Dreams

Dreams.

I think we all have some type of dreams for the future. While some have very specific ideas, others may be more vague, but not any less important. 

When we are young we have health and time on our side. We generally have the health to make many if these dreams come true. However, as you age the reality that you are not as young as you once were becomes clearer each decade.

Perhaps for me this began around the age of forty when I realized I couldn't sit on the floor "criss cross applesauce" with my kindergarteners anymore without resulting in aching hips. I guess it was around that time that my move to second grade made more sense. Sitting in a chair to teach became my new norm. 

As I reached my fifties I realized that standing on one foot became more challenging. My balance just wasn't what it used to be. Packing up my house and moving during my sixties was much more exhausting than I had remembered it almost twenty years before. 

Now my reason for pointing this out is that  although our dreams may still be the same in our heart and head, our physical self might not want to cooperate anymore. I have a dear friend who is finding this to be the case in her circumstances. Even the difference of three years can be felt as she and her husband work hard to accomplish their dream. 

In speaking with her the other day I mentioned the fact that, your health really is your number one priority to living your dreams. As I wrote about the other day, unfortunately we don't always have full control over this factor. My friend had experienced this many months ago when she suffered an unexpected injury, that out their plans on hold. 

I am convinced, though, that despite this fact we can have control over what we choose to eat, and the level of activity we include in our life. Just beginning with small changes might help to get the ball rolling in living a healthier lifestyle. At my age I also ascribe to not choosing any extreme forms of exercise in hopes of returning to that first century body we may have once sported.  

If our physical body is not in good health then it doesn't matter what our dreams may be, if we are physically incapable of achieving them. That is why taking our health seriously before it is too late is so important. 

The good news is that there are so many resources readily available today. I suggest beginning with discovering how you meet expectations, both inner and outer. Taking Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendency quiz online is a great way to start. It will enable you to understand yourself better, and what strategies will work for you. As an upholder I'm completely clueless as to what will work for a rebel. However, Rubin's research can guide you in the right direction. 

As you begin to research what eating styles will work for you don't just jump on a bandwagon. Some "fad" diets have been shown to be unhealthy in the long run. Although, weight loss is generally a good thing make sure you are doing it correctly. Look for credible resources as you do your research. 

Although, no relation, Langston Hughes pens it quite eloquently when he writes, "Hold fast to dreams, For if dreams die, Life is a broken-winged bird, That cannot fly." Don't allow your dreams to be grounded by not taking good care of yourself.