One Little Word : June 2010
My one little word for 2010 is story.
From the very beginning my word has had a slightly different meaning for me than you might think. When I first wrote about it back in January I talked about the obvious idea documenting stories from yesterday & today but I also hinted at my deeper truth: "One of the biggest things is that I have a couple threads in my own
story that I would like to weave in a different direction."
The real truth is that I chose the word story because I wanted to focus on changing my story.
My secret word for 2010 been athlete.
My journey so far this year has been about finding a piece of myself that's been missing since I stopped being an athlete when I left the pool in 1994. I was done with the practices, done with the competition, done with the time it took away from all the other things I wanted to be doing in college.
For many years I didn't miss it at all. Not one little bit.
After Anna was born I started to wonder what it would be like to be an athlete as a full-fledged adult. What would my life be like if I took the time to exercise and got in shape and liked the feel of myself in my own skin again? What if I could get to the place of seeing myself as an athlete again? I began having visions of myself as a super fit grandma. I liked the idea of myself as a positive fitness role-model for my kids.
I decided I wanted to make a change in the way my story was being written.
Since January, in ways little and big, I've been returning to this unfinished piece of my own story. A chapter I want to continue and add to in the years to come.
Most of the action steps in changing my story have been small. They've been little daily choices to get up and get out and move my body again. Some days and weeks I'm successful and others, not so much. So much of it for me is a mental game.
I've gotten back in the pool. I've bought a road bike. I've started running (with some serious daily support from Cathy). And I registered to participate in the Danskin Sprint Triathlon in Seattle in August. Crazy? Yes, totally. I found that for me I needed something to aim for, something to move towards, in order to start making the changes I want to see in my story. I am finding that I love the variety of swimming, biking and running so much more than when it was all swimming all the time.
Really, I just want to show up and participate.
So that's where I'm at with my word right now. My words in years past have been undercurrents, with less real-world action. They have ebbed and flowed with me throughout the year and existed as a place for me to come back to when I felt like I am drifting too far off my path. This year has been different in a really good way for me at this time in my life. I am on my way...
If you left your word back in January or February or whenever, you can always reconnect with it. You can also always choose a new word. It's never too late.
Anyone else happen to have a secret word you are ready to share? Or anew word that evolved out of your initial word?
My 8x8 Rejoice photobook arrived in the mail from Shutterfly yesterday. I love it. And more importantly, Simon and Anna went nuts over it. It was all about the photos. Going to make a couple extra copies for a few other people I love.
You can view my completed book here and purchase the layered template package through Designer Digitals here.
Wow! Your 'Rejoice' book is one of the most beautiful things I have seen in a long time! Thanks so much for sharing!
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oh my goodness Ali....
your secret is my secret....
I want to be an athlete too, although I was never one, not even in 1994. I'm even farther away from that now, 4 kids and many pounds.
But I dream of running, biking, swimming or even including exercise as part of my daily life.
And this year, like YOU!!! I've signed up for the TREK triathlon in September in Seattle. I know I'll finish it. How I feel the day after will depend on what I do between now and then ... I'll let you know!
You are all inspiring Ali. Thank you.
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Good luck with your triatholon. I just completed my first half marathon in Eugene in May and it was a great feeling to know I could accomplish something I originally thought was unattainable. An added benefit was having my son get excited about my training. I even signed him up for a 1K fun run and he loved it!
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My word for 2010 is strength, but I have had to add patience to it. This 2 kid thing can be rough and requires both strength and patience on a daily basis
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Ali, honestly I think your word should be joy.
Every picture I see with you in it screams it. Your bring joy to anyone who reads this blog, uses your products, or is inspired by you (week in the life etc). Thank you for being you.
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Ali,
I just bought your template! How did you upload the verse pages into Shutterfly?
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Hi Beth - you need to save each one as a JPG and then upload. I left them as PSD files so people could adjust the color, add background papers if they wanted etc.
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I'm finally finding time to comment! GREAT JOB Ali!
Getting back into an excercise routine after the kids take over is hard...great job to you! I ran my first 1/2 marathon last year and just did my 3rd one in May! It feels great! To take some time for your own health...to be a good example for our kids to follow...to accomplish a big goal in an event...it is life changing and good! Keep up the good work! I'm running again in August - I'll cheer for you right along with me!
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I have not been a steady follower this year, but in the last few weeks I have been directed to your blog several times via other bloggers. Therefore, I never started the year with a word. However, one word does come to mind frequently- PATIENCE. Waiting for our move, waiting for our house to sell, watching my kids grow. All of these things are requiring me to be still and patient. I think I need to journal and scrapbook that today. :)
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You inspire me, Ms. Ali Edwards. ;) Wishing everyone in your house a lovely weekend....
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Just wanted you to know that I, along with 5 of the teachers I work alongside, signed up for the Danskin as well. We actually went to the informational meeting at REI last night. We're excited, but nervous...so, please know that you're not alone! :)
We'll see you in August!
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I've tried choosing words each year, but then never really doing anything about them - I'm too scatterbrained - I'd rather think about it, but not act, or act, but not think!
However, this past year, I too have joined the "just move" exercise band wagon. I've never considered myself an athlete - my favorite thing to do in high school PE softball was volunteer to be an outfielder in left field - so I could just relax & look at the clouds... It wasn't until college when I took canoeing I got my first "A" in PE - the rest of the time it was just something to get through as painlessly as possible. I've also always had a bike, and in this town, it's easy to walk or bike a lot - which we do. But again, never have I stuck with any exercise routine for more than a couple months before getting bored, or busy & moving on.
Then this past fall I figured out a way to exercise by fitting it into something I do anyway. I've now done daily workouts ever since!! (Except for those few travel days, holidays or other interruptive days). What I do is enlarge my computer screen image (command + on a Mac) to where I can read email, blogs, facebook, & other websites, then dance, jog, walk, jump - MOVE constantly while reading with mouse in hand & using my thigh as a mouse pad! I've learned how to make exercise part of my daily life - doing something I'd normally do. I still walk a lot, ride my bike a lot (not lately though with all this rain...) but also make sure to get my time in at the computer.
I so noticed the difference after working yesterday on a consumer panel at OSU from 8-6:30, on my feet the whole time, moving constantly delivering samples to panelists. I was tired when I got home, but still had energy to take care of some errands, and not just collapse! Today I felt so tired, sluggish, but changed into my exercise clothes, and opened the programs I wanted to read on my computer - like your blog - and began to move, thinking "oh, I'll just take it easy today..." but within 5 minutes I was jogging, dancing, moving fast while my exercise playlist pounded quietly in the background!!
Another reason I'm so obsessed on exercising these days is at the age of 51, I'm trying to make these new menopause symptoms less intense. I've heard about major mood swings, & other menopause issues and with exercise I've yet to have any mood issues. I do experience hot flashes, but they seem mild compared to horror stories I've heard. It makes me think I'm not yet really "there", but also hopeful this is IT, and it's going to be less of an issue because of exercise!
So, long story to say, Good for YOU to decide to take on this twist to your story! It's never too late to change things up!!
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Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with all of us that read your blog. You are always an inspiration!
My word when this year started was "Celebrate" and my purpose was to learn to celebrate the little things and to learn to find something to celebrate when you don't feel like you can. Everything changed about a month ago, though, when my father died unexpectedly. Now my word is "adapt." I'm learning how to adapt to living completely on my own at 21... and all that goes with that. Maybe at some point I'll be able to celebrate again, but right now adapting is all I can handle.
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Ali, good luck on the tri. I was also a swimmer in a past life and did the Danskin Tri, when it was in LA. It is a great first tri, so focused on women and just having fun. You will love it, and try to take advantage of any opportunity to hear Sally Edwards speak... she is like the Ali of Women's Tri( very inspiring!).
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Ali, thank you so much for sharing your secret word. I could tell from some of your posts that you have been exercising more. My little word for the year is "discipline", which is an all-encompassing word; it touches on everything in my life, including exercise and eating. You are so inpsiring, even in the area of movement. Thank you! Keep up the awesome work! Please continue to share this journey with us!
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Great story as usual. I love that you just let us into your life. Thank you for that. My word is health. I have just had three surgeries in three months, and I knew that was the first stage and step.
Those are out of the way, so this week I am dragging my post op butt back to WW. 20lbs by Chrismtas. Doable and needed.
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Ali, You go lady! And just so you know. I was never an athlete at school. I was hopeless at team sports. Book smart was more my game. Proud of you!
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Ali, You go lady! And just so you know. I was never an athlete at school. I was hopeless at team sports. Book smart was more my game. Proud of you!
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Ali, You go lady! And just so you know. I was never an athlete at school. I was hopeless at team sports. Book smart was more my game. Proud of you!
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Ali, You go lady! And just so you know. I was never an athlete at school. I was hopeless at team sports. Book smart was more my game. Proud of you!
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Ali -
My word for 2010 is PATIENCE. I ran my first half marathon on May 30th, and it took a lot of patience during those long training runs to get it done!
That's awesome you are doing a triathalon! go for it!
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I was also a swimmer! I have been thinking of doing a triathalon but hate running!!! For so many it is the swimming part that is difficult. Keep up the great work and you will do awsome!
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I have to admit that I changed my word. I started the year with REINVENT. Wasn't doing much for me. End of January I read a post on a blog that contained the word BADASS. Though I may find it to be a word I won't share with my 67 year old mother (or my pastor), somehow as I change this house and body into the shape I'd like, BADASS seems to get me over those really hard times. Like when I've gutted a closet and I'm 1/2 of the way through putting back together and I think I can't finish, I remind myself that this year I'm a BADASS, and I do finish. It also gets me through workouts and helps me resist copious amounts of fresh-baked white-flour sourdough that seem to end up in my home. I can do this. I'm a BADASS.
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Ali,
Congratulations on your new adventure. You will do great. If you ever need any help or advice in the tri world, I'm your girl. But it looks like you are well on your way to crossing that finish line successfully! Dream Big!
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