asiawell: feelings

Saturday

CONSTANT STATE OF CHANGE

Change can be necessary, change can be a challenge, change is inevitable, and what do we do with all this change? Whether the change is to adapt a healthier lifestyle through nutrition and exercise, modifying exercises to accommodate injury, or going through the changes that naturally occur to the body as we age, it is a fact, that change is a big part of this journey of life. None of us are exempt from a constant state of change in this life in one form or another. Our bodies change at every level each day without our knowledge that it is even happening for the most part.

Personally, I have undergone a lot of change in this life and have to say that I embrace the positive that has come through incorporating a healthy lifestyle. The tough physical changes that challenged me were the rehabilitation from injury and the will to persevere and not give up, and finally accept through it all that I am forever changed and require modification of exercise to fit the body that is under the skin I wear. The inevitable change that seems difficult for me in the present is the changes that occur with the aging process. No amount of exercise is going to stop hormonal shifts and the overall body requirements that scream loud and clear…CHANGE. Acceptance and embracing of the inevitable change I have discovered is also going to be a challenge.

We are all aging each day, our bodies changing through the process and when I was younger I did not think too much about it, but as I stare 50 in the face, I find my mind consumed by the “different” feelings of heading into menopause. Both men and women face the inevitable changes that occur with the aging process, whether prostate issues for men or night sweats and lowered libido for women, it is a situation that can SUCK. I am straight up open about everything health related and I feel issues, even those topics that may fall into the “taboo” not to be discussed in public are fair game. In fact they need to be addressed and shared because so many people are searching for answers or at least support that they are not alone in their experience. If Dr. Oz can openly share the perfect “poo” shape, vaginal dryness, and orgasms, then for crying out loud, I am surely going to talk about it.

All change can feel difficult, or extremely fantastic depending on the situation. Adapting a healthy lifestyle through eating “real” nutrient dense foods and regular exercise will bring about a body that feels better, functions better, and that change can be embraced and celebrated almost immediately. Although the process can feel like a challenge, eventually the change will provide an overall healthy state of mind and wellbeing. The challenge change that occurs with injury or illness is harder to accept and embrace, at least in the beginning. I found that it takes hard work, lots of patience, faith and a will to WANT the best of me in all areas of health, no matter what that looks like. Moving into the inevitable change of aging is also an area that I now realize will require my patience, and continued research into natural ways of transitioning into another “new me” so to speak. Changes are a part of aging and transition into another part of our life, not that we need to feel great about them, but important to realize and accept them, and I am now on this journey. I am not going to sit here and celebrate hot flashes, night sweats, and changes in libido…are you kidding me, this is where I long for the young Darla because outwardly, my brain says what the heck is going on, and this should not be going on. This is where I reach for new goals of discovery of the woman I am now, and embrace that woman with full understanding, grace, love and adventure of this new chapter. Am I there yet…not quite…but I am working on it.

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Stay Healthy!

Darla

Friday

I AM A GUIDE NOT A GOAL

body confidence Darla Leal dysmorphic exercise feelings goals guides health Motivation not self confidence

I like that saying and it takes me back to when I was in junior high and high school. I did not always feel the best about myself, but there was always a special motivation that came from my physical education teachers and coaches. They made me feel accomplished, encouraged, and inspired me to do more and be more. It was at that young age that I wanted to be like them, to be able to offer to young people that feeling of inner strength, confidence and overall happiness. Presto...my goal in life was to be a P.E. teacher. Of course I could not climb into their bodies and become them but imagining being them was pretty awesome in my younger years. In my twists and turns of life, I am doing my passion on a broader spectrum than in a high school gym setting and I feel great about that.

The thing about life, mentors, and motivators is to understand the concept of guides, and yes to have goals. The goals belong to each of us however, and admiring someone for blessing our lives in a positive way is absolutely fabulous, and even being inspired to work in a field of enjoyment, well life does not get any better. The point I am getting to in this blog write is the importance of accepting the gift from a guide BUT having the ability to strive for our own goals and to achieve our own dreams. I am a guide and motivator for many people and I appreciate and am touched by all the wonderful feedback I receive on a daily basis. Now, I am going to get deeper here with you on this subject. I am a guide NOT a goal, and I am speaking more about the physical appearance of Darla and what that may mean to you, how it affects you, what it makes you think about, how it motivates or not, etc.

In my early competitive days, I admired Mia Finnegan and man did I want a body like hers. I followed all the nutrition plans and extreme workouts to make that happen...but I was not her. Why was I not good enough at that time? It probably did not help to be scrutinized and judged on a stage by people I did not know, who were ready with pen in hand to tear apart the body that I worked so hard to put together. It was at that time that I realized the politics that can and do exist in competition, but putting that aside, feelings of inadequacy and lack of confidence can break a person in such circumstances. My point again...I would never be Mia Finnegan and what a letdown, but also a light bulb moment of time to love ME for ME. So, I do understand when guides get skewed out of position and even placed on a pedestal, but you know what, we are all just people. I am no more special than you are, and doing what I do is a passion that I want to provide as a gift of motivation for you.

If you have noticed, I am cautious and conservative about posting self-images. When I do post "selfies", I want them to be meaningful, motivational, and touch a chord of inner strength within YOU that says...I CAN DO THIS. With all the society pressure of wanting to look like or be someone we are not, it is even more important for guides such as me to be clear in communication of how unhealthy that is. The purpose is to PLEASE ADAPT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, not to cause feelings of insecurity and discouragement. I know this is a "you can't please everyone" world and even what I am writing may come across as offensive to one and motivating to another. I am here to motivate and celebrate living a healthy life with you and that is what I will clearly communicate.

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATION

Stay Healthy