Of course, one of them is creating. I have an incessant need to create & make. It gives me a sense of accomplishment seeing ideas come to life and having something tangible to show for my day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a struggle a lot of the time. Hard to get in there in the first place and then things don’t always go according to the picture I have in my head. There are moments where it can be very frustrating & discouraging if I’m honest. But, as I’m getting older, I’m realizing that it’s like most good things in life… they take work, discipline, patience, commitment, and faith. Remembering these things helps keep me in a positive place.
Getting outdoors and moving my body are also critical factors to my positive state of mind. We recently traveled a little over an hour south of Tucson to Patagonia, AZ & Patagonia Lumber Co. to experience my first gravel ride ever! It was exhilarating, beautiful and, quite frankly, brutally hard! I had blisters on my hands (dumb me didn’t wear gloves), my forearms ached, and I could hardly pull the brakes (an old cross bike with bad brakes) and I wasn’t sure I would be able to make it back to camp. It was a 50-mile loop, and I was so exhausted and almost out of water. All I wanted to do the last 15 miles was get off the bike and cry. BUT guess what... I did it!!! Doing those hard things does something inside of us that reminds us we’re alive. They are empowering, invigorating and helps us have a foundation when things get rough.
And last, but definitely not least, is my family, friends & faith. These are at the core of my being. My rock on which my house is built. When the going gets tough this is where I turn first.
Surrounding yourself with people who believe in you, support you and inspire you to be a better you is life giving..
xoxo-Michelle