For those of you with a dog, you know exactly what I mean by having a faithful four-legged friend. You could have other 4-legged pets, but I am going to talk about dogs here. They are always excited to see you. They are always ready to go for a run or a walk. They are always by your side…literally! Sometimes they could believe in a little personal space, but that would not be in their nature.
They are part of the family. Connor was here over the New Year’s holiday, and he and Dakota became best buddies! They had a lot of fun together, and Connor would keep going up to Dakota and “tickle her”!
It does not matter the temperature out because Dakota is always ready to go for a walk. She makes you feel guilty if you don’t, so they make a great training partner to help get your butt out the door and get moving also.
She goes to town on her stuffed animals, so we have stuffing all over the house. It was no different when we would keep picking up after the kids!
When she has had enough, it is time to crash, wherever she is at! They are a ton of fun, and like I said, part of the family!
How do you not love this cutie? Take care of your pets. Treat them like they are part of the family, because they are! They can help motivate you and keep you moving. You never have to worry if they are ready to go out or not. So, take advantage of their help, and use them to help you keep moving…everybody!
What is your New Year’s resolution? Will it be the same as always…I want to lose weight…I want to be more active…I want to read more…I want to be more successful at work…etc, etc. Many of us make New Year’s resolutions, and we all come out of the blocks strong, only to hit that first rough patch, and then fall back to our old ways. Time to dream BIG! Build good habits and break bad ones. There is a book out there called “Atomic Habits”. I highly recommend this! “Little by little we build our power!” Some secrets to making a resolution: Dream big; Focus on others; Know what you’re in for; Have an action plan; and stay excited throughout the year. A quote by Walt Disney: “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them!” This is a perfect time to reflect on our experiences in the past year. As the year came to an end, you may find yourself looking back on the year, and self-reflecting.
The frost on the trees these last few days have been so cool to look at and is easy to just kind of let your mind wander and think. What is my plan going forward? It is easier to reflect on things when you get to see the reflections of things outside.
Self-reflection is a valuable skill in which we can become aware of ourselves. It helps us observe our own thoughts, actions, and feelings. There are many ways you can build self-reflection, but journaling is one of the more popular methods of reflection. Journaling has many benefits, as it has proven to reduce stress, encourage sharp memory, boost mood, and strengthen emotional awareness.
Time to attack it! Different writing prompts may inspire you to reflect on the past year. So, grab a journal, or just a piece of paper, and start. Try not to over-critique your writing. Just allow whatever comes to mind flow out onto the page. Try to be detailed and literally go with the flow and go with whatever comes up for you. Above all, be honest. You don’t need to hold back, sugar-coat it, or be vague. You are the only one that is going to read it. Observe things around you and get lost in the beauty of things around you.
Here are some examples of writing prompts that I found in an article:
What were my big wins this year?
What were my small wins this year?
What were my challenges this year?
In the past year, I am proud of myself for…
Looking back on the past year, I am most grateful for…
What would I like to shed or leave behind from this past year?
What health, wellness, and fitness practices were most beneficial or enjoyable for me this year?
What are my health and wellness goals for the coming year?
How did I push myself outside of my comfort zone this past year? How would I like to push myself out of my comfort zone this coming year?
When you look back at your life this time next year, what is the one thing I want to have accomplished or maintained a commitment to? Why is this important to me?
Work for it! Push yourself! Dream Big! You can achieve those goals…one step at a time!
What will the new year bring you? 365 new opportunities! Spend it with family and friends! They will help motivate you, push you, and encourage you! What are you waiting for? The New Year just started! Keep moving everybody!
Merry Christmas everyone! It was too cold to run outside this morning, so we worked out on the bike and the elliptical, and we did some strength training prior. It may be Christmas, but we could still get our workout in. We had our kids and families over last weekend to celebrate as that is when we could get everyone together. We had a ball! Time together, games, and great food!
After our meal, we had a great dessert, provided by my nurse Chris! It was to die for! The greatest cake (after the famous M & M cakes though!). We were so full we had to spend more time working out that weekend just to make up the difference!
We played lots of different games with everyone, and Connor was right in the thick of everything too!
The money scooping game was one of the best. You were blindfolded and had to use a spatula to scoop up the money onto the cutting board. Lots of one-dollar bills, and some scattered $5, $10, and rare $20. As you can see here Megan did a great job of scooping everything right off of the cupboard, but she did manage to get quite a few on the cutting board too!
Even Connor had to play hide and seek! Here he is hiding in the dog’s kennel! “Can you find me?”
My daughters had to have matching pajamas for their clan!
Even Dobby got a set of pajamas!
We had a lot of fun! Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, and you have the opportunity to make lots of memories with those close to you! Keep moving everybody!
If I/we have ever had a philosophy, it has been to “do things on our terms…to go our own way”. This hit with me after listening to a song recently of a group I just love: Fleetwood Mac! They have a great song “Go Your Own Way”. It actually is about a relationship between two of the band members, but every listener can interpret it their own way. I looked up the definition of the term “go your own way”, or to go (one’s) (own) way. It stated: “To proceed, act, or do things in a direction or manner as one so chooses or desires, especially as is distinct, separate, or different from that of others.” With the Reiffenberger’s, what you see is what you get! No sugarcoating, and no sucking up to anybody. We care about each other and taking care of our patients with truly everything we have. And most important, just doing what is right! As my mom always drilled into us kids growing up: Do unto others as you would want done unto you! The great “golden rule”.
Running has always been a part of our life, and something we still do all of the time. We work together, but we are still “going our own way”.
We had traveled more, at least prior to COVID. We will again. We have these last couple years taken many trips out to the Hills, to go hike, and go on adventures. No plans. Just go…”go our own way!”
There are always adventures to do, and sights to see. No sunrise or sunset is ever the same! And at least for me, when I have the opportunity to go take pictures, I truly go my own way! Go out and just enjoy nature, and the scenery, and the quiet! No stress. No worries. No problems. Just go…my own way!
These are just some pictures from the last few days. Even in Winter, you can see something enjoyable. Take it all in. Do your thing. “Go your own way!”
We could all learn a lot from my grandson Connor. He is now 1 1/2 and is now running everywhere. He is definitely going his own way, on his terms! So, my take on that song is to live your life the best way you can. Spend time with those closest to you, but truly “go your own way”. Do things you want to do. Do things you enjoy. I don’t mean that to be that the only thing you focus on is just yourself. Life is about compromise, and compromise with others too. But march to your own beat. Do things that are important to you. Enjoy life to the fullest. No regrets. Stay true to yourself. If you can’t depend on yourself, who can you depend on? Keep moving everybody! I am going to go listen again to that song by Fleetwood Mac!
Family! What would we do without them? There is an old saying that sometimes you can live with them, other times you can’t. There are always moments that can put tension on things, but the bottom line though, when it comes to family, if you can’t count on them, who can you count on?
Sarah and I strive for this all of the time with our kids. But it started up higher than us. Our parents and grandparents instilled this in us a long time ago. We just keep things going. Our kids will always be our kids, just like we will always be our parent’s kids. We have to look out for them too. My mom just celebrated her 89th Birthday in the Nursing Home last weekend, and we were all there to eat cake and celebrate with her.
I hate to admit it, but we are all getting older. I was just remembering somebody the other day, like it was yesterday, and their funeral was 14 years ago. I can’t believe time really does go by fast. Spend time with your family. Keep traditions going. Be there for each other.
If you blink, you may just miss the time you had with them. Connor is already 1 1/2. He is running through the house now. Before too long he will be driving!!!! We are looking forward to spending Christmas with our kids, and the rest of the family. We are celebrating our Christmas the week before. That is when we can get everybody together at the same time! Take it when you can! We will at least be together. There are too many times when families get together only at funerals. It is kind of late then. Family wants to know you care about them while they are still here. I hear too many stories from patients about how they rarely see their kids. That should never be. We all need to make an effort to work on that.
You can’t always keep looking down the path without looking right in front of you first. If we spend too much time doing this, we miss out on a lot of important things. Pay attention to today, not down the road. Don’t let life pass you by. No regrets. Whatever you need to do to spend time together.
It makes working out a whole lot easier, and more fun, as well. Compromise to make things happen. You have time now to figure things out a little more before this upcoming Christmas. What are your plans? Who are you going to spend it with? Is there anybody in your family you have not talked to for a while? Should you talk to them? Who is going to make the first step? Do it now. It is better than having regrets later.
Exactly! Keep moving everybody, and Happy Holidays coming!
