I have a few routines that I follow in my life. They serve me quite well. (Um, most of them. Shhhh!) One of them is a semi-annual MAJOR decluttering session. One happens towards the end of the year (can’t think of a better way to usher in the New Year than to have “free space” literally and figuratively). The other? Happens during Spring. Guess what folks? Yep – we crossed over into Spring last week. So, it’s time to roll up my sleeves, wade into my mess and clear out anything that isn’t supporting me in living my life to the fullest.

This year though, I’ve decided to do things a little differently. (Makes sense right? Especially after my recent post about “Different”.) Before I even get to my physical space – the house, the car, my workspace, etc. – I’m going to start with my physical, mental, and spiritual self…my health, my mind, my spirit. Cause you know what? No matter how clean and uncluttered my physical space may be, if I’m not physically, mentally and spiritually in the same place, I’m living a lie. AND without my physical self being in the best possible shape, I won’t have the energy or strength to get to the other side of the equation.

So, what have I done? Well, before Spring actually sprung, I’d made my way back to the gym and started working out again. Mostly driven by trying to manage my fibromyalgia but also trying to manage my stress levels and just to feel better. I’ve committed myself to working out a minimum of 3X/week and have been fairly consistent. I can definitely tell the difference. I feel it. And that’s the whole point, right?

A couple of weeks ago, I had a couple of health concerns that made me push harder where my physical health is concerned. Had to monitor a couple of things for two-weeks, one being my blood sugar…the other required medical tests. The tests themselves were a breeze but what they signified? Well, that was a whole other story. A scary possibility that, thankfully, turned out to be a non-issue. Dr. Z gave me a decent review in terms of my tests – blood pressure was slightly elevated (I know what that’s about…and I am ON.IT. in a mighty way). All the numbers looked good….well, with one exception but er…rum…I already knew that AND I’m on THAT too…in an even mightier way. Doc also suggested this program specifically for folks with fibromyalgia, diabetes, and arthritis (no – no signs of “Arthur”) but um, it’s straight out-of-pocket and right now, I don’t know if my pockets run that deep. (Asking self, “Self, why didn’t we sign up for an FSA?” Answer to self, “Cause we ain’t have no reason to. Outside of routine stuff, we’ve never had any ongoing meds, medical issues, etc. so we were following the trend.” Answer back to self, “Oh. Ok.”)

While he ruled out diabetes, my risk factors put me much too close for comfort. So off to the diabetes management center I went. A 3-part class. First part dealing with the illness itself, risks, and how to eat to beat it. Second part deals with cholesterol and heart disease. Last session is basically a six-month check-up to see how you’re doing. The thing about being “pre-diabetic” is that you have to do the same things as someone who IS diabetic. Sometimes you can do so without meds, sometimes you can’t…thankfully I’m without meds. (And I am soooo planning to stay that way!) The “magic” bullets for pre/diabetes? Get your diet in check, exercise, and manage stress. Which is the same thing my doc said about fibromyalgia. And ironically, it’s the same thing we ALL need to do in general for our health.

It’s going to take some adjustments but you know what? What in life doesn’t? More importantly, I am definitely worth it. And I know it. Now I just need to “walk it out”. Or maybe “swim” it out. Or “power lift” it out. Or “yoga/pilates it out”. Long as I “work it out” so that I can “live it out” – live and in color Baby!