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Kick Starting On Self Motivation

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by twinsmom, Sep 22, 2009.

  1. twinsmom

    twinsmom Silver IL'ite

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    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ckarthik%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> I am one of those rare creatures whom God created without certain genes… like, those genes for being enterprising , for taking initiative and for self motivation. When He created me, he filled my blood with a lot of ambition but forgot to supplement that with drive. He fitted my eyelids with a microscopic ‘dream machine’ that churns out dream after dream after dream whenever I blink but he forgot to connect that machine to that part of my brain which will activate the right enzyme that will help me realize those dreams. So I have lived on this earth for almost half a century with lots of ideas and thoughts and plans that die a premature death inside me and leaving a graveyard of dead ‘what could have been’s inside me.
    The death in the family and my subsequent relocation to ‘nowhere-land’ has forced me to at least rebel against His grand scheme for me on this earth! I decided to connect my dream machine to my brain and realize my dreams one by one…

    Project one is whittling away all those layers of adipose that have gathered around me in a ‘waistful’ manner! Unwarranted and unintentionally unkind observations of kith and kin may have induced me to take this drastic step…. May be subconsciously I am trying to pay homage to the memory of my Appa who always, rather kindly, used to tell me ‘reduce or you will face the music’… maybe I am trying to just pass Time which crawls like a snail that has undergone knee replacement surgery…. Whatever the ignoble reason, I have started walking…

    Whoever invented the euphemism ‘kickstart’ had me in mind, I suppose. Every morning I kick myself mentally out of bed, kick myself into donning my walking shoes and kick myself into climbing down the steps and out of the house towards the park in Bhadravathi which has a worn out walker’s pathway which is 817m long. Initially I trudged along half asleep while men and women decades older, briskly overtook me. After a couple of days, shame started coursing through my veins and I made my steps brisker to at least keep up with all those geriatric folk who seemed to throw scornful sidelong glances at my sedate pace as they overtook me.

    With each round, I’d mentally calculate 817m X 2 = Enough For the Day…. And then it became one fine day, 817m X3 in ½ hour = A lot of sweat , stiff calf muscles, a little palpitation and a lot of satisfaction.

    But my arch enemy at home continued to jeer at me…The weighing Scale refused to acknowledge the buckets of sweat that flowed off my body, or minus it from my (colossal) weight. My BMI ( Bloody Massive Index) remained loyal to me. A very frank uncle hooted with derisive laughter when I told him I walk 3 laps of the park. He did 7 rounds in an hour… Just like all those oldies in the park…I consoled myself … retired… with nothing to do… So what are you? My conscience asked me. You don’t work… You have nothing to do… I had to concede defeat to such logic that slapped me on the face! I decided to add more laps to my morning rounds.

    Easier said than done! The day after I decided that, I went for my customary walk. Waking up and donning the shoes have become robotic and routine, but the moment the third lap got over the legs automatically turned towards the turnstile at the entrance of the park. I could not even coax it back to another lap. The next day, I was armed to teeth ( to my throat) to fight this urge to quit. I had to forget my loser legs and the whimpering they do when I finish my third round. I decided to drown that whimper in music.

    Now I can imagine the shock the public would get if I broke into a song while palpitating and panting. So I decided to have a mental Anthakshari session. When I started the third round, I’d start thinking of a song and then challenge myself to continue the game… Voila! Success… at the end of the third 817meters, my legs forgot all about exhaustion and Hurray! I did a 4<sup>th</sup> round. I didn’t want to push my luck and called it quits after 4.

    The next day, I started chanting all the prayers instead of musing on the gait and mannerisms of fellow walkers from the first lap itself. But by the third lap, I was out of stock, in addition to being out of breath. I also realized then that my steps had quickened with the speed of my renditions. Now one can not dawdle while reciting ‘Aiyigiri Nandini’. Probably, it made me march brisker than normal. I hadn’t noticed the change in my pace due to my concentrating on getting the verses in the correct order. The same with Vishnu Sahasranamam…a la M.S. mode ( is there any other kind for a Tam-Brahm???) The problem with Sahasranamam is, I need a cue at certain points or I would end up chanting some verse that I have already chanted…. Or skip a few dozen namams here and there… my version ending up with a ‘satam’ or ‘dvisatam’ less than ‘sahasram’!

    I decided to brush up again at home to jog ( no pun intended) my memory… But my prayers would come for only 2 and ½ rounds and in order to keep my legs entertained and preoccupied, I returned to my Anthakshari games… when the reservoir of slokas ran dry.

    But I noticed one thing, Everyday, I would start with an old Raj Kapoor -Vyjayanthimala song “ Bikhraake Zulfein Chaman me na jaana”. I have not yet analyzed why.

    When ordinary anthakshari became monotonous, I started with a tougher version. Instead of sounds, I had to start with the last word of the ending line…. This kept me active for a week. Next I started singing ( in my mind) duets. First a Raj Kapoor – Vyjayanthimala number ( you guessed right…Bhikhraake Zulfein…) then a song pictured on either R K or Vyjayanthimala with others … say, RK and Mala Sinha…then Mala Sinha- Manoj Kumar… so on and so forth!

    Soon I tired of that I tried playing in vernacular, but I got stuck even before I did 50 meters… I am terribly out of touch with Malayalam and Tamil film songs…

    I started thinking of my blogs and tried to think of and store ideas that would inspire me to return to active blogging…. But no….Bhikhraka Zulfein would intrude and there would be nothing but static when I tried to tune in to ‘Vividh Blogathi’ …

    Though I am far…far… far from slim waist and hourglass figure….and still sport a ‘family pack’….and am still mad at my weighing scale for being uncharacteristically stubborn with me… and frown at my Mirror as it makes me look XXX large… and though my BMI is still stuck between ‘Overweight’ and ‘Obese’… I see a silver lining in this particular dark cloud!

    I have started enjoying my morning walk!

    Now all I have to do is persuade my brain to send the right signals to my legs when I increase my duration of morning walk! When? Soon…Soon… Let me memorize my Vishnu Sahasranamam once more and recall all the old Yesudas, P. Susheela and S. Janaki numbers I used to sing when I was young… and thin!
     
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  2. radhavenkatesh

    radhavenkatesh Silver IL'ite

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    hi
    lucky you listen to your motivation but lazy me never want to leave my dear slumber and special warm sleep in mornings
    after reading your motivation i feel i should atleast make an inch loss programe its very difficult to reduce i know that but we should kick that laziness away
    congrats you started liking your walking dont know when i will wake to make the step myself every night i think i should make it tommorw and morning i feel not today tommorrow like this days months years have passed and i dont think the adipose in my body would melt with mere walking maybe i got to get it churned out or suctioned off
    i did like all your tricks to keep the stamina going to finish your rounds
    if i start ever i will remember and follow
    radha
     
  3. Amywos

    Amywos Bronze IL'ite

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    Hi Twinsmom,

    What can I say? That is an amazing write up ! The whole of first para holds good to me too :( I am such a lazy girl, Oh my... And I have way too much of dreams but no desire to work on them to realize them. I felt bad sad good funny reading your write up... I can tell u..It kinda made my day...Thank u for that..

    May be am not going to start with something big, but am going to step out of my home right now and go jog/walk few miles which I daily think..think..think and has never done...

    Thanks once again and Good luck for you to continue and realize your dreams..
     
  4. twinsmom

    twinsmom Silver IL'ite

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    Hello Radha,

    I am really laid back when it comes to continuing a task I have undertaken. But now body is used to getting up early... My mind keeps yearning for a few more minutes of sleep... but habit wins over laziness these days... Let us see how long it will go on.
     
  5. twinsmom

    twinsmom Silver IL'ite

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    Hi Amywos,
    I hope you sure did what you said you would do... get out for a walk... Didn't you enjoy that? I did 4 rounds today...
     
  6. tanoshii

    tanoshii Platinum IL'ite

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    Hi there Twinsmom...

    I thank you for the lovely write up..it was really sweet to read..:thumbsup.
    I've been trying to go for walks for long...but never gave myself the kick start... Now I know how refreshing a walk can be whether you really lose weight or not! Its all about starting your day with loads of fun!!

    So here I am with my jukebox, waiting to start with "Kangal Irandal" on the go!! Thanks for the motivation...:):bowdown
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2009
  7. Malathijagan

    Malathijagan Silver IL'ite

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    Twinsmom, that was a great blog on your morning walks and your determination to win over your 'uncharacteristically stubborn weighing machine'! Why don't you try this too while you walk like plugging your ears with the earphones connected to an ipod or nano? That works wonders to forget the body consciousness and its stubbornness!
    It was a wonderful blog what with your inimitable style of writing that makes for great experience in reading.
    Love,
    Malathi




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  8. Padmini

    Padmini IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear twinsmom,
    In very hilarious manner you have brought out your experiences in " morning walk"

    Taking a walk first thing in the morning has many benefits to your health both physically and mentally. Not only does it aid muscle growth and toning, it also has many positive effects on your body functions such as increasing the metabolism and helping to put you in a positive mindset for the day ahead.
    Walking in modern culture is labeled as the best exercise, and rightfully so. There is nothing that makes you feel better about yourself than getting out of bed first thing in the morning and walking as the sun comes up. While you may not seem motivated about it at the time when you first wake up, once you are up and out of bed and taking your first steps outside in the morning sun, you will begin to feel very positive about yourself and the fact that you have managed to overcome morning laziness.Oh dear!!! I know all these things. But I never ventured it. what to do? The reason you have to read my post " theory to look slim":)enjoyed your post associating it with my experiences.
    with love
    pad
     
  9. Kamalji

    Kamalji IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Viju,

    Well u need the antakshris on the walks, and i need to watch the pretty females who come in our round park, so i walk anti clockwise to watch them twice every round, and looking at them i walk faster and much more than i would normally.

    the day the ladies are absent, i walk less and sit down on the bench.HAHA

    Regards

    kamal
     
  10. sln

    sln Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Twinsmom,
    Hearty congrats for fighting it out.Walking improves hormone secretion and therefore the feel good factor.Sustaining it requires discipline.-daily discipline and not annual discipline.All the best.
    Regards
    LAKSHIMINARAYANAN
     

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