Sarah Too

Magnolias in bloom.

Usually I dislike springtime. As Meg Ryan's character says in the movie IQ, "everything goes through upheaval in the spring." And that is certainly how things usually felt - unsettled, off kilter, and little unnerving. In my childhood and adolescence, I could maybe blame this sentiment on the potholes, or the gloomy days of not-quite-spring and not-quite-winter temperatures. It wasn't warm enough for cute shoes, but it wasn't cold enough for winter clothing (except for that time we had an ice storm in March). My life always seemed to be going through some drama or transition in the Spring (e.g., end of school year, graduation from college, moving cities). Plus, the Lenten season often feels like a downer when you deny yourself something like chocolate.

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~ Anne Bradstreet

This year I am completely energized by Spring. Now, winter was unseasonably mild just about everywhere winter leaves it's mark. And, spring is unseasonably warm with temperatures in the upper 70s. The trees are all messed up and blooming like crazy. Crocuses, tulips, and daffodils are not the only the signs of life in these mid-March days. These bonuses certainly add to my brighter take on the season. The force behind my attitude is the feeling that I made it through the major upheavals of autumn - the move, the career change, the new full-time roommate (a.k.a. The Mister). Our gym is doing well, The Mister and I are making friends, and our lives are reaching something resembling a routine. Finding the cup half-full seems less daunting, and I now see that the cup runneth over with many blessings. I'm not beating myself up for my perceived mistakes as much. I'm taking things less personally. I can't say I'm not doing those things at all, but I am doing less of it. And that's progress. I feel the promise of summer, with its long days, fresh produce, and bright heat.

I tell our athletes all the time to seek progress - to be better today than yesterday. I tell them that none of us would be happy if we could master CrossFit in a day, a week, or a month. We would all get bored and move on. The flip side is true, too. If we never experienced success, then we would move on to something else, too. CrossFit puts us right in the middle of that scale. We each get better at one thing, yet still need to work on another. My doubleunders may be better, but my snatch still needs a lot of work (don't get fresh, kids). It's the same with life. We each need to feel success somewhere in our lives in order to be able to progress in other areas. The confidence inspired by achieving one goal inspires the will to strive toward another goal. The past 6 months taught me so much about myself, about The Mister, and about being as kind to myself as I am to others. I am more willing to forgive the faults of others than I am my own faults. I'm learning to better about that and I feel I'm better at it today than I was yesterday. In the end, that's all I can expect because it is all I expect for others.

So far, 2012 is a wonderful year. I filled the first 3 months with mini-challenges. January was a 30-day meditation challenge, where I attempted to meditate 15 minutes every day. February was our gym's 30-day Paleo nutrition challenge where we ate no dairy (except eggs), no sugar (not even HONEY), no grains, and no legumes. And March is all about doing the workout known as "Annie", which is doubleunders (getting the jump rope under my feet twice on a single jump), every day. The meditation did not stick, but the challenge was valuable. Perhaps it contributed to my current attitude. The Paleo challenge got me back in the kitchen, instead of the take out line, and I'm planning meals. The Mister is cooking, too. "Annie" is resulting in better doubleunders, which makes me feel so much better in the gym. I'm not sure what April's challenge will be. I've taken up knitting, so it might be 30 days of knitting. Or it might be another physical challenge. I have a few days to figure it out. My idea is that these 30 day challenges keep me learning and keep me focused on achievable goals. They are avenues for progress and for fulfilling the personal mission statement my dear friend asked me to write.