Being Present in Everything I Do

Have you ever driven somewhere, arrived at your final destination, then realized that you do not remember one thing about your drive over? It is so easy to put the mind into *Auto Pilot* and just get where you need to be. Or do what you need to do ... say what you need to say ... we do it so often! I have found myself going on auto pilot sometimes, even, when my son is talking to me! To be fair (to myself), there is only so much "Bakugan" talk a mother can take, but still ... he deserves more than "uh-huh" when he is sharing something important (to him!) with me.

I find myself going into auto-pilot very often during cardio workouts. Repetitive motion, music, if I am lucky, a nice fan ... it's easy to do. Last Thursday during the Spin Class, things were thrown into chaos by our missing instructor. However, because we took things into our own hands, and no one was sure what was coming next, none of us were on auto that day. Today, our instructor WAS in the class, but I decided that I was going to really let myself be present in the activity. When she switched up, I tried to envision and feel the change in my muscles. Heavy resistance really brings that hamstrings into play, sprints make the quads go wild. I felt the muscles switch when I stood or when I sped up. I sweat about a bucket more than usual today, and I am pretty sure that it was due to my focus on what I was doing.

What other things in my life could be brought into *Hi-Def* by forcing myself to become present in everything I do? Certainly, I would be a better listener, a better mother, undoubtedly a better driver. And, as was made pretty obvious today, a better exerciser. Tomorrow I have a brand new whole body workout, so it certainly won't be rote. However, I intend to focus as much intensity as I can into each muscle group and really pay attention to my body. Wanna bet I find some angry muscle groups come Thursday morning?

"There is a difference between dedication and commitment. The chicken is dedicated, she lays eggs; the pig is committed, he gives us bacon. Be committed. Be committed to the team, to your goals, to excellence. Be committed to knowing and doing your job better everyday. Be committed, period. Dedication is good, but it always leaves a way to bail out if things don’t go as you had hoped. Commitment is real, it is 100%, it is do or die, you go we go, it is brothers ‘til the end." ~ Mike West ~

TUESDAY FOOD DIARY
Breakfast
Ezekiel 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin Bread, 2 serving
Blue Agave, Organic (Wholesome Sweeteners brand), 0.5 tbsp
Egg white, 4 serving
Blueberries, fresh, 0.5 cup
Olivio Buttery Spray 5 sprays, 2 serving
Regular Coffee, 3 cup (8 fl oz)
Lunch
Turkey Burger, Jennie-O, 4 oz
Green Giant Cut Green Beans, can, 1 cup
Dinner
Mache, 1 cup
Chicken Breast, no skin, 3 ounces
Ken's Lite Accents Honey Mustard Vinaigrette (10 sprays), 1 serving
Snack
Brown Rice, medium grain, 0.75 cup
Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Snack Pack, 1 serving
Cottage Cheese, 2% Milkfat, 0.25 cup (not packed)
Cottage Cheese, 1% Milkfat, 0.25 cup (not packed)
Red Ripe Tomatoes, 0.5 cup, chopped or sliced
Banana Peppers, 0.25 cup