The benefits of exercise in my life are great. While I was sick for 3 months this year, I could not exercise. I was doing well just to live! Needless to say, muscles I can usually call on at will, became much less effective. Then I began exercising again. I started with my glider. First day 1 mile. Hard to achieve, but I did it! I kept adding a half-mile per day until I reached 3 miles. Then I began doing the exercise video from the Food Lovers diet, it is a 12 minute video during which you do not stop moving, during the entire time. I noticed almost immediate results, and began to be able to call on my "normal" muscles with ease and good action.
When I exercise I feel better about myself as well. I know that I am contributing to my over-all good health, and that I feel peace about what I am doing.
I think that peace and balance or completeness is what I seek in my life about everything which I do. Reading the scriptures, regular prayers, as well as "prayers of the moment", fairly regular bedtimes and number of hours I sleep, healthy food with an occasional "big treat", cleanliness of self and home, and regular times of recreation and rest, or meditation, and distinct times of service to others. All of these create a feeling of doing those things which give me complete peace within. It has nothing to do with daily stresses and how I handle them, it has nothing to do with family stresses, it is simply a "formula" which makes me complete. I know who I am, I know my relationship to my Heavenly Father, I know my relationship with my husband and also my children and grandchildren, my siblings, my friends, and my ward and stake. I know that there are things which are good, that I am not doing right now, and that is okay. I know that we are not supposed to do everything all at once, there are times in our life to do some good things, and other times to grapple with different good things. Balance and perspective are required, also listening to the Spirit to know what good things I should focus on at any given time. These are the foundation of being at peace within my soul.
I believe that peace within my soul is the definition of happiness, eternal happiness. It does not mean that I never have stress or turmoil, anxiety or discouragement, sorrow or joy, or encounter those regularly placed bumps and pitfalls of mortality; it simply means that that balance within sustains me through all of my life.
I am not a "why ME?" person. I cannot remember if I have ever thought or said "Why is this happening to ME?" If it happens to me, it happens- if it doesn't happen, it doesn't----it really doesn't matter, it is something simply to assimilate, and solve. It is there, deal with it!! Life is full of surprises, both good and difficult. I believe that all of us make mistakes in this life, my father-in-law once told me that this is the reason we come to earth, to make mistakes, repent of them, and learn from them. I was much encouraged by that! None of us do everything perfectly all of the time, it just isn't going to happen. We need not feel as though we are of less worth because we fail, it is the getting up and going on....the repenting and learning....the humbling and becoming who we really can be; this is the purpose of this life.
It helps me to put these thoughts down on "paper", to realize how I feel inside, to feel at peace with who I am. To know, also, how very much I am grateful to Heavenly Father for helping me to grow and understand what the eternal process really is.....and to enjoy it.
