CENTER POINTS - REVISED

I've changed my "center points", so scroll down to the end of this post, to see how my life changes have affected my center points, as of 6/20/2014.

What are your "center points"?


Over the years, when my life has seemed off kilter, I have wondered how to keep that from happening.  Through much thought, prayer and contemplation, I have discovered what I call my Center Points. My center points are the components of my daily life that keep me centered on what is good, right and healthy.


When I was working, my center points were:


Driving
Eating
Spending


When one of them was happening in excess, I could count on the other center points being off kilter also.  Here's an example:


If I found I was overeating, I was probably over spending and driving too fast.


Once I realized my three center points, I spent a great deal of time wondering how to be more aware  before things got out of control.   I started to keep tract of triggers that caused me to "drive too fast, over eat, and over spend."  In my mind's eye, I visualized a clock with the Driving, Eating, and Spending at 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00, but the clock hand never seemed to get all the way up to 12:00.


You may have heard, "prayer changes things."  When you ask, you must take time to listen. Being aware of the triggers would make life more manageable, but I still wondered if I could prevent having so many peaks and valleys. So I asked. He answered. Over a period of time, I came to know the reason why the clock hand never got to 12:00.  I had been leaving out one major component - God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the triune God, was not one of the components. 


When I had not been spending time reading my Bible, doing my daily devotions, seeking His direction daily in my life, any one of the components were out of control! This is the key component!  Now I could finally see the clock hand going up to 12:00! So I updated my center point list:


God
Driving
Eating
Spending


Now that I've retired, I've removed the Driving because I'm not on the road near as much, and do not maintain a schedule that I have to be somewhere at the same time every day. In exchange though, I've added mood.


God
Mood
Eating
Spending


I've been having a particular 'off kilter' week lately. I've allowed myself to make impulse purchases, I'm not sleeping as well as usual and I don't feel good.  Why?  I haven't been as faithful with my daily devotions and I've gotten off my eating plan. 


Perhaps as time goes on, my Center Points will change as my life changes.  One thing for sure I know, is that when any one of the Center Point components is off, I can look to where my Lord and Savior is in my daily life, and realize why things are off kilter. 


Today is a new day.  I must start with my daily readings, no excuses.  I've got to do my stretches and exercises and eat healthy.  I know how to do these things.  I've gotten off kilter.....again..... but Jesus promises us he will never leave or forsake us.  Next time I get off kilter, I'll have to remember to look to Jesus for my Center Point!


What are your Center Points? Take time to discover what is keeping you off kilter in your life.

As of June 20, 2014, my "Center Points" have changed again.  I took a big step and went for a consultation at a place called "Motions - Fitness. Nutrition.Support."   I'll be doing a weekly post on this blog, to share my experiences, because being a member there has changed my life in just 10 days. Really.

My Center Points now are:

Faith in Jesus Christ  
Exercise with proper nutrition
Money management

or simply put:

God
Exercise
Cash

Check back again and read about my progress.

BEGINNING TO SAY FAREWELL

FRIDAY JUNE 20, 2014

I went seeking for just one thing.

I wanted to find a way to live with chronic pain.  What could I do that would be the best for myself despite the often constant pain I felt in my left hip, radiating down my leg?  What could I learn that I hadn't already discovered in many many courses of physical therapy?  There must be an answer, but until June 20, I hadn't found it.

Recently I watched an advertisement with a 90+ year old man sitting on a recumbent bicycle at a local gym called Motions. He wasn't just any older man, he was Will Cohodas.  The Cohodas family has a historical significance to our area. Since the former Cohodas Brothers Distributing business was going to be featured on our historic tour June 29, I was attracted to the ad just by his name.

I've seen many of the ads by Motions, which claims to be far more than a gym.  Many of the ads show a before and after photo to show weight loss by exercise; or someone much older, exercising, making every effort to do the best they can for themselves, and each time I have wondered what can I do for me.  But until now I haven't really wanted to make a commitment, for these two reasons: one, I don't like to drive too much in the winter; and the other is the cost.

But for some reason, I decided to make an appointment for a free consultation.  What did I have to lose?  Nothing.  I believe the time was right.  I tried to be upbeat when I walked in the door, but it was that "walk in a bar by yourself feeling" that I really had inside.  Not for long!  "Hello, how are you today, Susan?"  "Susan is here." Are they talking to me? I wondered.

I was embarrassed. Had it really come down to this? I was being measured and weighed, in this big exercise - a - mania space, in front of all the young and fit trainers and others.  I am going to relax, I am going to give this a try, I am going to stick this out, was the voice in my head, going over and over.
As I started to realize that Lisa was really interested in my needs and helping me succeed, I started to relax.  The upbeat music picked me up and I wanted to dance. When she explained, "you don't see any 21 y.o. Barbie dolls here, do you?"  I stopped being embarrassed. Could it be that I felt so comfortable in a place so foreign to me?

I'll be posting again about Beginning to say Farewell.  Come back and visit, won't you?