"This is all I have learned: God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated." -Ecclesiastes 7:29-

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Strong Body/Joyful Heart Update

This past Saturday I wrapped up my first 10 week long Ultimate Bodyshaping Course with wonderful results...  I lost 23.4 pounds, 4 inches in my belly, and 3% body fat.  I also pretty much tripled the amount of push ups and sit ups I can do in one minute.  Holla!  It's been a really great experience and I have enjoyed seeing my body change for the better.  I mean, I've got some muscles now.  Some defined muscles.  Well...  They still need work, but they're there!  I've also enjoyed seeing my confidence in myself grow.  I haven't felt this good about myself inside and out in a long, long while.

The cherry on top is that I was able to--with the help of some very generous people--meet my $500 fundraising goal.  Every penny of that will benefit Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation and its efforts to heal, educate, and empower survivors of violence and abuse.  I hope to raise another $500 by the end of my second UBC course, so if you could help spread the word that would be oh so lovely.

Last Friday a reporter from my local newspaper photographed me working out for a feature story they will hopefully be running this week regarding Strong Body/Joyful Heart.  I'm pretty sure the picture(s) are going to be something...special...  It was weird being the subject of photos because I've become accustomed to taking them!  And then to be "paparazzied" while I'm sweating and punching and kicking...  Let me reference my Norwegian heritage here and say:  uff da!  I tried holding a round kick for a pic, but I don't know how solid my form was.  Cripes, we shall see...

The important thing is just spreading the word about SB/JH and hopefully inspiring people to make a needed change in their own lives.  Maybe that change will be getting healthy physically.  Or maybe that change will be getting healthy emotionally.  Maybe both.  I really hope that overweight people will shed their shame in order to shed some weight.  And if someone stumbles upon my Strong Body/Joyful Heart project and has been carrying a burden caused by sexual or domestic violence, I hope that he or she will come to realize that they are not alone and that there are people who want to help.  I hope that these survivors will shed their shame--a shame that truly doesn't belong to them--as well and reach out for the help they deserve.

I'm so grateful for what UBC has done for me and that I have been able to use it as an opportunity to help others.  So here's to round 2 of UBC and the difference we can continue to make by supporting Joyful Heart Foundation!  Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me!

P.S.  I'll post a link to the newspaper article as soon as I can...

Monday, March 15, 2010

These Roads

These roads are all wet
in this drizzling rain
on this dark, dark evening
and, as such,
appear to be metallic.

The lights of this town
filter through the raindrops,
which smudge the black night,
and hit the pavement reflecting light
in such a beautiful, textured way.
There’s depth to these roads now
and romance
for they seem new and exciting somehow.

These roads are different,
like they’re streets in a large city
as opposed to being
the same damn small town roads
I travel on each day.

These roads are magic
in the rain on this night.
They’re city streets.
And I see them taking me
on an adventure of sorts—
nothing grand, mind you,
but an adventure nonetheless.
Some place foreign to me
where I can get lost.

But these streets are just roads
and these roads
only take me home.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Strong Body/Joyful Heart

A few blog posts ago (13 February 2010) I shared with you a fundraising/fitness endeavor of mine called "Strong Body/Joyful Heart" that entails me working my tush off (quite literally) to raise money for the Joyful Heart Foundation.  I've had every intention to blog frequently throughout this little journey, but since this is only my second blog post I have failed to meet that goal.  That said, I have been successful in reaching some much more important goals...

First of all, I continue to experience tremendous success on a fitness level.  My strength improves each and every week and I'm fitting into clothes much, much better.  (Holla!)  I don't think I will see an eighteen pound weight loss at my final fitness evaluation, which is March 22nd, like I did at my five week fitness evaluation.  But I am confident that my body is tightening up and that I'll be able to meet my goals for push ups, sit ups, and a mile and a half run.  Time will tell...very soon!  I can't believe this ten week course is almost up, but another goal of mine is to continue working hard to get healthier.  In order to accomplish that goal, I have signed up for another ten week long UBC session at ATA.

As for the fundraising aspect of SB/JH, I'm chugging along.  My goal is to raise a minimum of $500 by the end of my first UBC session.  Currently, with the help of so many generous individuals, I've raised $393.50.  This does mean that I have my work cut out for me in these remaining days of my course, but I'm confident that this goal will be accomplished.

Strong Body/Joyful Heart has been a wonderful project for me and has been just what I needed in many ways.  I look forward to seeing my progress on March 22nd and into the next ten week session of UBC.  Thank you all for your support!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Time

There's never any time.
Or maybe there is.
Maybe there is plenty of time.
Maybe I just let it slip through my fingers.

So how do I hold on to it?