Week 7 of P90X

I am at week SEVEN of the P90X plan. It was been a hard seven weeks but I think it's worth it. I have not swam across the Suwannee River yet but hope to do that in the next few weeks.

The workouts are getting a lot easier to do. Don't get me wrong they are still hard but I don't want to throw up afterwards anymore.

I must admit though I have been cheating on my diet. I love food. It's one of my favorite things about life. However (knock on wood) I have not gained any weight from the over indulgence.

So for week 7, I have lost a total of 2lbs, yes two pounds and a total of 9 3/4 inches, which just seems nuts to me. I need new clothes. They don't fit anymore. I am going to wait until week 12 to start shopping which will be the first of Oct.

I do have week one and week seven pictures but I am not going to post them. I just feel strange about doing that. So if you want to see them send me a message and I will email them to you. Dustin, the husband, who took the pictures said he could tell a difference right away when looking at the before and week 7 picture.

So here I go starting week 8.

Roller Coasters

So while in Yoga today I was doing some thinking which is not what you are suppose to do while doing Yoga. One is suppose to stop and breath and wait for answers, Divine words of wisdom, an epiphany, or a great work of art. I am not really sure what it is I am suppose to be channeling or waiting for. I just know that if I do yoga my back does not hurt and I can do really cool things with my legs.


Today was different. I was thinking through my week, what I had done and what still needs to be completed. It's been a great week. I was able to catch up with an old friend at one of my favorite places and I found out another friend was changing her life forever by starting a family.


Which got me thinking about philosopher Alan Watts. Alan Watts according to Wikipedia was British philosopher, writer, speaker, who held both a master's degree in theology and a doctorate of divinity. Famous for his research on comparative religion, he was best known as an interpreter and popularize of Asian philosophies for a Western audience. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Watts)

I know him as the guy my husband makes me listen to when I am down. If you have time check him out, however go in with an open mind.

The creators of South Park, yes South Park created a short film centered around one of his lectures which I love. It's called Music and Life. You can find it on YouTube. Watch if for me, it's a cartoon, it will take you two minutes. You will have a better understand of what it is I am trying to say.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERbvKrH-GC4

Earlier this week I was catching up with an old friend that I have not really spoken to in 16 years. It was by chance we were even able to catch up. A lot of stars were in place for this encounter. We ran through the list discussing life, love, spouses, family, work and friends. It seems so strange when you know someone from what you feel like was another life. It's as if your old life and new life collides.

I feel as though I have already lived three separate lives in my 30+ years. The first 20 years of life was the foundation for the next two lives. My 20's kicked the shit out of me, and my 30s, well not so sure about that yet.


While we were getting reacquainted we were also riding roller coasters. Which at one time, I hated heights. I hated being strapped to a seat and spun up-side-down. Why do I love it so much now? What has changed about my perception? I have learned over the last year, I have no control. If I try and control my life, people in my life, my work, my friends and even the current market I am setting myself up for disappointment and even depression. The only thing I can control is if I enjoy the ride.


Life is like a theme park. Theme parks are usually broken down into small villages or towns. Each village or town will have its own main attraction or ride. Usually the towns are far enough apart that you may only get a glimpse of what is going on over there or you may hear the screams and laughter. How often do we try and jump from one ride to another? How often do you stick with the people you came with? We find ourselves rushing over to the other side of the park because it sounds more fun. Life must be better over there. We spend all day running around and just end up tired.


My friend and I get on a coaster. We are strapped in. Then there is the build up, the clicking, the raising of altitude, the glimpse of approaching rain, the adrenaline starts to kick in and you stop. You get a brief moment to see what is ahead of you. A massive jumble of mess that you cannot possibly sort in your mind and before you take it all in, you fall, and you fall, and you fall some more. You are upside down before you realize you are back to right side up. To add more drama to the ride there is a very good chance you are going to fall again. Things move so fast, people are screaming, people are laughing, people are shouting, "let me off this damn ride" and others are hoping it never ends.


The journey is a coaster, childhood is the build-up and then we take the fall or big drop. We think we are in control but we are not. This is what we wanted. We wanted to be free but yet we have no control of the track in front of us. We cannot control if our house will sell, if we will have a family, how long the family that we do have will live and how the people around us will receive us.


There are the people who love the ride, they love the twist and turns, babies, new jobs, husbands, wives, houses, and adventures. There are people who embrace the ride, who live for the ride. These are the people who I believe are happy. They love the part of the park they are in. They love their life because it is theirs. That is the only control we have, loving our life and hanging on for the ride.


People who grasp the seat and wish to be off the ride, have a difficult time letting go and suffer from a never ending ride of unhappiness. They never accept that no matter how tight they hold on they will never change the track in front of them. They can only make the best of it.


My question to you is: Are you going to enjoy the ride or are you one of those people who hates the ride, screaming to get off, clutching to your seat, tears running down your face and wishing you would have never got on the damn thing to being with. The point that we must all remember is that every ride stops; some sharper than others, and some to a graceful slow down. We are all on a ride, some rides are longer than others depending on which part of the park we settle in.