Selfless Vs. Selfish

The last week many people around me had Spring Break for their children in school. Spring Break tends to be when many escape the winter of Michigan and head for a vacation in the sunshine. A close friend of mine asked me to watch their dog for them since we were planning to stay at home. If you know me, you understand that I am NOT a dog person. A few years ago, I was bit in the back of my leg by a dog that was newly adopted. From there, my fear and trust with dogs has been heightened. Anyway, I agreed to "dogsit" Cooper, as this is a dear friend of mine who has shown up for my family through some tough times.

Why does any of this matter? As I was reflecting on my week of a new routine, I made some observations about my behaviors. Every single day that I was watching Cooper, I would hit my step goal without even trying. I believe this was in large part due to the daily walks that were required to ensure that Cooper was taken to the bathroom and that he had proper exercise. In addition, I made sure that he was fed, medicine provided, and cared for according to the schedule that I was given. Above all else, Cooper was a priority and the "dogsitting" adventure was a success.

In my personal life, I have tried numerous times to get moving on various health goals. As I was reflecting on my time spent with Cooper, I realized that how I care for others is a direct reflection of how I care for myself. I have spent my entire life as a mom putting my children first. My oldest is going to be 20 so this is something that I have done for quite a long time. In addition, my youngest is a Type 1 Diabetic and he requires quite a bit more attention than my other kids.

I have been stuck in the cycle of putting myself last. For the most part, I would not change anything because my kids are my world and I genuinely love being their mom. What I realized though is that I need to treat myself with some love, compassion, and kindness that I give to everyone else. Working out is not a chore for me, I enjoy the challenge and moving my body. This needs to be something that I hold myself to just as if I were walking Cooper. If I can find time to take care of others, I need to find that time for myself too.

In the spirit of challenging myself, I am focusing on the following for the month of April:

1. StepBet Challange - 2 days of power goals and 4 days of active goals
2. Peloton Bike training - 20 miles per week to train my legs for the Zoo De Mac in May
3. Fueling My Body - Water as much as possible and making better choices to prioritize protein.

I hope that in reading this others can relate to this in some way - it does not have to be health. Sometimes it takes new experiences to help us reflect backward and grow. Happy Monday everyone.