Asking The Hard Questions

There’s a quote from a movie (which I’ve never seen) that says “There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” ~Morpheus

There's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path - Morpheus

I’ve taken a couple of weeks or so off from  blogging.  I needed some time to clear my head, think about a few things and ask myself some questions:

  • How can the rest of 2015 be special/spectacular/different?
  • What can I do to help my health improve?
  • What can I offer my readers through the Fall and Winter?

I don’t have all the exact answers yet, but I do have some ideas and have made some little changes.  Well, maybe big. It depends on your definition of little/big!

Here’s a summary of some of the plans:

Sharing Online

For a while, I’m going to let this blog be a window into my life. How does a corporate “career woman” chunk it all away and ‘go home’ (i.e. quit the job). I’ve been asked more times than I can count “WHAT do you DO all day?”

The ReFeathered Nest is going to be peeling back the layers and show you exactly what I do all day. I will be the first to tell you I’m a ball of imperfection. I don’t mind admitting that.  I think we as women (especially over 50) are entitled to take of the mask and fake persona of ‘perfection’ and just be REAL.   I’m going to let the remainder of the year be a window into what I’m doing and things I’m finding that help my life.  I’m making a plan to let Monday’s and Thursday’s be the time I’ll prop my feet on the front porch and have a little chit-chat with you.

Health and Well Being

I hit the big 5-0 in April and it was as though it opened a Pandora’s Box. I started having occasional night sweats, anxiety issues, my middle girth started expanding, my hair started falling out, I forget even the simplest of things. I’ve heard about Peri-menopouse but was sure hoping by some fate of the stars it would skip a generation or be a horrible lie. It’s not. Thankfully, I found a book MENOPAUSE MONDAYS: The Girlfriend’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving During Perimenopause and Menopause by Ellen Dolgan which helped me to figure out what all these changes are about. She’s forthright and truthful and doesn’t paint a counterfeit picture about this new ‘stage of life’ I’m in. But, at least I know now I’m not going crazy.

But, I realized that I needed to quit pussy-footing around and get serious about a few things. First of all, losing weight past 50 is not easy. I cashed in some credit card points and got the hubs and I some Garmin VivoFit 2 bracelets. We’ve only had those a week, but I can already feel the benefits of my steps goals. The realization that no matter how busy I thought I was, I can never be too busy to take care of my health is important as well.

I’ve decreased my caffeine to 2 cups in the morning. One is strong, the other is really only colored water. This is a HUGE reduction because I was a 1 pot of day drinker ever since my exit from the corporate world in February.

I’ve started eating less white flour products. In fact, I’ve logged my food for a week and I’ve only had one slice of 7-grain whole wheat bread. I’ve decreased my sugar intake to one piece of chocolate candy a day. Well, maybe two =) HEY, a gal has to have her chocolate! I do think I’m feeling some noticeable changes. Hopefully the increased walking will enhance those good efforts and I can start to see the scales budge.

I started using an App called MyFitnessPal to log my daily food intake. The harsh reality was I was snacking a little more than I realized. Being much more aware of what I’m eating and putting it down has really helped me to mentally make better choices.

My work life and business

My first 6 months of ‘retirement’ was a time to recharge my exhausted batteries. I dabbled around with a few things but I really didn’t focus on any one or two things. I’ve been keeping the blog and working on some skills. It’s time now to really show myself that I can take all those lessons I learned during my corporate life and bring it home. I intend on creating my business here online and by God’s grace, not stepping foot into a full time job outside of the home.

You will start seeing some things take shape here. New things. Better things. Fun things!

A few more words

My vision for what’s next in my personal and professional life is slowly coming together. I don’t have everything planned out, but I do know that my hubs and I will continue to make changes based on our needs and God’s direction. The ReFeathered Nest is so many facets of life and I intend to share with you to encourage you to live your life of purpose and passion with a designed intent!

Hugs and feathers from the nest~~()~~

Kim Steadman is the Content Curator and COOP (Chief Online Operating Person) for The Re-Feathered Nest, a place of encouragement for moms entering the Empty Nest Zone who are ready to RePurpose and ReDesign themselves according to God’s purpose for their lives now that the kids have flown the coop. She is the author of the soon to be released book ““My Little Book of Empty Nest Quotes & Wisdom.’ Kim can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheRefeatheredNest and on Google+ at +Kim

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