What A Difference A Year Makes…

October 5, 2010 By Tina Moore 6 Comments

Finish Line!

It’s hard to believe it’s been a little over a year since I jogged 40k on my 40th birthday. It was such a profound day for me. A day that took one day after the other to achieve.

I spoke to a friend of mine who recently had a major cancer scare. What really resonated with me was this statement:

“I just kind of gave up Tina. I really wasn’t living my life…”

How many times in my past had I felt like that? Countless times! I had felt sad, depressed, fearful and stuck. I wasn’t enjoying my life; I was just existing day to day.

She was now faced with the possibility of cancer. Instantly her life became important and worth fighting for and instantly she became unstuck and realized she now has a second chance.

We all have second chances if we take them.

Today is an opportunity.

Don’t wait for an illness, accident or some sort of loss to shake you out of it. Do something about it NOW because it’s YOUR life and therefore YOU can make the CHANGE.

Jogging 40k last year was my second chance and I am forever grateful for that decision.

On one of my recent jogs, I was thinking about my upcoming birthday and wondered what I could do this year to celebrate life…

So often people lie about their age or try to forget it’s another birthday. I want to CELEBRATE!

So, although this year I’m not running 41k, I am celebrating another goal. Today I am officially launching my website! For me, this goal is an extension of the 40k goal, only now I can share my experiences and what I’ve learned along the way.

My intention for this website is through the telling of my personal journey, I can help someone with theirs. It’s truly as simple as that.

I also had another thought. I remembered a question I often got asked when I told people about the 40k jog on my 40th:

“Why don’t you just do a marathon?”

A marathon is 42k. At the time of my 40th I did not want to do 42k…I wanted to do 40k.

Now that I’m entering my 41st year I realize that my 42nd year is just a short 12 months away…just the right amount of time to train for a marathon…

YES!! I have decided to run a marathon on my 42nd birthday!

The difference this time is I won’t be training alone. I am going to bring YOU along for the ride…the bumpy, bitchy, happy, joyful, aches and pains ride of the training, food and all the emotional stuff too…lucky you!!!

I will also have my wonderful friend and partner in crime coaching me.

Jody Kennett from Leapfit will whip me into better shape by putting me on a cross training program, an excellent running program and help me achieve my marathon goal. I will not have to do this alone this time and I AM SO EXCITED!!

So, to make myself accountable I, Tina Moore, will jog 42 kilometers, a full marathon, during the month of my 42nd birthday.

I would love company if you are interested in running with me…you don’t need to do the entire distance, I will find a marathon that also offers half marathons and 10k routes…so there is a level for everyone. You have one year to train with me…we can do it together…it’ll be far more fun….

Together – you and I at the finish line baby!! As the song says:

“Celebrate good times, come on!!”

Think about it…

With a smile,

Tina

NO OPTION TO FAIL

September 28, 2010 By Tina Moore 2 Comments

Sweet Victory!

That was my motto for running 40k on my 40th birthday. It got me through the most difficult of times. As hard as it was to get myself out the door some days, the possibility of failing at my goal was worse.

When it was cold, raining and dark outside and I was sick, tired and depressed I repeated that motto to myself. No excuse could stand up to it.

“It’s cold and I don’t feel very good.”

“You won’t care about that when you are running 40k in 3 months. You’ll really be glad you ran today. NO OPTION TO FAIL.”

“I really have to get this work done before the end of the day or I’m going to be so far behind. I can’t afford to use that time up jogging”

“Stay up late tonight or wake up early tomorrow. You can’t afford not to jog. It’s one day. NO OPTION TO FAIL.”

“My back aches, my shoulder burns, my knee aches, my foot is sore…I can’t continue on.”

“NO OPTION TO FAIL. NO OPTION TO FAIL. NO OPTION TO FAIL. NO OPTION TO FAIL”

Subsequently my aches and pains would go away or switch sides and it was in my mind, not my body. You have to differentiate between the two. NO OPTION TO FAIL, cut through the bullsh**.

NO OPTION TO FAIL meant that if I had to walk 40k I would. If something happened and I couldn’t walk then I would hobble. It could rain, snow or hail and I was going to be out there. There just wasn’t an option of not doing it.

As a result, it got me through my training when almost always I was on my own, willing myself out the door. No one was there to tell me to do it. Each morning I had to do it on my own.

When you give yourself a motto like NO OPTION TO FAIL, no excuse will work. Trust me, for a year I tried every excuse in the book, but nothing was as strong of an argument as that. It means you will do whatever you have to do in order to accomplish your goal. It forces you to be organized and prioritize. It helps you sort through what’s truly important and what’s not. For me, it was running 40k, but more than that, it was about honoring a promise I made to myself. Now how many times do we break those promises but keep all the ones to other people?

NO OPTION TO FAIL, meant that I wasn’t failing myself.

That’s BIG!!

NO OPTION TO FAIL got me off the couch and running 40k within a year. I truly felt empowered, joyful and fulfilled when I completed that goal. Now I know I will feel the same when I complete other goals, with the same motto.

NO OPTION TO FAIL, what can that do for YOUR life? Can it make POSITIVE CHANGE for you in your choices? It’s something worth thinking about….

With a smile

Tina

“I am going to live my 40′s better than I lived my 30′s…”

September 21, 2010 By Tina Moore

I had no idea that statement could be so powerful.

Think about it…if that is your defining life statement, then every decision starts to be affected by it.

For example, “Is this second glass of wine on a Tuesday night really living my life better in my 40’s than in my 30’s?”

For me it wasn’t…because on Wednesday morning I would feel sluggish, a slight headache and not be nearly as productive. I want to LIVE, truly feel alive and for me, that second glass of wine made the difference of feeling energetic the morning after or feeling tired.

It also affected how I looked at my relationships.

“Is this relationship really what I’m looking for in my life? Is it balanced? Am I receiving what I am giving out? Is it draining or inspiring? Is it heavy or light? Does it make me feel good generally speaking or am I feeling sad, depressed, stifled or suppressed? Is this relationship where I want to be in my 40’s? ”

The answer to those questions for a few of my relationships (friendships and otherwise) was, “No”.

That statement has helped me make decisions that otherwise I would have waffled on. Simple decisions such as what I’ll eat for dinner….poutine and beer or salmon with wild rice and salad? Trust me, I’m not a saint, I absolutely went for the poutine and beer sometimes, but it makes me think about my choices more.

“Does this job, relationship, purchase, conversation, bottle of wine, credit card debt, clutter or procrastination truly exemplify living my life better in my 40’s than in my 30’s? ”

If you start to ask yourself that question, you’ll notice change. You have to truly want a better life because the choice won’t always be easy, even though it’s better for you. Nature is strange that way.

For this week, ask yourself the question and see if it makes you more aware of your choices…you may still make the same choice, but you thought about it first…and that’s a great start.

Today, I AM living my life better in my 40’s than in my 30’s. I am sustaining happiness by keeping that statement in my head and allowing it to affect my decisions. As a result I am HAPPIER, FULFILLED, INSPIRED and LOVING LIFE. What a gift I gave myself…what a gift you can give yourself.

It’s not without difficulty, but it is with authenticity…and I love that.

I hope today you allow that to resonate with you when you make some of your decisions and see if it doesn’t make a difference…it sure helped me and I truly hope it will do the same for you…

With a smile,

Tina

Defying Gravity…

September 14, 2010 By Tina Moore 6 Comments

"Defying Gravity"

As a singer my life is one big soundtrack.

In this stage of my life, having made the promise to live my 40’s better than I lived my 30’s I now have a new soundtrack. It is from Wicked, A New Musical. I love this soundtrack, but specifically the song Defying Gravity.

FEAR has been a debilitating factor in my life; one that I have had to challenge and continue to challenge.

I was raised to fear everything. I was scared of the rooster (mind you, he did attack me), scared of heights, scared of the water, scared of the dark, scared of being attacked, scared of what people might say or think about me, scared I wasn’t doing it right, scared I might fail, scared I might succeed, scared I wasn’t pretty, scared I’d die from cancer, scared he wouldn’t love me, scared he would leave, scared to be broke and homeless, scared to try, scared not to try….so much fear. Drowning, suffocating, and totally consumed and controlled by it.

So when I was training for my 40k I started to challenge those fears. My dear friend asked if I would go bungee jumping. No way would you catch me jumping off a bridge with nothing but a cord wrapped around my waist. Absolutely not! But as I was jogging, I thought about it and this little voice inside my head quietly said,

“It’s ok Tina, you can bungee jump. You’ll be fine and you might even like it”.

So I trusted that voice and went back to my friend and said,

“Ok, I’ll do it”

(For the record he was totally shocked because I’m more librarian than I am dare devil).

For the rest of the day I was an anxious, scared mess. But I kept reminding myself,

“You aren’t bungee jumping yet. You are sitting in Starbucks enjoying a Chai.”

…oh ya, ok…so I’d calm down. Then I’d start to freak out again.

“Where are you Tina?…I’m in the jeep, the sun is on my face and the wind is in my hair and we’re driving on the highway.”

So, I’d calm down again. I did this repeatedly throughout the day, reminding myself to BREATHE and STAY PRESENT. FOCUS ON NOW.

I am so glad I made the decision JOGGING because if I’d made the decision while driving and then arrived at the bridge, I would have backed out…too scared to even consider walking on the bridge never mind jumping off of it. But I trusted the quiet, calm voice I heard jogging as opposed to the loud, screaming fear… so I walked onto the bridge, with both hands on the railing, inching myself across.

As you can see by the photo, I jumped and I loved it. I loved it because in the moment, mid air, I realized,

“Well, if anything goes wrong there’s nothing you can do about it now, might as well enjoy it.”

And I did. I totally surrendered to the moment and felt such a connection to life, to myself. It was a defining moment that has since helped me in other difficult situations.

As the song says:

Something has changed within me

Something is not the same

I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game

Too late for second guessing

Too late to go back to sleep

It’s time to trust my instincts, close my eyes

And leap…

So I ask you, are you playing by someone else’s rules? Are you listening to FEAR instead of INSTINCT? Are you ready to challenge that negative, scared voice and rise above it?

BE BRAVE. HONOR YOUR INSTINCT. CHALLENGE YOUR FEAR.

You don’t have to bungee jump off a bridge, but you can step out of your comfort zone. I know you can do it. It might not be easy, but it’ll be worth it because YOU ARE WORTH IT.

With a smile,

Tina

PS. For the rest of the song go to:

17 Defying Gravity (Glee Cast Version)

Enjoy!!! [Read more...]

My Online Journey Begins…

September 7, 2010 By Tina Moore 6 Comments

Hi…

Well, this is my first blog! I have to say, I am pretty darn excited. Who knew that a seemingly simple statement on my 39th birthday “I’m going to live my 40’s better than I lived my 30’s” only a year and a half ago would have me jogging 40k on my 40th birthday, running a ½ marathon 6 months later, bungee jumping, hiking the grouse grind, reuniting with family after 20 years of separation and living a more inspiring, happy life….and then blogging about it!

Because I took up jogging a year and a half ago I can without a doubt tell you that my life is more JOYFUL, BALANCED and HEALTHY (emotionally, mentally and physically) than ever before.

In 39 years I struggled almost daily with depression, anxiety, unhealthy relationships and poor life choices. Sure, I did some great stuff in my life by being a good teacher, good friend, sister, daughter but inside, I was sad and so terribly frustrated that I couldn’t reach the person I knew was inside trying so hard to get out. In my wildest dreams I never thought jogging would be my key to opening the door to who I really am. Why? Because I never exercised in my life! Seriously, I hated exercising. I wouldn’t swim, jog, hike, cycle or do anything that involved sweating and moving…it just didn’t interest me. I look at my life then and I look at it now and I am a completely different person…on the inside and therefore, on the outside too.

Anxiety and depression runs in my family so I know it well. What I didn’t realize was how much jogging would help me in those two areas. When I drag myself out of bed, put my running gear on, slowly tie up my shoes, procrastinate walking out the door I remember:

– Jogging helps my brain…I will feel better once I do this.–

And I always do. Always!

I spoke to a young woman the other day who also struggles with anxiety and she said that her doctor had recommended exercising…she felt encouraged to hear from a ‘normal’ person who had suffered in the past that exercise had indeed helped in that area. Yes, it can sometimes be the hardest thing to do because you are tired, sad, stuck…but if you can just get yourself out the door you will feel better.

I will share with you my personal journey….how I dealt with the toxic relationships, my reunion with family after 20 years, my father’s funeral, stress of money, my career, past pain, current joys, how I bungee jumped even though I am terrified of heights…I will share it all with you in the hopes you will find something, even if it’s a small little piece of something, that will inspire you, motivate you to live a better, more fulfilled happy life.

That is what I want for you and that is what you deserve. Together we’ll do it, one step at a time…

With a smile

T

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