The Equation for Contentment

I'm sorry. I've been off-topic for a while. But, the truth is . . .

I'm not having a hard time with my station in life at the moment. Why?

Yoga.

As I mentioned before, I'm doing Bikram Yoga. It forces me to stay hydrated. One of my yoga teachers says that the blood it brings to my face plumps the cells. I don't know if it is the hydration or the "mini-face-lift" she describes, but when I look in the mirror, I don't see the tired lady with the minute lines starting to give her face "character." I'm not tired like I was. When I do get tired I Sleep. (Capital letter fully intended. The sleep is that good.)

+ Listening to My Body

I stayed home from work recently because I got a little case of bronchitis, and, because I now know what a healthy body feels like, I had no problem giving it what it needs to get healthy again quickly. I have decided that there is no real virtue in "toughing it out;" you just have to suffer longer. But that is not my point.

+ New Books

However . . . during that time at home, I was "Oprah-fied." (That's when you give in to the Goddess Oprah and really listen to her latest plan to rejuvenate the world. ) I admit it; I bought in. I buy a lot when I am sick and watching TV. I'm currently in the middle of Eckhardt Tolle's book, The New Earth. I even picked up The Secret. All of this is stuff I know, and stuff I have been applying to my life increasingly in the past year. (Truthfully, I have come a long way from where I was a year ago.)

+ Herbal Tea

Oh yeah. Then I fell in love with herbal tea. I discovered this place online called The Blessed Thistle. The woman who runs it is a true herbalist and the teas are Magnificent. (This is the direct link for the tea page.) I bought a sampler pack and could not find one tea that I disliked. They all tasted great and delivered on their promises. I just bought my second batch today. Not all these events happened in the order listed, but they all happened at the same time.

= Contentment

All in all, I am quite happy with myself. I am still a fashion disaster because it is winter and just getting up in the dark to go to work is an accomplishment for me. I guess I can continue to improve there. However, it just doesn't seem as important now. Perhaps for the next little bit, you may have to put up with posts about bliss and happiness with this very interesting decade of life.

New Focus?

Titles like "5 Things That Make You Believe It May Be Possible to Pronounce That Evil F-word: Forty."

That might not be so bad, would it?

Photo by Terwilliger911 through Creative Commons.

Radiant Women

I got an email trying to sell me Cheryl Teig's new skin treatment so that I can be an Age Defying woman. That sent me down a trail that lead me to Oprah (Who else? Whenever women are concerned about something, Oprah is there. Isn't she?) then I was ultimately lead to a woman named Dayle Haddon who has written a guide to Ageless living.

It is worth checking the website out because she seems to be making a lot of sense. She believes in the following principles for Ageless living:

	Celebrate Who You Are. I can get behind this because the days that I hate myself for not being 25 anymore are days spent pointlessly. As I've said before, I have come to realize that no matter how bad I feel about my age, it doesn't make me any younger. And who are "They" to say that I can't do what I want just because of the year I was born? Most of them couldn't even begin to guess that year in the first place.
	Nurture Your Spirit. I've been doing a lot more of that this year, and it really relieves a lot of stress. I don't have to be upset because my man goes off and does things he enjoys, because I have given myself permission to do the things I enjoy too. AND, I don't have to be mad at him for not enjoying all the same things I do because MY things are for ME. I can look forward to them and feel good about them.
	Discover Your Wisdom. There is a lot of knowledge we ladies past our 20's have over those young girls. My favorite quote comes from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith explaining why he and his band have it all over the younger guys in music: "They screw. We fuck." And I really think that sums it up, metaphorically, not just sexually.
	Practice Healthy Living. This summer I got crazy and ditched the four cans of Dr. Pepper a day that kept me alive. I started eating food meant to fuel my body in a healthy way: almonds, spinach, berries, meat, etc. And now my body positively thrums every morning when I wake up. I excerise, lift weights, go for walks whenever I can. I can't tell you how much it shows in my attitude, my mindset and my emotions, but if you ask my family, they can.
	Create Balance In Your Life. This one sort of speaks for itself I guess. You don't want to be obsessed. That will drive you and everyone else you know crazy. Have fun. Work hard. Care about others as much as yourself. Makes a lot of sense to me.

I will probably end up buying this book some day. After I get done "dressing myself from the inside out." retooling my appearance is expensive.