Reset Button

I should start by saying that the past few months have been a kind of renaissance for me, or in other words, life has been replete with positive changes, progress, new perspectives on life and a flowering of arts and culture.

But we are who we are and sometimes old, bad habits resurface. The past week or two I have found myself indulging in two bad habits--namely, weighing myself too frequently and keeping count of calories. Even as I was doing it, a voice was telling me that this would only end in trouble! And how right I was. When I start putting those numbers in my head, my focus shifts entirely from the appropriate: training well, recovering well, eating well, to the inappropriate: controlling those sets of numbers through my behavior.

No doubt the proximity to a priority race is also having an effect on me. I have had several episodes immediately prior to important races, brought on by the pressure for the race.

So I really should not have been surprised when yesterday I found myself overeating! Bummer. But even as unfortunate as that is, there's a lot more good going on in my life. Hence, while I believe in the importance of talking/writing about our problems, I have found the most effective remedies to feeling down are gratitude, service, and fun. When I'm dealing with something, it's at the forefront on my mind and my thoughts and actions are so entwined in it, it's next to impossible to get perspective on it. I'm so close to it that it takes up my entire field of vision.

Doing something that invokes my gratitude, or that serves someone else, or that is really fun, snaps me out of it and removes me a bit further away from the problem. With some distance, not only does it get smaller, but I can see it as a whole, and see how little it is and how much more capable I am of dealing with it and being okay.

I value the opportunity to unload a bit here, but as I wrote above, gratitude is a much stronger medicine. Here are some of the things that I have that I am grateful for:

• I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I have a testimony that Jesus Christ is my savior, and that through his atonement I can return to live with not only him, but with my family.
• I have a wonderful family here on earth that cares for me, lives close by, and will always support me and help me.
• I am a healthy and strong individual with good teeth and a thick head of hair
• I live in the United States of America!
• I have a job where I get to do what I want to do, work how I want to, and am free to choose the course for my career. I am passionate about my job.
• I have the resources to pursue the great sport of triathlon and get to challenge myself frequently to improve and do the best I can.
• I have many wonderful friends who care about me and I care about them.
• I am a holder of the priesthood, allowing me to render service unto my fellow church members.
• I have been able to have many wonderful experiences through travel, church, service, and general adventures.
• I have a roof over my head and a warm bed every night, except when I sleep on the porch. Then it's just a warm bed.
• I'm able to pursue significant relationships that give me happiness and fulfillment.

Lastly, I've been listening to this dude a bit lately--Charles Bradley. He's in his 60s and just put out his first record??? This guy blows my mind, this song blows my mind. SOUL!