Becoming a Pro

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community, friendship, gratitude, growth, happiness, inspiration, life, motivation, movement, outdoors, passion, practice, relationships, sports, women, writing

If you had to choose a sport to be good at, which one would it be?

I’d choose my niche sport, of course. I’m still at the point in my life where I want to stay anonymous on here so I can’t really tell you what it is, but I definitely want to be really good at it. The pros make millions both in sponsorships and endorsements, and they just play so beautifully.

I spent most of last week watching them play in the biggest event of the year, and man, if I just had half their talent I’d be satisfied. I’m practicing and playing all that I can, but I just started too late in life to ever hit that level.

And that’s really okay. I enjoy getting outside to play, it keeps me moving and helps me clear my head. I have been introduced to so many wonderful people through the game, especially the women. The women in this game, from beginners to pros, are the most supportive, encouraging people I have ever met and I’m proud to call them friends. They have taught me so much about life, the game, and showing up for each other.

So, if I was forced to choose a sport to magically gain ability in, it would be this one. The one that brings me out into the sunshine, surrounded by amazing women, fresh air, and movement. But if someone did decide to pay me to play, you’d better believe I’d be out there every single day working and playing hard.

What’s your sport?

How do you practice self-care?

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happiness, health, life, love, mental health, self-care, Truth, writing

That really depends on what you mean by self-care? Do you mean pampering? If so, then I don’t really do anything. If you mean mental wellness, I do a few different things:

1. Therapy – I don’t know how long I’ll be able to afford this, but for now, I’m showing up and doing the work. Honestly, it’s been good for me. It feels like one of the most intentional forms of self-care I’ve ever done. Maybe that’s why I consider it a splurge, because it’s not just money; it’s time, energy, and emotional investment. But it’s worth it. I leave most sessions feeling stronger, clearer, or at least a little more understood. That’s not nothing.
2. My Sporting Events – These are my outside hours. Sunshine, movement, laughter with friends. It’s the kind of physical activity that doesn’t feel like exercise because I’m actually enjoying myself. I get to play, compete a little, and have a reason to be out in the world. That said, I know I need to supplement it with some regular exercise outside the games too. I’m working on it. Baby steps.
3. Fiber Crafts – Knitting, crocheting, whatever the project. It’s my quiet-time creativity. It calms my nervous system in a way not many things can. I don’t always get to pick up my yarn and needles/hooks as often during the chaos of summer sports season, but the projects are there, waiting for me like old friends. I’ve got a few lined up, and even just knowing they’re in progress feels good.
4. Reading – You’ve probably heard me say this a dozen times by now, but reading is my most reliable escape. I read a little bit every day, and sometimes a lot more than that. Books have always been a way for me to disappear and recharge. I love getting pulled into a story. I don’t always realize how much I need that quiet escape until I’ve turned the last page and feel just a little more okay again.

List your top 5 favorite fruits.

Tags

fruit, health, life

1. I’m going to start out with peaches. It was my mom’s favorite and I miss her so much. I’d buy her a million peaches right now.
2. If I were choosing a fruit flavored/filled thing I always go for blackberry, and if that isn’t available I choose blueberry.
3. I love red grapes. I like the green ones, but I will tear down on some red grapes.
4. I like cantaloupe and honeydew melons but not watermelons.
5. Bananas will round out my list. They are a good quick snack and can be spiced up with lots of things.

Making this list, I realized I don’t eat enough fruits. That’s going on my getting healthier to-do list.

Dilemma (or me deciding how much sleep I need)

Tags

Exercise, fitness, happiness, health, life, mental health, sleep, training, weights, workout

I want to start exercising with a bit more regularity. Yes, I’d like to lose some weight, but my main focus is strength. I want to be stronger. I can’t always exercise after work due to my hectic schedule and just being exhausted. My dilemma is: do I just try to get up earlier and workout before work or do I just keep trying to make after work happen and not get in as many reps as I’d like?

I typically get up at 530 in the mornings. If I want to exercise before work, I would have to get up at 430. That would mean that I need to be asleep by 930 to get seven hours. I can do that, but the thing that will happen most often is I won’t go to bed until closer to 10 and then I’ll maybe get 6 hours of sleep. After a while of this I’m going to start turning the alarm off and just not exercising. I function at a good level with seven hours.

If I try to exercise after work, it would have to be either before cooking supper, which would put that running late, or after eating supper, which would be rough, exercising on a full stomach. I’d have to fight the mental exhaustion and the need to just relax for a bit. If I sit to relax, I won’t get back up to exercise.

I wonder if I could exercise some mornings and then some nights, keep it balanced and neither option would get too cumbersome. Keep it fresh or something like that. Hah.

I know this will sound silly since I’m talking about working out, but for the first time in a long long time, I am pretty comfortable with my body. I just want to add some strength to the mix, help my aging bones and whatnot. I want to be around for a long time and I feel like training will help me in that. Also, it’ll help my sports too.

Have you ever been camping?

Tags

camping, happiness, life, mental health

I used to go camping a lot when I was younger. As I’ve aged I’ve decided that roughing it just isn’t my thing.

I was much better suited to sleeping on the ground when I was younger. If I decided to go again, I’d have to have an air mattress or sleep in a hammock. I’m not interested in waking up the next day stiff and sore.

Camping food is different for everyone. Some people bring a small grill and cook lots of things. Some people only bring hot dogs and plan to use the campfire. I’m not sure where I fall on that line. Probably lean more towards sparse. When I’m camping I just want to spend time in the hammock or walking nature trails, not cooking.

I think I could enjoy camping again, with the right people around.

How do you unwind after a demanding day?

Tags

happiness, health, life, mental health, routines, unwind

I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out if I have any sort of routine or process I go through after a rough day. I don’t think I have any sort of set thing that I do.

On the worst days I’ll often just sit on the couch and do nothing. Not even scroll on my phone. Just absolute veg. The thing is, most of my days are long. They are not physically, but mentally demanding. I just need to turn my brain off for a minute and reset.

Some days, especially if I’ve been sitting all day, I like to do physical activities. Play my sport, exercise, or clean the house, etc.