“From little acorns mighty oaks do grow” — American proverb
As I walked through the park on my lunch break, I noticed the squirrels were quite busy eating and burying the acorns that were steadily falling from the large oak trees. It then occurred to me that each one of these Oak trees began as an acorn!
I picked up an acorn and held it in my hand, examining it closely. It was quite small, and a dull, brown color. Nothing that looked impressive from the outside, but what a vast amount of potential was within that humble acorn!
I held the acorn up against the Oak tree. I imagined it, along with all of my ideas and hard work, arising and growing into this magnificent tree! Progress might be slow at times, but the potential is there, waiting to blossom into something wonderful!
All of us are like this beautiful acorn – filled with potential! Each time I lace up my running shoes or roll out my yoga mat, I am turning that potential into progress. I can feel my strength and confidence growing. My Half Marathon training began by walking or running just a mile at a time. In the very beginning, I couldn’t even run a mile. But I believed that I could do it.
“Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn.” — William Arthur Ward
It is important to set realistic goals. I visualize myself successfully and happily completing my goal and then I set out to do it. I know I have everything within me to accomplish anything. I think this belief in myself first came from my Grandma. I remember well that she always used to say to me, “Lisa, you can do anything you set out to do.” When she said those words to me, I honestly believed them. At that point I hadn’t yet had any failures that would have led me to believe otherwise. I had enthusiasm, faith, and hope to spare. I could do anything.
By now, I’ve had my share of failures. I have suffered injuries when I overtrained, took shortcuts, or pushed too hard. I’ve overcommitted and I’ve made plenty of mistakes. I’ve had to start all over again after divorce. I’ve had to start all over again in middle age, to find a new career that will support me. I’ve had to figure out how to get back in shape after years of long hours and plenty of overtime behind a desk. I’ve started over so many times, that I’ve lost count. I needed to hear that voice of my Grandma in my ear again, “Lisa, you’re so talented. You can do anything you set out to do!” Oh how I have longed to hear those sweet words of encouragement! I wanted to go back in time and be that little acorn again, full of potential and with my entire life ahead of me!
“Just as the acorn contains the mighty oak tree, the Self has everything it needs to fulfill its destiny. When the inner conditions are right, it naturally emerges.”
— Derek Rydall
Despite my age, I still have to fulfill my destiny. Perhaps because of or in spite of my setbacks or circumstances beyond my control, I have been given a second chance. I’ve had to take small steps. My first step to realizing my potential is to improve my health. I chose this because of all the tasks ahead of me, I believe health and fitness is doable, and it will then support my other goals to set me up for success.
My first step to improve my health was to get up and move more every hour, every day. Soon I was taking 1 mile walks every lunch hour. This grew to the 2.5 mile walks I now take on my lunch hour. Before I knew it, I was running the Half Marathon!
Most importantly, I have learned to hear my Grandma’s encouragement in the world around me. She is gone but not forgotten.
This is what I’m doing to fulfill my fitness and wellness potential:
1) Take advantage of workplace wellness offerings! These are usually free. My office has a small gym for our use. I also jumpstarted my fitness quest with a 12-week Wellness program offered by one of the companies my firm represents. It was a free and offered plenty of encouragement in the form of a fitness training plan, nutritional support and even the opportunity to win prizes for completing the 12-week program.
2) Invest in yourself! Some relatively inexpensive ways to encourage change is to get a fitness watch or tracker. Some options are: Apple Watch, Garmin Watch, Samsung Galaxy & Polar. (I am unable to recommend Fitbit watches due to some serious quality issues) Fitness watches can help you track your progress and they celebrate your achievements! They offer positive feedback!
3) Reward yourself! This could be a new pair of running or walking shoes, or a cute pair of yoga pants! Great for motivation!
4) Find a fitness buddy or a community organization to support your efforts! Maybe this is your neighbor, coworker, or family member. There are some wonderful organizations out there where you can meet like-minded fitness pals and receive lots of encouragement! Here are a couple in the Auburn Hills/Rochester Hills area:
- Brooksie Way Training Programs–
This is right in our area and they offer a “Couch to 5K” training program that offers you tons of support to be successful.
5) Sign up for a 5K Run or Walk!
These are fun events that often benefit a good cause. And one of those good causes is YOU! This gives you a goal to walk 3 miles and you will receive a ton of encouragement from participants as well as those cheering you on!
More to come on this topic in the future. I have a long way to go to become that Mighty Oak, but I’ve come a long way! When I turned my 2.5 mile walks into runs and finally joined the Brooksie Way Half Marathon last weekend, I happily found the inspiration and encouragement I had been seeking. As I ran along the course, people cheered me on, “Go Lisa! You can do it!” When at last I crossed the finish line, I heard the announcer say, “Lisa Calice, welcome to the finish line!” I could have sworn I heard my Grandma say, “See Lisa, I told you that you could do whatever you set your mind to do!”
Lisa Calice, E-RYT 200, YACEP
Visit me at:
https://www.facebook.com/LisaCaliceYoga/
Twitter: lisacyogini
Instagram: LisaMarieCalice
Life with Lisa Yogini 