We all have tough experiences that we encounter in life, even daily. There are always challenges, and it makes you wonder many times as to why you even bother. This is where you have to change that adversity, and have it become a learning opportunity. We all can learn something from our mistakes. If we do learn something, we grow from it. If we don’t, then we will just keep repeating those same mistakes over again. Whenever we are knocked down, we need to get back up. Instead of complaining about things all of the time, start talking about the positives involved with them. Create positive opportunities!
Shine your light for others. Teach as we go, not only for others, but for ourselves. We always need to keep learning. Always! A lot of our teaching lessons can be from what we see, and how we handle those situations. With the weather starting to get colder, even though we have not had much snow yet, it is easy to start getting down because we are going to be limited with what we can do outside. It is dark when we go to work, and dark when we go home. We have to figure out other ways to keep the “light on” in our life. This weekend was a good example. When I go out and take pictures, the ice is building up everywhere along the lake. If I just think about it getting cold enough to have ice, it is easy to start feeling down due to the weather. But that “ice” can also bring out other things to adventure in, and different ways of seeing things.
The ice creates its own art to be able to see things in a different way. I still love all the reflections I see with sunsets.
This was last night! The colors were amazing. From this picture, it could still be July outside. Now add the ice back in…
Now it added a whole different view to the scene. It may be cold, but it is really pretty. It can make something look even more extraordinary. That is how we have to look at things in life. How do we turn something bad, or ordinary, into something good, or extraordinary? It starts with out attitude. I talked about being in the driver’s seat last week. Our attitude is the main driver of us. If we are happy, things go well. If we are not happy, things tend to snowball, and then can seem even worse. Our reaction to those adversities in our life determine our opportunities going forward.
And, just like with me taking pictures, it is a moment to slow down a little bit, and really appreciate what is in front of us. I have always said a picture says a thousand words. But even better–
Great description! And true! We all have phones, and we all can take pictures. Slow down a little, and create more pause buttons in life. Appreciate the moments more. Take advantages of those things in life we may have taken for granted. Turn those adversities into learning opportunities, and in the long run, we will much more satisfied, and happy! Keep looking for those moments! Keep moving everybody!
Tom Beaudry and I. We have been in many races together, and too numerous to count training runs. We always pushed each other, and encouraged each other. Some of those runs came back in mind this week. I heard a song again from many years back: “Driver’s Seat” by Sniff ‘n’ tears. Many good lines in that song. “Pick up your feet, Got to move to the trick of the beat, There is no elite, Just take your place in the driver’s seat.” Many runs where we would help each other “pick it up”. That was then, and it really is no different now. We are in the driver’s seat. The driver’s seat of our life!
Any direction you choose! We just have to make sure we choose wisely!
How perfect that this would be with a sunset in the background! Choose what you want to do with your life, and how you want to spend it. Just continue to pay attention to the important things in life. Don’t miss out on what is in front of you!
Enjoy the view along the way. Figure out different ways you can be in the driver’s seat as well. That driver’s seat may be out for a walk, a run, a bike ride, or just sitting and thinking. You are in control steering your life. Sarah and I had a great time riding out on the Mickelson Trail in the Hills this Summer.
We were in control of what we wanted to do! Just like our run group each week. We always help each other “steer” down that road, and help each other “pick it up”.
So what are you waiting for? “Pick up, pick up. Pick up your feet, Gonna dance the day away!”
Remain in the driver’s seat. You are in control of your life. Not all things remain under our control, but the point is to control those parts of it that can be controlled. Enjoy the ride along the way! There are always things that come up in life; some good, some bad. Continue to “pick up your feet”, and keep moving. There is always another way of looking at things in life–as long as you stay in the driver’s seat! Keep moving everybody!
Our diabetes support group is meeting again Thursday! Be sure to check out the details below and join the group.
Meeting Time: 2nd Thursday of the Month @ 6:00 pm Location: Holy Name Church • 1009 Skyline Drive, Watertown, SD
November 11, 2021: Living with Diabetes
Join Kay, the Novo Nordisk diabetic educator and dietitian, for a discussion on living with diabetes.
December 9, 2021 Topic: Carbs and New Year Resolutions
Join Becky Schaible, Dietitian in the discussion on carbs and health ways to manage resolutions in 2022.
A group gathering for people with diabetes and those who support them. Meetings feature a speaker. Presentation topics change each month related to diabetes.
We all feel the pressure and challenges that come up in everyday life. We all have to deal with them. We all have to face them. Once you get through them, or even as a means to help you get through them, you need to find something else to “escape” from the pressures of reality. We all need this! Find a hobby! Go exercise! Go read a book! Something! Whatever it is you enjoy, just do it. For me, obviously, it is the exercise, and running in particular. It has always been my escape from the reality. Time for me to just forget about everything else. But as I get older, I also realize I need to come up with other things as well. There are definitely things I like to do besides work. Here are some of them.
This past weekend I went to take home my grandson Connor, and I got to play around with a tractor for the afternoon. It was a lot of fun! Listening to music while moving gravel. Who would have thought! I just got to play around with a big toy!
My grandson loves it too. It was time for a break though because the Vikings were going to be coming on soon, and he was all ready with his Vikings uniform on to go watch the game! Which brings up the next area of escape–my grandson! Connor is just a blast to be around. We had him for 4 days, and I absolutely loved it! We had him for part of Halloween, so he got to spend some time with “Batman” as a grandpa!
“Buzz Lightyear” Connor took it all in stride!
I also love to take pictures, especially of the sunrise and sunsets, especially if the clouds are out as well. It is just such a great escape to just see what nature has to show, and just get lost in my thoughts as I take pictures. Then I can always look at them later as a way to escape again.
There is never a dull moment when I am out taking pictures. We all need to find something as an escape from the pressures of work, and stress associated with life. Put your thinking caps on, and do something you like. Exercise and your health always need to be at the top of the list, so hopefully then you can spend more time later doing these other things you like to do. Who knows, maybe it is something you never thought you would like! Be adventurous, and think out of the box. Do it for you! Keep moving everybody!
As a member of the Watertown Area Running Club, WARC, we have had the pleasure of being able to run with many people. Some come and go, and others are what we in the club call “lifers”! We are there, week after week, year after year. We have made many friends. We have had many conversations. We have run many races. The memories are what are the best. One of our “lifers” is moving to SF. Paula left at the end of this week after being here for years. Now, granted, she is not far away, but, she will not be running with us every week anymore. We had a going away party for her earlier this week. That is why run club is not just about running. It is about lifelong friendships.
We have had too numerous to count runs together with Paula. I can only hit the tip of the iceberg in this post, as there are too numerous to count runs and races we have done. Jill, Paula, Sarah, Amanda, and I ran a few years ago in Colorado for a Half Marathon. They had T-shirts printed: South Dakota Girls, and Dan! We had a great time. We have had multiple marathons together, other Half marathons, as well as 5k’s. The training runs literally are the best. You spend mile after mile—talking! You figure out what each of us is like. What we do, what we like, what we don’t like. Running brought us together. Being friends kept us together. I remember one Sunday when I was taking a picture of a bunch of the girls who were running because it was either Mother’s Day, or national women’s day, or something to that effect. I was trying to get them lined up and to run towards me, and they were all acting goofy, and laughing, and of course, were not listening. So, of course, I had to yell at them and tell them not to act like “a bunch of idiots”! Then they really started laughing. Paula especially. I told her it was like telling my little sister what to do, and she would not listen!
Sarah and I had Thursday afternoon free, so we came earlier and helped Kevin and Paula get the U-haul loaded up. We got it done before the rest of the group even had a chance to get there. It was work, but we did a lot of laughing too. Everybody else in Run Club was trying to figure out how we slash the tires so they would not be able to leave to SF on Friday. This is the picture we posed for, but the next one was how it really was!
It was like finishing another marathon! It was bitter sweet. They are on to their next adventure in life. They just can’t stay strangers. We have to figure out when to meet for a run, or go out to eat, whether they are back here in Watertown, or we are in SF.
This picture was taken before I could get there. Work still had to come first. These are some of the people who have run a lot of miles with Paula, and with each other, over the years. We are WARC Strong! This is what you can be a part of if you ever want to come join us some Sunday morning, 7AM. We do still meet on Wednesday at 5:30 PM, but COVID has hindered the ability for Sarah and I to get there. Someday things will start to normalize. I am going to have to find somebody else to give some “crap” to now on our runs. Paula really was like a younger sister to me!
Whenever Paula wanted to just be Paula, there I was with the camera!!! Just like family! We have had a lot of fun times, and adventures, talks, and runs. It will make the times we meet up next even better.
Good luck Paula and Kevin on your next adventure. You will be missed, particularly by your WARC family. Until we run together again, take care, and stay safe. Keep moving everybody!
