Frustration into Motivation
/This month was like a break during a storm where you get to see the blue sky while the ground is still wet and leaves are flown all over. We, as a family, stepped out to that break and took a huge deep breath! It certainly felt good for all of us. After 2.5 months of home schooling, having the kids home for 10 days during their “summer break” was even a breeze. We were able to do 2 camping trips in the Redwood Forests and, right at the moment, we are enjoying a mini vacation in Tahoe.
During our Train and Smile sessions, we even focused on similar themes: started with “Celebration”, moved to “Fresh Air”, then to “Warmth” to “Comfort” and summarized it with “Memories”. You can only imagine the household items that we used for each of those themes.
Given that it was such a refreshing feeling month, I kept thinking what my topic should be. As I watched my kids and thought through some of the recent events in my life, I realized that a topic about the power of frustration might be a good one.
Watching Ela and Kaya learning things that are now second nature to us is a huge eye opener. The other day, Ela was trying really hard to put on a pair of socks. She got frustrated because she couldn’t get the toes in right. She almost started crying... I offered her my help a little to ease the situation. She only accepted it for the foot that she had already somewhat put the sock on. And I showed her how to place her toes comfortable. She then moved on to the next foot. Tried... and tried... kept getting frustrated... and then all of a sudden the sock was on and it was on correctly. She didn’t let her frustration threw her off the course of her goal - to put those socks on “all by herself”.
Kaya is no different than Ela... I was riding behind him on a mini mountain bike trail... I could hear in his voice the frustration of trying to ride his bike in between bushes - something he doesn’t like at all. He was probably frustrated with us and I think we were with him too since he wasn’t moving forward that fast. However, just on his own he kept pushing himself for moving faster. By the end of the trip, he was in the front, leading the way because his goal was to get out of the trail! :) It worked!
We all get frustrated... Sometimes on things that are relevant and sometimes on stuff that is totally unnecessary. I do believe that the key is not to let that frustration to move us from our goal. I will be honest, I have plenty of frustrations about myself. One of those had been my body after two kids. For those of you who has seen me pregnant, I hardly had a belly with Kaya until the last month. With Ela, it was slightly different but still on the small side. I always believed that my body would be back to its initial shape. For the most part that was true but without the super active and regimented lifestyle that we had back then I knew that things would be hard. Well I was right... I couldn’t help myself for not getting frustrated each and every time when I looked at the mirror - i still do :). However, as the time went by, I let that frustration to motivate me... I set my routines - even in the most difficult days I do not skip. I also let that frustration to teach me to love what I have. I am still a work-in-progress but certainly makes me feel good each time when I get frustrated to thing of ways of using that energy to something more useful than anger. :) How about you? Can you flip your frustration into motivation?
Here are some of the pictures that motivated me this month:
It took many visits to fInally do the jump
Together they can do anything….
When in DouBt give yourself a thumbs up!!!!
How about our 15-min routine? Well... it helps that every Monday I teach a mini session for my co-workers and make sure to keep it to 15 minutes. So this is one of our sessions:
Warm up:
100 Jumping Jacks - Make sure to clap your hands at the top
Shoulder rolls - Keep your arms parallel to the floor on the sides. Do counter clockwise mini circles while keeping your elbow straight and arm parallel to the floor - 30 sec
Repeat 1 through 2, total of 2 times
Lower Body:
Lunge pulse with back leg kick: Start at a perfect lunge with left foot forward at a 90 degree angle and right foot back with right knee bent. Both feet should be pointing forward. Kick the right heel towards your butt without moving the front leg and the front knee. Repeat on the right side for total of 10 times. Switch sides and repeat for 10 counts on the left side.
Reverse Table Top with Leg lifts: Come down to your fours - hands right under shoulders and knees right under hips with back as straight as a table. Then LIFT your knees off the ground by 1-2inches - basically now your knees are hovering off of the floor but still under your hips. Then straighten your right leg, while holding your balance and pulse it up. Repeat each side 8 times
Repeat 3 through 4, total of 2 times
Core: Hold a glute lift position - [lay on the floor on your back, keep your hands next to your hips, lift your butt up]
Glute lift with hand reach: While holding the glute lift position, reach your right hand towards the ceiling and then switch to left side. Repeat for 10 counts per side
Glute pulses: As you are holding the glute lift position, simply bring your butt down and up - without letting your butt touch the ground!. Repeat for 10 counts
Side Twist: Continue to hold the glute lift position. Open your hands out to the sides on the floor - your hands should be in the same line as your shoulders. Bring your left hand right on top of your right hand. Repeat for 8 counts and switch sides to repeat it on the other side
Repeat 5 through 7, total of 3 times....
As I always ask, please let me know how it goes for you or if you have any questions with the moves. Also, please remember that you are more than welcomed to join my Train and Smile captures. If you are interested than please send me a personal email or leave a comment for me to know.
I hope you got a break in this crazy storm too... If not yet, then I hope that you will soon... Good job making it through July!
