Bryan Parady's Blog, page 51

Manic Monday!

For a lot of people Monday can be a dreaded day. Some of us have jobs we don’t really like, or the week just holds things we would rather not face.  It’s easy when Monday hits to lose the momentum, carefree spirit, and happiness that we had over the weekend.

I struggle with this some weeks (of course Tuesdays are my Mondays, but same dif).

It’s really important throughout our week of ups and downs to maintain focus.  It’s really easy to come home from work and be drained, whether it is physical, mental, or both.

Keep your mind in a good place though.  Instead of waiting to punch out so you can veg, look forward to punching out so that you can devote time to your dreams and goals.

Most of us have some free time during our workday, even if it’s just a break or our lunch hour.  Use this time to write down your goals, dreams, passions, brainstorm ideas for how to achieve them.

Work may be hard, but you can remain positive and stay on track for what your future goals are. Keep at it.  You will get there!

 

 

 

Long Week

The week is finally over for me.  I don’t know why, but this week has been incredibly long. One of those weeks you are glad is over.  I don’t even fully know why.  Regardless though I am content now to be sitting drinking some coffee, and catching up on some social media and writing.

My wife is busy studying (grad school fun), and my daughter is trying to figure out how to put on her mommy’s shoes while watching Mary Poppins, her 2nd favorite movie (2nd only to The Sound Of Music, she has a thing for Julie Andrews).

Honestly I feel a little lazy today, and despite working on some taxes for my wife’s business and reworking our budget, I am not doing much at all today.

The crazy thing….that’s okay.  We all need some downtime every now and then.  It won’t last long.  Tomorrow I will be going a mile a minute, and hitting the gym harder than ever, but for now.  I am enjoying the stillness.

The Hard Days

Have you ever had one of those days where you wish you could hide in bed all day? Sooner or later we all have one of those days.  We don’t really feel like going to work at the crack of dawn, we’re tired of our diet, or our exercise program.  We feel worn out, tired.

There’s one thing that really helps on days like this.  My wife and daughter.  Somehow they are more than enough motivation to be strong another day.  To work hard, to do my best to be honorable.

Sure that doesn’t mean every day I have it all together.  In fact rarely if ever is life all together.  Each day has its challenges, its hardships, its battles we must fight.

Don’t be afraid to be weak some days.  It happens.  Sometimes you do need to come home and take a nap, sometimes you do need a break and just rent a movie and chill with your friends, your loved one, or your spouse.

In fact it’s these simple pleasures that we find in those we love that make the hard days worth it.

You Can’t Be Professional

 

There’s this unspoken (and sometimes spoken) deal where people believe that Christians who become business professionals are somehow lower than those who go into “ministry”.  I’m not sure where this comes from.

Some think that someone who does something through prayer is better than someone who does something through a profession that they went to school for.

I think this stems out of fear.  People are afraid that they can’t be successful, That they can’t be professional and Christian at the same time. Or at least the two can’t coincide.  But the truth is God gave us the ability, talent, and creativity to become professional doctors, teachers, counselors, psychologists, etc.

If you are a “christian” in some type of profession don’t let people make you feel guilty, or try to tell you that your faith isn’t good enough and that prayer can solve the problems instead of your degree.

I’m not arguing that prayer can’t change people, it can.  But so can techniques and studies that have been proven by counselors, psychologist, and doctors.

People who think that professionals are lacking in faith  have some type of Christianese fear.  This fear is unfounded.

“Professionals” in different fields can make great strides to help people.  To believe otherwise is foolish, God put inherent traits in us to pursue and develop those gifts.  Yes I believe he wants us to use prayer too, but I think the two should coincide.

When The Rush Fades

Whenever we start something new there’s a thrill and rush to it.  We dive in head first, and throw ourselves into without even thinking.  We talk it up big with our friends and family, post statuses and brag a little bit.  But then as with most things, we start to lose focus, start to lose our spark to keep on working, and keep on moving forward.

It’s critical though when you feel like this to dig in all the deeper, remember why you started in the first place.  Set goals, always set new goals.  Any time you start to get complacent you need to push yourself harder.

I know…this is easier said than done, the last thing you want to do is work harder towards something when you are at a point when you want to quit.

Don’t quit.  Your hard work will pay off.  Maybe not as soon as you would like, but it will.  Tell yourself everyday you are not a quitter, you can and will endure.

Gym Kicking Your Butt?

Have you ever been exhausted from a workout? I know this last week I have been.  I’ve been working out for awhile now, years.  And yet I’ve been more sore and tired this last week in the gym than I can remember.

Even in the gym it’s easy to get comfortable, you get in a routine and you stop pushing yourself.  You stop trying as hard.  Your muscles get used to your workout and it’s just not as hard anymore.

I hit that point, and I realized I didn’t want to be there.  I’ve been using a new program that is pushing me, stretching me to my limits.  Every day it seems a new muscle group is hurting.  Muscles I’ve worked out for years.

But it is a good pain, it lets me know I’m pushing my limits.

All of life should be like that.  All our limits should be pushed.  We should never settle, never get comfortable. Always ask yourself “what can I do to stretch myself more”.  Never stop asking that in all areas of life.  The discomfort just means growth.  Keep going.

Dragons in the Bible

Were there dragons in the Bible?  I don’t know.  Possibly.  Ever read Job?  In the 41st chapter God is recorded talking about the attributes of the beast called Leviathan.  It says:

“Its snorting throws out flashes of light;

    its eyes are like the rays of dawn.

19 Flames stream from its mouth;

    sparks of fire shoot out.

20 Smoke pours from its nostrils

    as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.

21 Its breath sets coals ablaze,

    and flames dart from its mouth.

Now I’ve heard some say that this “beast” was a crocodile…really?  Last time I checked there weren’t fire breathing alligators running around swamps.

So were there dragons at one point?  I don’t know, but it’s possible.

I think that’s one bad thing we get in a habit of.  We get comfortable with the Bible, we think we know everything.  We think it’s cut and dry, but there was nothing cut and dry about God.

Another interesting passage in the Bible I read the other day was in John 5:4. It says:

“an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.”

So an angel came down and splashed in some water then people were healed?

This is crazy stuff.  I think it’s really important no to be so close-minded about what Christianity is.  It’s so easy to get into the habit of thinking we know the “law”.  In reality we don’t have a clue, and for us to assume we do is ignorance.

Have an open mind and really think about some of the things in the Bible, not just what churches tell you.

Active Rest

Today is my “active rest” day.  That means I don’t do heavy weights, but something to stay active, yet rest my muscles, like running, cycling, swimming etc. I love the idea of active rest.

A lot of times when I think of the word rest I think of sitting watching episodes of The Office, or reading.

While those are good things, active rest is really good too.  It does just what it says, it keeps you active, but rests specific muscle groups.

Stay active and don’t stop.  Even on your off days.  There is always more to achieve.

The Gym Is My Drug

Working out is a mystery to me even to this day.  It is still a challenge many days at the gym even after years of working out.  Some days your body doesn’t want to cooperate. Some days you feel like you owned the gym, others that it owned you.

And yet there is something insanely addicting about working out.  It’s like a drug of sorts, a good one.

It makes you feel better about yourself, makes it feel like you can accomplish more, improves your mental and emotional well being.  There’s no doubt that exercise and working out has a huge benefit to our lives.

If you are questioning giving up, then write down some goals, write down why you want to work out.  Write down what made you start in the first place.  Hang this on your fridge, on your bathroom mirror, or in your car as a constant reminder for you to keep going.  And once you hit your goals, set higher and better ones.

Don’t ever give up, and hit the track, the gym, the pool, or the hills harder than ever.

Unless it Hurts

 

There are certain things in life that just don’t get us where we need to go without pain.  Why this is I don’t know.

The whole process of working out is pain.  When you lift weights you literally are tearing your muscles.  It’s painful, it’s not a fun experience. I think if we could just naturally get built, or in great shape with a snap of the fingers we would do just that…..but in doing that we would miss out on a lot.

It’s the pain that builds us, not just in a physical sense, but it builds our character, our emotion, who we are as a person.

I can look back on things that have hurt me in the past, some of them were brought on by my own stupid decisions, others were caused by people or situations.  While I don’t relish the thought of those times, I know they have helped shape me into who I am, and for that I am grateful.

Use your hurt and pain to become a better person.