Monday 28 February 2011

IN and OUT

IN



Weekend Breaks- I have just got back from a weekend away in Southampton, it was lovely, my brother and sister were already down there and my mum, dad, Phil and I had a wonderful weekend. We even went over to the Isle of Wight.




Lush- I LOVE Lush, the products are so nice and all the staff in the shops are always so helpful. It smells so lovely and they have a fair-trade range of products.

Music- I sit in the office and listen to music, I like such a range of music, last week it was Disney scores. And when we went to see One Sound the choir my brother and sister are in it just reminded me how much I like live music and especially an orchestra and choir, they way they all work together to create such an amazing sound.




Audio books- another secret passion (or not so secret) as I drive a lot and miss reading audio books are a way to keep up my love for books, lately I have been re-listening to some of my favourites- The Truth by Terry Prachett, Perfume by Patrick Suskind, the Harry Potter Books and The Other Boleyn Girl by Philipa Gregory.




Jewellery- I have such an array of jewellery and I currently seem to be wearing a lot more. I finally got one of my charms sorted for my charm bracelet and I have a very cool scrabble ring which is a current favourite.


White Tea- while we were away I tried white tea and pomegranate, now I love my herbal tea, especially green and white tea, but this blend is lovely and Whittards do a box of 50 tea bags, so this is definitely flavour of the month.

OUT

Straightners- I love my GHD’s but I am trying to cut down on the amount of heat I put on my hair. I think more out of laziness than anything. I love to wash my hair and just leave it to dry naturally, it’s just so simple.





Mess- although it may not seem like it judging from my desk and room, but I am trying to stay less clutter free. Honest.




Fake tan- after layering it on for a night out, I can’t be bothered to keep applying it so I’ve got to the patchy stage. Not a fan.




Lie ins- after a weekend of lie ins I was back up at 5.30am, I’m not a morning person but find I get the most out of my day when I’m up early.

Moments

Moments shape our lives, some moments are at the time that they happen seen as big moments, but later they are forgotten. Others pass us by unnoticed and some moments, only with hindsight become critical.


Today is the end of an era for me, for almost three and a half years tonight I do my last shift, doing a job I started while still at school, in a local gym. This job has progressed alongside my work with the StairSteady from just a lifeguarding post, to being able to teach classes, create programs and give advice to people about their fitness. Health is something that I am very passionate about and this job has become a big part of my life, shaping many of my days. I would work around my StairSteady day, starting at 6.30am and working through till 9.00am then the 3minute drive to my office. A StairSteady day till 5.25pm and then heading back to the gym for the evening 5.30pm to 8.30pm. It is a job that I have found a help and hindrance over the years; it shapes and controls my day, but helps me use my time to the best, to be organised. My car would often be full of many different items of clothing and equipment, different pairs of shoes and would seem to anyone who looked in it like I was away for the week, but despite all this I loved the job. I loved the members, the team, the place where I worked, but probably most of all the classes. I loved to teach and to see others get the most out of their time in the gym. Even my weekends were organised around my shifts, runs in the morning before and 8.00am start, spending journeys planning my next circuits or fighting fits. So many days I have seen the sun rise over the running track and it has made me feel so glad to be there, in that moment, in that place.



Today however it is my last shift and I thought that it was only fit the mark this ‘moment’, which even without hindsight I can tell is significant for me. I am thankful for all the things that the gym has taught me about life, the industry and about myself. I know that I can be a morning person- even if I am not one naturally. That I like to be busy, have structure and to be organised, but that I need moments to ‘pause’ and ‘think’- some of my best ideas come when I am folding towels. I have learnt what it is like to work for someone (something my parents were very keen that I do) and I have seen firsthand the benefits of a healthy body and mind set. Why are you leaving, you may be thinking? Well that bit is not in my power to change, they gym is changing the way that it works and it is time for me to move on and I am seeing this as an opportunity.



I always knew that 2011 would hold great things and this is just one of them. I need to walk away from my security blanket of structure and create my own structure. To trust in myself to provide the organisation and inspiration and to find my own moment of ‘pause’. This is a challenge that I am very excited about. New doors are opening, new projects that I am very excited to be involved with. I will be able to commit more time to some of the things that I already do but I am hoping to expand my horizons, just as the StairSteady is doing, so I hope that my life both personally and in business will move on from this ‘moment’ in a positive and creative way. This moment for me is a new start....and boy am I excited!

Rachaels Comment


Having spent all day researching the governments Health Surveys 2005 and 2007 I have been amazed how many health problems and conditions are thought to either be preventable or greatly improved by simply eating healthily and leading an active lifestyle. Surely there must be more to staying disease free than not eating fried food and joining a gym? If it is honestly as easy as this then why are there so many people with lifelong conditions and illnesses?
Reading the research today it would appear that the so many of the health problems that affect people are directly caused by people’s lifestyle choices. We all know that smoking and drinking to excess causes harm to our bodies and that we should all eat a healthy diet and get an adequate amount of exercise to stay fit and healthy. We hear so much about how a huge obesity epidemic is sweeping the UK and the world at large, and how binge drinking is suddenly a huge problem for our teenagers and young adults. What is going to happen to all these people and to our healthcare system if these choices really do cause so many conditions later in life?
I always thought that a healthy lifestyle was mostly for external appearances and that it would probably at best give me nicer skin, hair and figure and allow me to keep up with my children now. Reading the reports today though it would appear that a whole lot more is at stake and that my ability to reach old age with my wits about me, my body intact and my ability to care for myself depends on what I eat and how much I exercise now. Maybe it is time to re-evaluate my lifestyle now before it is too late for me? I always try to eat healthily but that is more for vanities sake! If my ability to see my children grow up and be able to live an independent life in the future are at stake maybe I need to dig out those trainers now?