THE ONLY THING YOU NEED FOR A BETTER LIFE IS TO GET MORE EXCITED

New Year - New Me - New Job - New House?

New Year

I remember January 2013, I started off the year full of ambition and excitement for a new year after what I thought had been a difficult year. Turns out 2013 was ever harder than 2012 was and around this time last year my mother in law was diagnosed with cancer for the 3rd time. I immediately lost motivation, be came depressed and for the first time in my life would suffer from anxiety and anxiety induced vertigo.

Well that was last year, and last year is SOOO over. Here we are at the start of 2014 and again I am filled with ambition and excitement and a bucket list a mile long. Overly ambitious? Always, Yes I am - but I am learning not to mind it. If I set the bar high and accomplish even half I will walk away satisfied, much better than not having any goals or not even trying to try.

Recently I was at the LA FitExpo ( amazingly awesome day BTW ) and the MC to an event there said "THE ONLY THING YOU NEED FOR A BETTER LIFE IS TO GET MORE EXCITED".

Well y'all, I am excited. Is my life perfect? HELL no. Don't let me think about Bills too long cause the anxiety comes back, am I behind in my training because I got Bronchitis ? (more on that later) absolutely and now I have to move house unexpectedly in a month of less (deep breath - a planners nightmare) - but am I stressed - nope, not one bit and that's because I am TOO excited about what life will bring us this year to be stressed out.

New Me

Each situation in life that we face we can cry and whine and stress and lose sleep but none of those things make us feel better and none of them help us get through. I never saw my mother in law complain she had to do chemo again. I never saw her once complain "why me?" that she should have cancer 3 times. At the end when treatments didn't work, she still had infinite patience for her grandchildren and she only worried for those she would leave behind. So each day when I get stressed I remind myself of her patience and I breathe and some how I become more patient. I remind myself of my promise to her to take care of her boys, so my getting stressed out is not going to help my husband feel better or myself. Each time we go though something in life that is hard we have to struggle but that struggle is where we learn something and we grow. Losing her was one of the hardest things I have been though but I feel that I am stronger, more patient and each week I think about how I am and what I can do to make her legacy live on and that is how I approach life and how I behave. Each situation negative or positive always presents an opportunity, so I am not looking at the closed doors but I am searching for for a window of opportunity opening up for me.

To that end when I recently got extremely sick (Asthma Attacks, Bronchitis) only a month before my first Race for my #14in2014 - I tried to practice what I preach and not get discouraged. Instead I didn't just eat clean but I specifically ate for health and specifically my upper respiratory health - ginger, garlic, onions, dark chocolate (good for coughs if you didn't know) , Kombucha, fruit - anything I could eat to boost my immune system I did. I was still sick for a full week, but 10 days later I was running (slowly) again and just a week after that I managed to run 4 miles non stop for the first time post-baby.

New Job

I am excited to share that after making a dedicated personal commitment to make my career more meaningful last year, after many months and numerous applications I have finally been offered and accepted a new position. I will be working for a very prestigious cancer center on the west coast in the department of "Cancer Prevention and Control Research". Am I going to be curing cancer? Nope I doubt it, BUT I will be in a position to learn and be able to assist others who are trying to do great things. Every Doctor and Researcher needs an assistant and now I will be assisting many. I am excited.

Additionally, my fundraising website has been set up for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as I have been confirmed to participate in their Team in Training Train Your Way program.  I have set my fundraising goal as $14,000 for my 14 in 2014. Overly Ambitious? Possibly, but did you read above ^^^

New house

Lastly it would seem the rental company is selling our property so we have to find a new place to live. This is just the thing that would stress me out so much before but not anymore. This is an opportunity to possibly find somewhere better with cheaper rent or a nicer laundry room and if we have our way - it will be closer to the gym.


So that's whats going on with me - A LOT! && this weekend is my 1st  #14in2014 event - the Surf City Half Marathon.

So please  show your support, make a donation to the LLS and support their mission to find a cure and support cancer patients and their families #nomorecancer.

Thank you in advance for all the continued support but emotional and financial.

<-- http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/tnturway14/ebarela <---- Fundraising link :-)

Erin
xo

Meeting "no excuses" fitness Mom - Maria Kang @ the LA fit expo 

Food, Family & Fitness

Nothing exciting to report - busy as ever with family, working out and eating lol.

Christmas was quiet & low key this year. The absence of my mother in law weighed heavy on our shoulders as it was our first Christmas without her.

Although we ate more than we should we didn't go too crazy. The hubby and I are taking advantage of time off together to work out with eachothers despite    both having sinus colds. Today we signed up for our gyms fitness challenge. I figure the extra motivation couldn't hurt and there is a cash prize !  I also set up a FB group for some of my mommy friends and I to motivate each other to wo and eat healthier in the new year. 

Made sure tonight I made a dinner to help us get over our sinus colds - home made soup from pork broth and Japanese noodles with fresh garlic, ginger and green onions- my version of ramen.  The ginger, onion & garlic should boost our immune system and it tastes super yummy. 

I also got crafty with my running shirts today to show I'm running for more than just fitness. I think about my loved ones a lot on the treadmill - sometimes it makes me very emotional but it feels good to let it out on the treadmill - running is def helping me work it out in a healthy way.  Running has taken on such new meaning  for me since I decided to fundraise for LLS. 

Now enjoying a quiet evening thinking of meal planning ideas, planning out work outs and watching Dispicable Me with my lil angel baby ❤️