One of the best parts of our trip last week was that our Grandma got to come along at the ripe age of 83. Grandma Evelyn (and Grandpa Marshall who passed away a few years ago due to cancer) have always been great examples to us to show us how to live life to its fullest. It seems it runs in the family as Great Grandma Mary Likness also displayed these awesome qualities and lived life to its fullest all the way to age 95. Grandma Evelyn has some significant heart issues, but they rarely stop her from doing what she loves. She loves gardening, being outside, and spending time with her family and friends. Due to her heart issues, she’s had to slow her pace down a bit, but it still hasn’t stopped her from doing what she loves. Many of us attribute this to her stubborn Norwegian heritage, but I like to think it’s alot about her positive attitude about life.
We can’t always control what’s going on in our lives, but what we can control is our attitude and thoughts about that situation. Disappointments and failures are going to happen, but staying positive and motivated to reach your goal is what will help you eventually reach your goal. As we were standing and gazing over Niagara Falls, I told my Grandma how special it was for her to have come along and she told me she never thought she would have been able to take this trip again with us due to her health. It would have been easy for her to give up and just stay home where it’s easy, but she didn’t. Seeing her family and celebrating life helped motivate her to live life to its fullest.
She’s been a tremendous example for all of us in our family and I hope I can be half of the lady she is. As you are working on your goals, I encourage you to think about what motivates you and evaluate your attitude about the various parts of your life. Sometimes we get so stressed out with various parts of our life, such as our job, our kids, etc that the rest of our life results in chaos as well. Take time to prioritize and change your thinking to more positive thoughts than negative and the rest will fall in place! At our last meeting on Tuesday, as we were re-evaluating our goals, one of our participants said her new goal is to let go of what she can’t control. Even though this doesn’t exactly relate to your weight, activity, or eating habits, it’s directly correlated with overall wellness and is an essential part to a healthy you!
Below is a picture of our special Grandma Evelyn enjoying life and taking in all it has to offer. 🙂
-Kelsey
