The Cost of Living

What is the first thing that comes to mind…money…right?  Well, that is part of the “Cost of Living”.  I see this phrase in a whole new way as in the choices I make with my life.  What I choose to think, feel, how I act, respond, do or not do all determines my “Cost of Living”. 

Happiness comes at a price and so does stress and struggle.  I know that when I feel at my best and happy about how things are going, the cost for me is a great day, feel on top of the world, confident, and just all together fabulous…right?  Just as allowing some injustice that has been thrown my direction to take over my whole persona, well the cost would be stress, anxiety, and just an overwhelming YUCK feeling in my life bank. 

Sometimes, it is difficult to always pay the right cost all the time in life to receive the right result.  Look at how the “Cost of Living” affects health and I will speak personally here…If I choose to sit around and do nothing active, then the cost would be that my body receives no benefit of exercise, no positive endorphins to flood my system…and boy do I love that feeling, and really puts a damper in my routine.  Let me hit up my nutrition using the same analogy.  If I choose to eat processed crap, overload my system with sugar, and do not pay attention to what I put in my face, the cost would be not feeling well, probably constipated (YUCK), low energy, and really not feeling mentally good about ME. In both regards, my health would suffer at the cost of my not taking care of ME.

The mental game comes with the biggest cost as it really determines how each day will unfold, and overall how life is lived.  If I walk around with an “I can’t” attitude, the cost for me would be “I won’t” which eventually leads to never will, and I would suffer not only emotionally but physically.  Can you imagine what kind of life that would be for me…bitter, depressed, judgmental, wanting it but not willing to work for it…feeling the victim in life…now that is a heavy cost of living.  Looking at the flip side of having an “I can” attitude, the cost would be “I will” and “I did”.  Putting forth some energy (cost) to reap the benefit of a happy healthy life sounds like the type of journey I would and will want to continue for a lifetime.

That is ultimately what I am trying to get across with the “Cost of Living”…YES, it takes a conscious effort to want a healthy life and I do want this for ME.  It does cost me time, energy, some money, planning, and caring and I am not saying that it is always easy, but I can tell you that it has been worth it.  So I do put money in my health bank in the form of exercise, healthy food, water, quality ME time, time with God and many things that are invaluable…money can’t buy my health, but the things that I do for ME can and do provide me with a life that is full, healthy, and happy.  

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS 

 

Dedicated to My Mother ~ Happy Birthday

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Have a FABULOUS weekend and upcoming week!

 

Stay Healthy!

Darla;)

 

 

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I AM HEALTHY, NOT OBSESSED

I believe in being healthy when it comes to exercise and eating “clean” for the large percentage of my week.  Why do I bring the word obsessed into this picture…well...here it is in a nutshell…just as with anything else, too much of anything or an obsessive attitude can bring about an unhealthy balance in life…regardless of how good it is.   If I was spending hours on end exercising, putting exercise above everything in my life to the point of letting it interfere or negatively impact my life, relationships, and self…NO  GOOD.  I mean really…can you imagine if a scenario went like this…I am invited for the day to relax at a spa with hubby, or attend an important function with my family and I said nope … gotta exercise, or I need to be late so that I can get my workout in…OK…now that would be OBSESSIVE.

I am not saying that exercise is not important, it definitely is a lifestyle along with my nutrition, but I am talking about for example…the old habits of Darla from my competition days, and sometimes modeling where obsessive did enter the picture now and then.  Not cutting myself any slack with food and working beyond my physical means…YUCK.  What the heck was I thinking…my A1 personality type was definitely on hyper mode during my “obsessive” days.  What I am saying is that a good thing can be overboard or “obsessive” and cause more harm than good…in all aspects of life…physical, mental, and spiritual.   Probably the worst would be complete burnout of a repeated behavior…my fitness would be a “have to” instead of a “want to”…OH MY and NO WAY.  I want my healthy life to be a fun “lifestyle”, maintainable by consistent exercise and healthy food intake for the majority of the time…something I look forward to doing and just feel weird if I don’t. 

My Fabulous Friend and Hubby

I am so glad to be in a much more relaxed “older, wiser, better” place with balance and I truly enjoy all moments in life.  I am not going to lie and say that I never struggle with letting go of a day of exercise because sometimes I do…the rearing of old ugly habits knocking on my mental door.  Thank goodness for a more relaxed hubby who balances me out really well when I need a verbal chat to bring the sometimes “Over Do It” Darla back to reality.  Being healthy is definitely a FABULOUS description of my lifestyle…OBSESSED … well, when that word gets tossed my way…I greet it with a Stay Healthy Smile!

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS

Personal Share:  I just got back from a mini vacation boat camping trip with my wonderful husband, son and soon to be bride....and a bonus...I ran into one of my best friends who was camping in the cove around the bend...now talk about a small cove... I mean world.  We had such quality time with lots of swimming, great food and overall fun!  YES...I we found another waterfall and my Mom will kill me (love ya Mom) as I frolicked about the falls and climbed on a few rocks;)  Fitness is FUN and does not always have to be the same routine.  I say be spontaneous, be a kid, splash around and laugh so hard that your belly hurts...LIFE IS TOO SHORT!  Enjoy the pics and Stay Healthy~

                                                                                                      

Fun swim and climb to the falls with friends

                            

 

GREAT FUN WITH FAMILY ~ I AM AN OUTDOOR STAY HEALTHY GIRL

OUR NEW FAVORITE COVE ~ BULLARD'S BAR

 

Night on the Water with my Son, his fiance and Hubby

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

 

Have a Fabulous Week!

 

Stay Healthy!

 

Darla:)

SATISFACTION

Watermelons are BACK!!! YEAH

What a fabulous word…YES…I would have to say that I am content with a lot of things.  I do not have to look for approval or contentment outside of myself, worrying about the whole “I am not good enough” thing.  Maybe, when I was younger and not older and wiser like today, I would run around trying to please everyone, and put my own feelings aside and even to a non boundary fault…YUCK YUCK…and OH did I say YUCK.  This journey I call life has blessed me with many discoveries of positive growth and has opened my eyes to seeing all that I have gone through as part of that process.  If you have read my bio, you can understand a bit of what I am talking about.

I want to really dig deeper into my satisfaction though as it relates to my fitness and maintaining ME at 48.  YES…I am serious about my health, maintain a good quality of life, and the outer shell benefits of that…of course…LOVE it.   I would not be truthful with you if I did not admit that.  The point I am trying to make is that I am content…I do not need to look further , to look better, to be thinner, to be leaner, to be more muscular…I am truly content with my work and maintenance feels over the top satisfying .  I can and do get satisfaction each day as I live being the BEST me with all my limitations…I am GOOD.

I have been around the block to hear and see so many people who are not happy even when they reach their goals and even living their goals…meaning a healthy lifestyle…it is still not enough.   It saddens me because that is a deeper issue…the one that haunts within, the one that may creep in from the past or be caused by the past or even the present.  Let me tell you being a positive advocate for counseling, therapy, and woman of strong faith …this would be the time to visit that part of life…to see what the heck is going on to cause such unhappiness and nonacceptance of self.  Been there, done that, and greatly appreciative of all that I have learned and having God on my side through the process…HIP HIP HOORAY, HEALED, and Happily Ever After Content!

Daughters are Fabulous

I look at myself and NO…no longer that 20 something that I see in both my daughter and stepdaughter…absolute peaches and cream skin beauties they are…WOW…I marvel in that for them.  But that is how it is supposed to be…48 comes with love lines, and battle scars that I have earned from my journey of life, having children,  surgeries, and the overall aging process…I mean really…am I supposed to look 20 something... A BIG NO…I am being real here…seriously…and I will not undergo any process on my face to take away the privilege and honor of being ME.  Will I do my BEST to be my BEST…of course…I am trendy, not frumpy, and love to feel sexy.  Being healthy satisfies all those things for me and that is who I want to be…ME. 

I believe in the word “enough”, and when it comes to my fitness…it is good enough.  Satisfaction applies to so many things in my life…the contentment of being healthy is just a part of Darla…I do not believe that the grass is greener on the other side, wanting to outdo the “Jones’” , and that more is better.  I do believe in the saying “I may not have the best of everything but I make the BEST of everything I have”, that less is more, enjoying the simple things, in not sweating the small stuff, and in daily miracles.  It is important for me to feel satisfaction, contentment, and value every moment...If I did not do that…I do not think that life would make sense.  You may see Darla, the fitness expert, but let me introduce you to Darla, the satisfied person.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS

 

 

 

 

 

GREAT MOTIVATION TO MOVE IDEA

 

 

 

 

 

Stay Healthy Quinoa Chicken with Sun dried Tomato & Fresh Basil

 

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

 

Have a Fabulous Week!

 

Stay Healthy!

Darla:)