WHY 48 by 49? | In order for me to be a full and complete person, I have to keep learning and experiencing as much as possible. 2011, certainly the end of it, beat the crap out of me and left me with a desperate desire to crawl under a rock. My family refers this (less than) charming aspect of my personality as "turtling". It took me about a year to recover and now 48 by 49 has been chosen provide me with accountability for getting out and about and gently force me to experience new things each week.
WEEK 01 | HEALTH
I'm learning you can't be successful without building a sturdy foundation for change. Through August and September, I built an accurate baseline with my FitBit. How much do I move? How much do I sleep? How much do I need to improve? So, it appears I am naturally at 30% of my "goal" of 10,000 steps as well as the other activities being tracked. Now that the weather is cooperating, I walk around the 50 acre campus at the kids' school three times then head home a couple of times each week. With help of my iPhone, I've set reminders through the day to "get off butt and ... walk around the block or do laundry or run up the stairs" and it's working! Upcoming, I have scheduled "appointments" in that same iPhone to visit our local YMCA four mornings a week to swim and walk before I get the kids off to school.
WEEK 02 | B12 DEFICIENCY
As is often the case, when you turn your attention to one aspect of your life, in this case heath, a lot of things come along with it. For me, I have very little energy. I thought it was simply the thyroid disease I was diagnosed with 18 months ago. I came to realize it has to be something else, in addition. Is it age? menopause? laziness? thyroid disease? I do suffer from all of those things, but my blood tests came back that I have trace amounts of B12 even with a monthly shot and an oral losenge taken twice daily. My natural habit is not to push for answers or be confrontational with the "expert" aka doctor. Now I'm hounding my family doctor and my naturopath to figure out what is going on. In the meantime I'm getting shots, taking my meds and moving more - can't hurt, right?
WEEK 03 | NOVEL
I finished Gone Girl a couple of weeks ago. It was chilling and stays with me still in it's casual horror. Seriously scary stuff. The whole book was good: beginning, middle and end. That's what I need. A book that doesn't disappoint at the end. I am now reading The Dovekeepers by my favourite Alice Hoffman and it's a bit of a grind at this point, but I know she won't let me down. I'm also in the middle of Daring Greatly and it has been validating and engaging.
WEEK 04 | REGAINED SELF RESPECT
It was high time for me to practice what I preach. Some people stay in a volunteer capacity because they "should" even when they are being undermined and treated without respect. I used to subscribe to that philosophy, but I don't any more. With much regret, and fear of mistaken perception, I resigned from my position as clothing buyer for our school shop. It was a job I loved and was most passionate about. They hired a new manager and our roles are redundant. This is in addition to the disappointing fact that she is a rude woman who hoards power and information while trying to undermine those who "work" for her. I worked for that type in the corporate world, I didn't need to suffer that again in my volunteer world. Whatever will I do with all my free time? 44 more things to discover!
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ABOUT THIS PROJECT | I followed New52 with awe and a bit of envy. My plate was so full I just couldn't join in but it was something that piqued my interest. Not that my plate is any less full, but it is more manageable and I hope to fill the wrong side of my 40s with a positive challenge. Let's see where it leads. Thank you to Peppermint and Christine for your weekly big and small inspiration! I love the idea that "it isn’t about making a life-altering change every week, it’s about keeping an open mind and embracing little changes in your life." Life is good.
