I’m feeling very empowered these days.

It began after my accident when I rented a Ford Mustang Convertible for a weekend. Wow, talk about powerful. I felt invincible in that car, though I was well aware I wasn’t. I had always wanted to drive a convertible and thought it would be the perfect time to treat myself after such a horrible experience. The car was amazing on the way to and from Atlanta, as well as in downtown traffic. I came back wanting one. It’s not a mid or quarter-life crisis; I’m just more aware each day how precious our time is here, how quickly it passes, and how we need to enjoy it to the fullest while we can. Sure, a convertible isn’t necessarily practical, logical or even a smart choice, but I’m young (relatively), not married, have no children and currently rent my townhouse. So why not do something crazy once? I wouldn’t have to keep it forever, it would likely be cheaper than my current car – I’m looking at used ones – and it would bring me joy. I love to look at the sky, I love to watch airplanes over my head, I love to daydream. Why not buy something fun I can do that in any time I want? Drive to a quiet spot, lean the seat back, and count the stars? Alabama is hot, but a convertible is doable here because we have so many “nice” days. I have been researching them online am leaning toward a 2011 V8. I’m open to color options although I know I don’t want black. So, that’s been my latest fun hubby taking up some extra time…car shopping. It never hurts to look, right?

I’m also feeling pretty empowered these days by my new fitness regimen – Iron Tribe Fitness. My boyfriend has been going since January and is a huge fan. So much so that he recently landed his dream job there and is now promoting and spreading the word about this local success story. As a lot of you know (if you’re on Facebook with me or follow me on Twitter), I’ve been regularly working out with Graham at G57 Fitness and Training and have been more than happy. However, as it sometimes happens, we’ve been pulled in different directions and I found that Iron Tribe is a better fit at the moment. The BF had been asking me to try it for a while, but knew I was happy with Graham. Recently, the opportunity presented itself and here we are. I’m in week 2 of their “intro” class which is called 101. It’s a month-long series that teaches you about Iron Tribe, the exercises and workouts they do, and their recommendations for living a healthier you. The first day was horrible and I did a lot worse than I thought I would. It upset me because I’d been doing a lot of the same exercises with Graham for the past few months and thought I would do well. The BF had told me before, “Nothing prepares you for Iron Tribe.” I “pshawed” him and went about my way. He was right. The first day I didn’t even finish the “baseline” workout. I did as much as I could and then promptly got sick. Score one for me! The next workout was much better and I’m now working on week two. For this particular intro series, we go to class three times a week: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We will graduate on August 3rd. Once that happens, we start the REAL workouts. Don’t get me wrong, this intro class has real workouts, but they are seriously modified versions of a regular workout (or ‘WOD’ as they call them). They “baby” them down for us until we graduate. Gee, thanks. 😉

In conjunction with the 101 class, I decided to participate in their Transformation Challenge. It’s a 40 day challenge with two divisions: weight loss or performance improvement. I entered the weight loss division (duh) and we’ll see how it goes. They recommend a diet comprised mostly of proteins, good fats (olive oil, avocado), and good carbs (veggies). I’m on day 2 and already missing sugar something fierce. But, it was a nice kick in the pants when they took my measurements and weight for the starting figures. I swear that scale hates me. I’m on a mission now!

I’ve always been interested in calming my inner being, relaxing, and meditation though I’ve never practiced. I think I would practice Buddhism if I ever took the time to sit down and explore it more. It just so happened that a new 21-Day Meditation Challenge was starting on the same day I began my physical Transformation Challenge (TC) at Iron Tribe. This meditation course is being offered online for free from the Chopra Center (Deepak Chopra). I thought it would go great with the TC seeing as how I will likely be angry, cranky, and catty from the lack of sugar, chocolate, and bread. We’re 2 days into it and I love it already. We get an email each day to go over the day’s meditation and then a link to an audio file that we listen to while meditating the thought of the day. The theme of the entire challenge is ‘love’ so I am doubly happy – we can all stand to love more, especially ourselves. 🙂 I’m pretty sure you can still sign up if you’d like, so click here for the page. I would love it if you take this journey with me and we can have a lovely dinner to compare thoughts at the end.

I got my car back from the accident and all is well there. I did have to pay for my part of it, but I know it will all wash out in the end and it could have been much worse. Now that I feel comfortable in it again, I’ve been a busy little bee around Birmingham. I love this city. The happiness and love I have for it oozes from my pores. I would shout it all the time, everywhere I go, if I thought I wouldn’t get locked up. I’ve joined a blogging/writing community of women online here in Birmingham, as well as a larger one for general bloggers in town. I’ve attended a few functions and am constantly inspired by the people I meet there, the stories they share, and the insight they provide to new bloggers like myself. I’m also in awe of our talented artists, all kinds. My dear friend, Billy Dupree, recently opened a new art gallery dedicated to showcasing local and emerging artists. How inspiring is that? Words can’t express how fortunate I feel to have met these writers, artists, thespians, entrepreneurs, and the like. We have such talented souls here in Birmingham and the diversity and number of local theatres and galleries we have to choose from any given weekend is impressive. There are events galore this summer; something amazing going on every weekend. I keep everything on my calendar and just looking back at all the events fills me with pride and happiness for this city I call home. If you are ever wondering what there is to do in Birmingham, please call or email me – I will fill your Inbox.

Love yourself.
Find peace inside.
Share happiness.

~Namaste~