Why Can't I?

Can't is a strong and overused word.  I've said and thought it a trillion times, but in only a handful of those instances has it been true:  I can't make it at 3:30 on Wednesday because I have to work, yes.  I can't start my own business because I don't have the time, clearly no.  

When I was wrestling with the notion of running my sixth marathon this spring, knowing the time and energy commitment, and my husband said, "Maybe you should wait and train over summer vacation.  You like to do a lot of other things on top of teaching and running," I snapped back:  "You like to do a lot, too!" (he is training for his eleventh marathon, swimming, teaching, and fathering).  His response resonated like a Medieval church bell:  "I can handle training and teaching; when I get tired, I don't get mad or take it out on other people."  

True, I haven't trained for a marathon during the school year since 2002, before children, and have avoided it since - until that conversation.  "Well why can't I, then?" was my retort, more a statement than a question in that moment.  Ever the husband, Mike either evaded or was alluded by the rhetorical nature of my reply and shot back:  "Yes, why CAN'T you?  You're the one making the remedies, doing all the energy healing stuff."  It was his emphasis on can't that struck me. 

I had been so focused on helping others to heal and release their energy blockages that I had overlooked practicing what I preach:  Pick a goal, right your chakras, dissolve your negative beliefs, detox your bod, and just DO it (Nike pun intended).  I had also, as usual, targeted problems preventing me from doing and having it all:  What if I get too tired?  What if my kids are cranky and I have to get them dinner before an evening run?  What if my butt gets vacuumed to the toilet seat at 5 am and I miss my 400 meter interval session?   I was living excuses in my mind instead of finding solutions.  I began to use my own protocol for clearing negative beliefs and chakral densities until I could clearly see what I needed to and COULD do:  Not only run the Buffalo Marathon on May 25 (along with Mike, although he will be running much more swiftly), but also start a blog about my busy spring adventure while declaring that I am trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  To put it all out there is very motivating (and a bit stressful), but I am excited to bring you www.runvibrations.blogspot.com. Best of all I can handle it, knowing that the doubts and excuses that may arise are simply manifestations of dark energy and can be conquered through the energetic healing mechanisms of the universe.  I have found the dragon slayer and uncovered the "can" in myself, and I bring it to the world for anyone who wants to shed the shroud of self doubt and step (or run) up to a better life.

Decisions, Decisions

My husband is a great guy:  Dedicated father, gifted teacher, hardworking house cleaner, and talented runner.  Sounds ideal, but who cares if he's a runner, right?  Running may not seem like a typical highlight on a husband's resume, but it is a huge part of who Mike is, and running his tenth marathon last weekend (and the week preceding it) illustrates perfectly the topic of this post:  Total Body Analysis works wonders, but we have to do right by ourselves, too.
Put yourself in Mike's (running) shoes.  You have trained well, your wife/TBA Practitioner has helped keep you in top form with remedies, good food, and love, and you are just itching to hear that starting gun blast and then take off for another Boston Marathon-qualifying race time.
Except.
Your second grade students have hacked and sneezed on you all week, your own children are involved in a hundred activities, you had to stay up for those football AND those baseball games, your wife stresses you out with her own regaling of school day challenges, and you really, really like the new drink you've discovered, the maple old fashioned, but unfortunaley bourbon is not exactly a tonic for the immune system.  So, you develop a little cough, spend nine or ten hours in bed the Wednesday through Saturday before your marathon, load up on sprouted wheat pretzels, and hope for the best, really believing Sunday will be your day to shine for 26.2 miles.
The believing part is key; we have to believe we can succeed at something in order to bring it to fruition, but as we shall see here, belief and good holistic medicine can get you to the starting line, but to finish strong, you need to give yourself some TLC.  
But aren't my primary and general remedies detoxing, antidoting, and supporting my system???  They sure are, but any toxic energy that is layered on after we make your remedy will be a factor in how you feel.  So Mike's ever-present work stress got him down, and then staying up late and the occasional weeknight old fashioned knocked him out.  His remedies helped keep him from officially getting sick, but he was not in tip-top health for peak performance in a marathon (he finished in 3:27 - still pretty danged good).
It all boils down to making decisions.  We decide we want to be healthy, but wellness doesn't stop there.  It's an ongoing, active state where we're constantly pitching, catching, swerving, and righting ourselves as the days roll on and life's challenges and rewards unfold.  It is vital to have a supportive circle of friends and family to talk with about being and staying well and to continually think about the consequences of our daily habits.  Then we can make solid decisions about how to tackle what's in front of us with the big picture in mind.  You're reading this, so you have "meta-wellness," or thinking about being well.  Decide to take the next step:  Make a TBA appointment, down a kale smoothie, or just go to bed early, and rock on knowing you're ready for a strong tomorrow.