Trick or Treat?

It’s national eat candy and sweets day. The day we buy treats and hand them out to the neighborhood children. The trick is that now we can start buying all of our favorite candy in black & orange packages beginning in September. I don’t normally buy candy bars, but I couldn’t resist those little tiny chocolate bars in my favorite flavors. There couldn’t be that many calories in a tiny bar. Tricked again!

 A gigantic bag of tiny little candy bars adds up to much more candy available than a large block of chocolate. They look so little, but the snacking quickly adds up.

There are so many good reasons to have a little chocolate, caffeine and sugar. I’ll share some of my reasons with you, and you can use them anytime you want to eat something sweet.

• Helps me think
• Didn’t get enough sleep
• Makes a boring job more interesting
• I saw a mini chocolate bar on the counter
• I found a step stool and was able to climb up to the high cabinet where I hid the chocolate bars so I would forget them until “candy day”
• Add your own if none of these fit for you

The final “trick” is that instead of having more energy, I felt sluggish as I started out on a nice long walk today. I knew I needed a walk, but I didn’t feel the usual spring in my step. I felt like I was wearing all those tiny little candy bars. Maybe all of those excuses didn’t work out very well.

I walked to the drug store and found the isles being stocked with that familiar candy now in green & red wrappers. I won’t be tricked again! Fall is the time of year for green and red apples that don’t even need wrappers. I’ll try to reign in the sugar monster and at least make something if I want a sweet treat. Making cookies for the church welcome boxes took a little effort but I had far fewer treats left to tempt me.

60 minutes walking

Hearty Brain

Walking and Brain Volume

Walking 6 miles or so every week is not only good for the heart, but for the brain, preventing shrinkage and possibly dementia down the road new research indicates. Walking also increases gray matter in the brain.

It's easy to walk 6 miles a week. By walking everyday, I am averaging about 6 miles a week. The recommended 30 minutes everyday or long walks on weekends and 20 minutes a day should do it. Walking is healthful, and walking outdoors brings even more vitality to the mind and body.

One of the hazards of writing is that it is a sedentary task. It's easy to develop unhealthy habits while researching and writing about health. As I focus on writing about publishing, I will plan to have several short posts (sprints) and then the occasional in depth article. Just as a longer walk can take you to new and interesting places, writing deep thoughts or feelings can take you to a higher level of thinking.

Going deeper, finding the underlying meanings, and what people really care about are my interests, but a short sprint is also healthy. Just get up, take a break from reading. Log off of Facebook, take a walk, laugh, call a friend, do something quick, active and fun. Contact Nancy to schedule a Walk About U!

30 minutes walking

Uninspired

Wilted curling turning brown. Fall leaves sprinkle the sidewalk in various stages of vitality. The listless leaves caught my attention. I felt uninspired today.

Walking through the leaves under a cool cloudy evening sky chatting away about the projects I've been working on, I realized I was tired of writing and had nothing to say. This week some things were working, and some were dragging on.

I've been researching the maize of information about self-publishing this week. The low cost of printing and digital technology has birthed a whole new market for publishing. As a writer, I couldn't be happier about the trend, but it took some sleuthing to learn the ins and outs of the industry. It was overwhelming at first, but then the pieces started fitting together. It took some time to understand what self-publishers are really selling under all of the jargon. There are so many choices that it takes diligent research to find the hidden costs. As a writer and entrepreneur, I definitely find it worth the effort.

50 minutes walking

108 days

History of My Own Fictions

“It is not my purpose, in this record, though in all other essentials it is my written memory, to pursue the history of my own fictions. They express themselves, and I leave them to themselves. When I refer to them, incidentally, it is only as a part of my progress.“ David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

David Copperfield tells his story in the book by the same name. Through the walking, dialogues, and character development, Copperfield tells his life story as he remembers it in the early 1800's. As I listen to the audio story, I feel like I am walking with little David as he grows into a man. As I was listening, I was struck by the phrase, “…the history of my own fictions.” Granted the story is a fictitious account of Copperfield’s life, but as I read it, I thought about how my memory of my life story includes reality and fiction. Some of my memories are clear and others are shrouded in mystery.

Memories are clouded by intervening events, emotions, and a deluge of sensory data. Writing fiction sometimes taps into more reality than remembering actual events. Writing fiction, poetry, and journaling taps into the reality of emotions, senses, and the subconscious. Try writing the history of your own fictions and see where it takes you.

30 minutes walking

107 days

A Few Simple Steps

Have you ever watched people as they walk? Everyone has their own stride. There are those who walk straight, fast, and get the job done with little interference from what is going on around them. Others stop to look at birds, geese, and leaves. Our stories unfold as we observe, interpret, and describe our lives. Most of us have a process we go through before going on a walk whether we are walking alone, with children, or pets. I usually collect my keys, phone, sunglasses, and iPod, put on my walking shoes, and lock up the house. I just do it. I don't necessarily think of it as my "process" for taking a walk. In the same way as I started writing articles, blogs, and stories, I didn't think about the process I was going through. In fact, my methods were quite haphazard at times. Now I realize there is a method to the madness, and I am following a few simple steps to get a book written. You can follow my process and find information and links on writing and publishing on my writing blog at: www.yourlifeinwords.blogspot.com.

As I look back at my walking journal, I can see my writing improve. I find it very exciting to spark my senses, find joy everyday, and write about what I see and feel. We each have a different style of walking, writing, and processing. That's what makes life so interesting!

20 minutes walking

106 days

My Walking Journal

This blog is my story. There is so much about my story that I can create and control myself. Characters come in and out of my story. Some characters I keep and develop into deep relationships while other characters pass through my life, and I let them go. I decide what I want to include in my story. Sure there are villains and heroes and people to save. I can choose to be the hero of my story, and what direction to begin my journey. I write things out of my story if they are no longer working for me. I have stories from my past that I file away on an upper shelf where they get dusty and I rarely visit them.

Writing my walking journal is a way of telling my story and developing the “brand” of who I am. It’s easy to read about the value of walking outdoors, being optimistic, and grateful. Walking my story makes it real. Everyday I am more optimistic, I am happier, and healthier regardless of whether my story that day is a comedy or drama. Get outdoors and start your own walking journal.

60 minutes walking 

105 days

After the Storm

The air is so fresh as I look up at the white wispy clouds. The clear blue sky shows no sign of the storm that passed through yesterday, yet the sidewalk is littered with damp golden leaves. A good heavy rain cleanses the trees of dead leaves and debris. If the wind blows hard enough, the green leaves will be pruned at the same time.

Do you ever feel like a storm has blown through your life leaving a flood of water behind your eyes or a heaviness like damp leaves on the sidewalk? Sometimes a random storm or crisis comes out of the blue and wreaks havoc with your life. A wind of chaos or evil can blow across your brow. There doesn’t seem to be any reason or any good that can come of it, but crises can bring you closer to the people you care about. Take time for meaningful relationships when the sun is shining, and you’ll be ready for the unexpected storms.

Most storms are healthy and natural. If we didn’t have the occasional mini crisis, we wouldn’t clean out the clutter in our lives. We learn what is really important to us when the rain washes out the excess. Get outdoors and walk. Enjoy the changing seasons. Take a Walk About U! and have a conversation with LifeWork Coach Nancy Miller to learn ways to build your resilience for the next storm. Can’t get outside? While sitting in your office chair or sitting in front of the television, lift your legs, stretch your feet, and do the bicycle moves. Stand up and stretch, breathe, and relax. Have a great day!

30 minutes walking

104 days