Lent (Lencten is Latin for Spring) is the season of my faith. It evokes not only memories of giving up chocolate for 40 days straight, but the gift of change. I am evolving. I hope to gain some control over my life! Real change requires more than 30 days to gain a good habit.

This season of my life is a challenge. Yes, my health has changed as I age. I have different limitations. My mindset is that I can improve, adapt or enrich my life every day.

I inhale peace, hold it and then release the stress or negativity. Not naming or blaming but calming my system. Not holding on to the intrusive negative thoughts but embracing the good and true. I realize and affirm that I can ‘hug’ myself. I can love myself into being the person I want to be today.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t cry or experience fear. I just try to work through it like walking up a hill through a forest and reaching the beautiful vista on the other side. I have tried to really experience those moments when hiking so that I can retrieve them at any time. Having a peaceful place to go to is very important for reducing stress and improving your health.

So what have I done for this year’s Spring Training? I have not taken up the sport of baseball. I have embraced the process.

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, introduces Mitch. He went to the gym but only stayed for 5 minutes at the beginning. He wanted to gain the habit. He wanted to feel like a person who goes to the gym. It would become part of his identity. James Clear quotes Ed Latimore who says, “The heaviest weight at the gym is the front door.” The hardest step may be the one that hits the floor when you get out of bed.

So this Spring’s challenge was to try a cross fit routine and learn to deadlift. The main reason was that I wanted to put my carry-on suitcase in the overhead on a plane with difficulty. I was traveling to Florida in March. My winter training plan included bringing a heavy laundry basket from the basement to the 2nd floor. I accomplished that. I did squats with hand weights, lunges and bouncing. I wanted to improve my strength instead of losing muscle over the winter. I had 30 days (or less) at the gym to obtain the deadlifting skills I needed for my goal.

I love the outdoors and gardening. It’s not possible in the winter where I live. My dog died in January and I had no incentive to go for a walk in the cold! Feeling the loss reduced my energy. I tried to ‘walk’ through my grief and loss. But I recognized that I needed to keep moving. Goals and good habits are my friends!

I learned techniques for deadlifting that really helped. I did more squats and sit ups than I would do at home. I appreciated the camaraderie and support at the gym. I was so surprised that I got up early and drove to the gym even when I didn’t feel like it. I had committed to be a person who works out.

I was able to put my suitcase in the overhead with little effort last weekend even though I am a short person. I managed the other suitcases which was not easy while traveling with my mom in a wheelchair to and from the gate. I need to work a bit more with weights! I never planned to work up to lifting my weight overhead in a deadlift. I realized that learning steps to lifting required a level of concentration and repetition. It was a good process or system to embrace. I plan to continue the steps I learned and use my weights at home.

Back to the metaphor of Spring Training and resilience. I decide each day how I will live and what I will do. Making this conscious decision to grow, be and breathe into the person I want to be tomorrow is my goal.

I am preparing for a good life as I age. I am investing in my future. I want to hike until I am 90 years old. It requires a maintenance plan and dedication to a system that supports my goals.

How will I walk? Like Aristotle, I live to flourish (eudaimonia) by cultivating virtue. My goal is to find the “golden mean” between extremes. I aim for excellence in character! St. Paul talks about “running the race” well in 1 Corinthians Chapter 9. He talks about discipline. That requires a life of Spring Training. I am building stamina and resilience. In a recent article about Lent, I took the phrase, “live the change we seek,” to heart.

So here I go. I will commit to working out at least 2 days a week and put it on my calendar. I will make a plan. I will set aside time on my calendar to make the plan. Right now. I will make an appointment with myself. And then I just need to do it. Using creative visualization, I will see myself as a person who gets up and works out and feels better for it.

I’ll let you know how it works out. Stay tuned! 😉

Listen, reflect and grow.