart, and she said, “Absolutely not! If someone would have told me two years ago when this journey began that this was going to happen, I would have said no way!”

I am so proud of you, Karen! She is professional, has a caring heart, and can’t wait to see her designs coming down the street as one of her satisfied customers is wearing their favorite, fun and comfortable new One Fun Summer dress, designed by my good friend Karen Weaver! 

If you’ve ever considered starting a business, what’s stopping you? If you have an idea, explore it, pray about it, share it with others close to you, and then take action to make it happen. Karen’s story could be your own. You will never know until you try. Thanks, Karen, for inspiring me and I am sure others that they can do it too!