Gripes? I have a few...

On Facebook, I'm usually the gal that posts daily, inspiring updates for my readers. Today, I need to vent.  I need to write about some of the things that I've been annoyed with.  I need to clear the air. 
So for this particular blog post, I'm going to tell it like it is.  I'm likely going to push a few buttons, or perhaps offend a few people, but my sole intention is to express how I feel.  These are my personal opinions.  Take them with a grain of salt.  Remember that everyone has gripes and frustrations and has the freedom to express themselves.  Hopefully, with a little tact.

These are some of mine:

1.  I've been in the fitness industry for a long time and I have seen my fair share of nonsense.  But lately, I've been speaking to a lot of women, primarily, who are having major issues and concerns with 'the number on the scale.'  I cannot begin to tell you how much this topic irks me.  It's clear that certain people's self-esteem rides solely on the numbers they see, and I would wager that the rest of their day is shot, afterwards.  Pity.
I have never owned a scale because I absolutely abhor the idea of them.  Some people I know are utterly obsessive about having one in their home.  My mother taught me a very good lesson when I was a teenager going through my body image issues.  She always told me to gauge my weight by how well my clothes fit.  If my jeans became too uncomfortable to wear, for example, I'd know that I needed to do something different to garner a different result.   Less sweets, more movement.

Seriously, the only time one should be weighed, is during their yearly physical.  Having a scale in your home is hazardous.  It's a mood killer, it destroys self-worth and it certainly isn't an accurate depiction of progress or optimal health.  Scales for home-use need to be put to death.

2.  It bothers me a great deal when I go grocery shopping and observe the kind of drivel people fill their carts with.  I shudder when I only see pre-packaged foods with hardly any produce.  I would assume that most of these folks are educated but truly don't give a shit about what they put into their bodies.  If moods and foods are linked, frankly our society is a bloody mess.  It's no wonder that most people are easily irritated, have regular joint and/or muscle pain and are extremely lethargic and unhappy. 
I have trained myself to read food labels and keep current with all things related to good nutrition, but I honestly love my junk food:  chips, chocolate and cookies.  I have a lifestyle that honors indulgence.  I hate hearing some of the ways people punish themselves with food/exercise and the lengths they go to for a desired look.  It's troubling, to say the least.  This topic about sustenance highlights my first point about scales and weight management, but to a deeper degree.  We really need to smarten up as a society, because we're failing miserably.  But, we can learn from our mistakes and make lasting changes.   I always say if you want it bad enough, it can be yours.  Self-education is key.  Don't ever stop learning.  Stay abreast of recent studies and information relating to health and well-being. You'll live a hell of a lot longer, if you do.

3.  When I was in high school and cliques were rampant, I never joined one.  I hated how everyone spoke, with a 'jappy' twang and a 'holier-than-thou' attitude.  Everyone dressed alike and I immediately got turned off.  I wanted to be a unique individual without having to conform to that bullshit.  Today, everyone from that era still talks the same, dresses the same and complains about the same things.  Whatever happened to originality and being respected for being a little unusual?
It makes me sick when I hear asinine gossip, especially coming out of the mouths of 'mature' adults.  I wish some people could hear recordings of themselves.  They sound like sheep.  There will always be back-stabbers, I'm sure, but there's such a thing as decorum, which seems to be a missing gene in most adults.  I wish people were more real and not afraid to be vulnerable.  I respond better to people who show me their weaknesses.

4.   Because I've been through my own personal hell, I can speak from experience on this particular point.  Holding on to bad relationships of any kind, is similar to being in a torture chamber.  Why would anyone inflict that kind of hardship and anguish on themselves?  Because we're a hopeful lot.  We believe in the greater good of humanity.  We so desperately cling to the idea that people will change just for us.  It's a lie!  I have been through many friends in my life, fallen in love a couple of times and had ten years of self-esteem issues and I can honestly say, that if something or someone gives you grief in any form, you must be strong enough to walk away.  I can't begin to comprehend what kind of torment I put my organs through, during my most difficult years.  If I can spare anyone reading this of a similar situation, I plead with you, save yourself from years of grief.  Your health is #1.  It's not selfish at all, to think of yourself in this case.  It's absolutely VITAL. 

5.  What good is complaining, REALLY?  I think most people just want to be heard and have others side with them.  I always insist that if you complain about something, but don't do anything to change it, then you should keep your trap shut.  Better to stew in your own filth than to get everyone else dirty with your ridiculous rhetoric.  I work in an industry that is chock-full of people offering up commentary and constructive (so they claim) criticism.   My question is:  Why don't more people have built-in filters, so that when they intend to spew hostile words at someone, the filter acts as a plug and prevents them from uttering sounds?  Wouldn't that be glorious?  Since we live in a cruel, harsh world, it can't really be avoided.  But you can smile, walk away and wish them a pleasant day.  Some folks need all the help they can get.

I think that's it for my spewing, today.

Again, I'm sorry if the aforementioned list has caused any upset.  I'm still hoping you enjoyed my posting today, despite my bickering. I bid you all a good weekend, and may I officially welcome you to your first official day of spring.  I bet you can't wait for it to finally get here.
ME TOO!
All the best.

LET THERE BE SPRING!

The temperature in Toronto today is a balmy 9 degrees.  Totally awesome.  When I was done teaching my fitness class at 2pm this afternoon, I was feeling so recharged and my eyes lit up, because the warm sunshine coupled with the smell of spring in the air made me feel so alive.  Knowing that tomorrow's forecast will bring more snow and freezing temperatures is a bit of a downer to me, but as my best friend pointed out in a text, 'Don't think about tomorrow.  Enjoy today'!  Spot on, JRS.  You're absolutely right.

Which brings to me to the subject of this post:  When the weather is this good, we should really try extra-hard to fully immerse ourselves in every shining moment and make sure we don't take it for granted.  Because clearly, it's not going to last.  SHITE.

Last year around this time, we were blessed to have an unusually random day of warm weather in the middle of March.  I remember it like it was yesterday--the sky was a gorgeous blue, not a cloud in the sky, it was 15 degrees outside, and I was sipping some fine liqueur, toasting the arrival of spring. 

Only days later, we were hit with another blast of winter and it took the wind out of my sails.  Some of us put our winter gear away, but it was useless to do so--we had to don our coats and boots for another 2 weeks.  As you can see, harnessing the good times is so vitally important and truly living in the moment is utterly crucial.

This winter has been especially tough all across the board--below freezing temperatures for 10 solid days, a chaotic ice storm, power outages across the GTA leading up to the Christmas season, people feeling despondent, depressed and downtrodden.  It was a one hell of a season, which kicked our asses.  But, we're about to embark on a seasonal shift; one which I'm positive will bring on the joy, freedom and 'lightness of being' we've all been craving.

I find spring to be the most luscious season of them all.  Born in May, I am a child of spring.  I have always loved flowers and watching them grow from tiny buds into blooming works of art.  I like to watch people transform, as well.  From the dark days of winter, to the eye-opening splendour of spring, it's remarkable how we evolve.  We can't quite put it into words, but we can sense it.  People are lighter.  We wear less clothing too, which seemingly puts us all in a happier state of mind. 

I can't wait for patio season.  Tank tops and shorts, sandals and hats, sunglasses and open roof tops in our cars.  It's on the way, folks.

If you're reading this:  Congratulations on making it through another hard-ass winter.  It takes a great deal of fortitude and patience to endure such harsh temperatures, and come out the other end, smiling.
Well done.  May the upcoming warm weather bring you joy and nothing but 'pep in your step'.

Until my next post,
Ciao!