Proximity: The Distance Between You and Success

July 07, 2018 in Nourished Body, Nourished Home, Nourished Mind, Nourished Soul

Proximity can be the difference between meeting and missing your goals.

Proximity can be the difference between having a dream and making it a reality.

Proximity is nearness in space and time. So what is the distance between you and success?

I tried to explain this concept to my husband as he was lugging a heavy and awkward spin bike from our basement into our kitchen at my request...yes into the kitchen. He was as confused as you may be.

We do not have a spacious kitchen but it fits our needs. There happened to be a space between our kitchen table and the deck door that looked just the perfect size for my experiment with proximity. See the spin bike fit nicely in our basement and I had the best intentions to use the bike while watching TV downstairs. I was excited at the possibility of have a consistent, easy to access workout option in our home that I could utilize despite the variable Minnesota weather.

As I've alluded to in previous blog posts, working out is not second nature to me like my dear sister Ashley Darkenwald. I'd go as far to say most of my life I have loathed exercise. It always felt like punishment because it was boring, hard, and painful...and honestly I never stuck with in long enough to see results which only has made me more discouraged from doing it. Fast forward many years of turbulent health challenges and dramatic changes to my daily nutrition, I've found myself exercising again but with a completely different mindset. Instead of thinking of exercise as a punishment, I seek out exercise I enjoy, find my "happy movement" as Ashley calls it. In addition to being much more mindful of what I like and dislike doing for exercise, I'm more aware of how much my body personally needs.

Achieve Your Goals-- 5 Tips to Make It Happen

January 27, 2018 in Nourished Body, Nourished Mind

We are super exciting to have the one and only Amy Peterson, RN, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor extraordinaire as our guest blogger today! Amy’s been a guest on our first and second Living Wellness LIVE shows. Click the links here to see the Facebook LIVE recap videos of our shows: Show 1 and Show 2. Without further ado, here’s Amy with some great tips for jump starting or re-starting your 2018 wellness goals.

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January is that time of year where you get to start fresh. It’s a new year and there’s something inspiring about starting out with a clean slate. Setting goals are on the priority list for many people. Unfortunately, though, not everyone obtains their goals. You get busy, lose focus, the momentum slows, and, quite possibly, you might even forget them…not that that ever happens to me! 😊

Over the past 10 years, I’ve seen many clients and friends succeed in accomplishing their wellness goals, and I’ve seen many stall or just give up on their goals. Let me just say that it is never to late to start prioritizing your health by making some SMART goals, no matter how small of a goal it is.

Mindful New Year

December 31, 2017 in Nourished Mind, Nourished Body

Everyone’s talking about New Year’s resolutions. Have you set any? Maybe your resolution is to set a resolution 😊 Or do you more resolve to not make any resolutions?

Making New Year’s resolutions is definitely a common thing people do. What’s the point of making these resolutions? No, no…it’s not just to break them. I’d like to suggest the practice of New Year’s resolutions can actually be quite transformative if you go about it with an honest heart.

I love taking a few moments during this time of year to reflect on all the changes, blessings, challenges, triumps of the year. It helps me to first and foremost reflect on God’s provision. Reflection on the past year can help you to identify what you were really proud of and things that you wish that you could change. In the process of doing so, you then have the opportunity to look forward into the next year with a sense of opportunity for something new.

Rather than setting goals to eat less sugar or exercise more (which are great goals), I’m setting an intention this year to be more mindful.

Progress Note

July 15, 2017 in Nourished Mind, Nourished Body

I was stressed about getting a paper done for my 9th grade English class. It was late in the day and I was tired, but the assignment was not finished...being type A that I am, I want every task I start to be "finished" and finished well. But, this particular evening, my brain felt it had hit a road block.

My mom suggested "set your alarm for 5am and finish your paper then. It will be very quiet in the house at that time and your brain will have had time to rest and reset." I thought she was crazy (as many high-schoolers often feel about their parents!), but I didn't know what else to do. Little did I know that this simple event would be a defining moment for me.

I woke up the next morning groggy but determined to finish my paper. I read over where I had left off and went to work. My fingers flew across the keys and paragraph by paragraph I finished my paper before the rest of the house was up.

Now what's the point of this story? Looking back, it wasn't until that early fall morning that I realized how awake and alive I felt in the morning. Over the years since, these early morning times of quiet have served to be such a blessing--from times of productive studying and finishing assignments to devotions and sweet snuggle time with my toddler. I'm surprised though that I never considered until this #LWGG30Day Wellness Challenge that this would be a great time for a workout.

Looking Back and Looking Ahead: Your Wellness Field Guide for 2017

January 01, 2017 in Nourished Body, Nourished Home, Nourished Mind, Nourished Soul

Friends! Happy New Year!

New Years is such a great time for renewal. This is the time we look back at the previous year's trials and triumphs. We reflect on what's happened and how we've changed as a result. It's also the time to thoughtfully consider what we'd like to change in the new year.

It has been quite a year - perhaps one of the most difficult years of my life. But this last year has also been one of the most wonderfully-growing years of my life. I’m so grateful for my family and friends who have supported and loved me, even when I’ve stuck myself in a cave.

Dear friends, as you reflect on 2016 and look ahead to 2017, I want to empower you with seven health and wellness tips. Use these like a field guide as you navigate through 2017.

These tips come from my life experiences and from writing and refining my new book, Living Wellness for Growth Groups. Let's jump into 2017. Let's get shoulder to shoulder and share and support each other's goals and resolutions for 2017.