Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

The past few days have been...Well... Rough. I have been fighting whatever is going around and I think I am finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My worst fears through this sickness is what I will be missing out on at the gym and how it will affect my progress. It is time to stop fearing such things and focus on what I have gained, what I am capable of gaining once I am 100% healthy, and how I will push myself when I am back into the gym. My mom once gave me the book Don't sweat the small stuff... and its all small stuff. I have read this book over and over. Shoot, it helped me survive college (well along with Starbucks and lots of chocolate). Making mountains out of molehills; worrying that the sky is falling…whichever way you say it, it all comes down to having perspective. Focusing on limiting stress and boosting happiness, this books provide inspirational nuggets that apply to just about every area of life.

If you’re anything like me, you tend to go from zero to 60 and into emergency mode before the alarm has even started sounding. I’ve found that it can save me a lot of stress and worry if I stop, take a breath and honestly analyze the situation before letting myself hit the panic button. I have developed a method of writing down all my thoughts, worries, concerns, and to-do lists out on paper so I can visually see what is really affecting me. This way it is out of my head and I can stare each worry in the eye to see who will back down first... me or the concern. After taking a long, hard look, I decide what to do about it and continue on with my day. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that you only have control over your own actions, how you perceive the actions of others and how you react. There are a lot of things that you can not control in this crazy beautiful life but for everything that you can control, I challenge you (and myself) to focus your energy and thoughts on honoring your own standards and ideals in everything you do in the most positive way possible.

xoxox,  J