27

I am quickly approaching my 27th birthday (on the 15th) and in an attempt to put a positive twist on getting another year older, I thought I'd share 27 things, some serious some not, I've learned over the past 27 years :)

1.  Always love with all you have. A lesson I've been taught over and over from my father.

2.  Never take your family or friends for granted.

3.  Music is an incredible thing – a great coping mechanism and a link to great memories.

4.  “Be generous, with your time, with your love, with your life.” My daddy and I watched the TV show ER religiously when I was growing up. This quote is from an episode of that show when Dr. Greene speaks to his daughter for the very last time. It has always stuck with me.

5.  If you can’t be kind, be quite.

6.  Never be afraid or ashamed of who you are.

7.  People-pleasing will only eat away at your own happiness; this is one I know all too well. If someone choses to leave your life because you stop bending over backwards for them and start standing up for yourself then let them go, they aren’t meant to be there in the first place.

8.  Try new things but don’t do so at the sake of your morals or happiness.

9.  Set boundaries!! As a therapist I often joke about how much I love boundaries but it’s true. I heard a quote the other day that pretty much sums up what I teach when I talk about boundaries – “Givers need to set limits because takers rarely do.” - Rachel Wolchin

10. Make yourself and your happiness a priority. Doing this isn’t being selfish, it’s necessary.

11.    Play! You are never too old to play. 

12.   Go on vacations, as many as you can.

13.   Tell your loved ones that you love them every chance you get.

14. Sometimes chocolate is the solution.

15.Don’t sweat the small stuff – but the trick is figuring out the small things from the big things. Another dad-ism.

16.Take time to savor the beauty in the world. I've lived in several different states and each one has been beautifully unique. I can remember waking up every day in Utah and just being amazed at the beauty of the mountains that surrounded us.

17. Never underestimate humidity and the heat index, especially when training for a run. Trust me and don’t try to be a hero – you will throw up.  

18. Laughing with your best friends can be on of the greatest forms of therapy.

19. “Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”- Kurt Vonnegut. This quote speaks directly to my soul and embodies my goal in life as a therapist and as a human.

20.EXERCISE. It’s important, good for you and it makes your mind and body happy J

21.Dance; especially in the mirror or kitchen when you’re by yourself, it’s therapeutic.

22. Indulge in things that make you happy.

23.Challenge yourself.

24. LOVE YOURSELF <3 

25.  Allow yourself to be vulnerable.

26.  Don’t be afraid to fail or screw up, that’s how we learn.

27.  Be open minded and try not to judge. Everyone is fighting their own battle. 

I'm only half crazy!

   I thought I would post today about running my first half marathon and how I got there. Let me start by saying prior to my initial training my theory on running was that I was only going to do it if I was being chased- so pretty much 100% a non-runner. That changed in January 2014 when I decided I wanted to challenge myself and do something I never had before - run a 5K, I've walked tons of 5K's but never ran one. I started using the C25K app (it's free!!) which basically teaches you how to run using intervals of running and walking and increasing the run time until you can run for 30 minutes. That was exactly the program I followed 3-4 times per week for January and February.
   But as I previously mentioned this post is about my half marathon, and how in the world does someone who hates to run, run 13.1 miles. Well for me it was simple, every week during that 5K training I liked running a bit more and more. Every time I completed a new time or distance I felt so proud of myself and soon I was addicted. At the time I was working at the inpatient psych. hospital with several people who ran half and full marathons and with some prompting I signed up for the Provo City Half Marathon and let me tell you I was SCARED to death! At this point the most I had run was 3 miles - 10.1 short of what I was facing in May and it was already March! But this is where the magic happened - I got a lot of advice from those people at work and one suggested this book: The non-runners marathon trainer by David Whitsett, Forrest Dolgener and Tanjala Kole. That book was a game changer - it teaches you how to run, proper form, what to wear, how to eat and even proper breathing but most importantly it teaches you how to overcome your fears and your head that will tell you lots of times that there is no way you can do this and it motivates you through every challenge.
   So I read the book while training using a training schedule. I ran religiously 5 times a week and increased my long runs by a mile every week and slowly but surely I found my stride and my "auto-pilot" mode that allowed me to run for hours. Near the end of the training I did miss a few short runs due to working horrendous hours but I did my very best to make running a priority. By the day of the half marathon I had ran somewhere near 220 miles. There is a secret weapon I used to power me through all these runs - I allowed myself to walk when I needed it during my long runs. Walking allowed me to regroup and push myself further. 
   On May 3rd I did it! I crossed the finish line at 2 hours and 22 minutes which for me was so amazing! I was so proud of myself for doing it, for facing my fears and just giving it all I had, and for the first time ever RUNNING the entire 13.1 miles (with one potty break) - something that even going into the race I never thought was possible. So here's my message to those thinking about running any distance - YOU CAN DO IT! Its not easy - even though I had trained and tapered like I was supposed to on race day I hit mile 10 and literally thought to myself that this was the stupidest thing I had ever done and wondered if I could make it the 3.1 miles I had to go, but the book had taught me how to breath and work through this wall so I used their techniques - and it worked, I got through it. It's hard but nothing beats that feeling when you cross the finish line so don't give up!
   I want to end with sharing one of the most motivating part of running and racing - the running community. When I started I thought for sure I would be judged and that I would stand out like a sore thumb among all these athletes but it wasn't true. On race day I ran along side people who had just ran the Boston Marathon and they treated Provo City's with just as much enthusiasm. Everyone there and every single runner I came across while training has been there - right where you are now and they don't forget it. I can't tell you how many times during the race other runners congratulated me and told me to keep going regardless if I was being passed or passing them. That's what the running community is all about so don't be afraid. All runners know how great it feels to cross that finish line and we've all that those horrible runs - so keep your head up! You can do this!

Here's the link of the training schedule I used for my half marathon: http://www.halfmarathons.net/half-marathon-training-schedule-for-beginning-runners/

Link to the book:http://www.amazon.com/Non-Runners-Marathon-Trainer-David-Whitsett-ebook/dp/B006B7LSDY/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1407460478&sr=8-15&keywords=beginners+guide+to+marathon

Little dose of happy :)

“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy – the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” – Brené Brown

This is my favorite quote by my favorite social worker, Brené Brown. Brené's work focuses on guilt, shame, vulnerability, courage and whole-hearted living and she is phenomenal! Please check out here work http://brenebrown.com/ and watch her TED talks (you will not be disappointed).

This quote hit me so hard the first time I read it, I swear I gasped. It was me – 100% but I know I’m not alone with this. I spent and still spend a lot of time making sure that everyone sees my “best side” and that I carefully fold and tuck away those parts of me that I don’t want anyone to know about.  Why do we do this? Why do we spend so much time perfecting our outside appearance? Because judgment SUCKS. Everyone at some point in their life has probably had something awful said to them and let me tell you – one negative judgment magically wipes out 100’s of positive compliments. All of the sudden you forget all the good about you and are zeroed in on whatever that negative judgment was about plus all those other insecurities you try so hard to tuck away and hide. This is where Brené Brown’s genius comes in; this is the vulnerability she is talking about.  This isn't the vulnerability we think of in the medial sense (being at risk for an illness) but instead is about taking emotional risks and putting our true self out there – scary parts and all.

That’s where it gets hard and is something I believe is always a work in progress, at least it is for me, but Brené is right- if we don’t allow ourselves to be vulnerable then we miss out on so much more. When those hurtful, awful, negative comments come – and they will because unfortunately there will always be people out there who are not secure and vulnerable with themselves yet – we need to dust ourselves off, hold our heads high and say (at least to yourself) that every single piece of what makes us up, even the parts we don’t yet love, makes us who we are, which is an awesome, wonderful person.

Please learn more about Brené and her work here http://brenebrown.com/.  

Just a little about me

   Hi Everyone! This post is meant to be just an introduction and to let you know why I'm doing this in the first place :)

   First off ... I'm Sarah and I'm 26 and my wonderful husband and life have brought me all around this country. Adam, my husband, and I are native Ohioans (and yes we bleed scarlet and grey) but over the last 3 years we have been moving all around for his career with Nestle. We started off 12 hrs away from home in Waverly, Iowa then moved 27 hrs away from our Ohio home to Orem, Utah and now here we are just a short 5.5 hrs away in Columbia, Maryland. If you are thinking we are absolutely crazy - you'd be spot on. It’s been a crazy, stressful, fun adventure that I wouldn't change for anything. 

   I am also a LGSW (licensed graduate social worker) and have a Masters in Social Work. My career is my passion and gives my life a ton of purpose (and a few premature wrinkles haha). Over the past few years I have worked with a private adoption agency, a residential treatment facility with adolescents aged 12-18 and as a lead therapist for an adult mental health and chemical dependency program at an acute psychiatric hospital. There is never a dull moment in social worker - and I wouldn't change that for the world!

   Aside from therapy, I also love fitness. I do not by any means consider myself an expert but one who learns constantly from trial and error. I enjoy running and trying new and challenging things in the fitness world. Recently I started running races and have completed a 5K and a half marathon and have several upcoming events including a 10K, 12 miler, and a super intense Savage Race! 

  Okay now onto why I am writing this blog.... it is partly for me - to keep myself motivated and to hold myself accountable to my goals and aspirations both professionally and personally. I am also creating this as a place to share things that are meant to inspire and motivate and some just for fun. The blog is titled Zen and Sweat- and it's meant to be just that, a place for physical and mental health and mindfulness and of course for some fun :)  So here's to some Zen and sweat!