I consider myself a pretty happy person. I love to laugh and can find humor in almost every situation. That being said, with everything going on in this crazy world right now, I sometimes have to remind myself what the Bible tells us in Nehemiah 8:10: Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
And, though not Biblical, there are a couple of other things I keep in mind:
"I don't sing because I'm happy, I'm happy because I sing." William James, Philosopher
And, from a magnet I used to have on my refrigerator: "Those who wish to sing, will always find a song!" (true that! I can find a song for anything!)
When I was a kid, my orthodontist had a poster in his office that I was forced to stare at during my many visits to have my braces adjusted. It said: Smile. It increases your face value!
Here's another thing that makes me smile—
After suffering a back injury, my husband James came home from a visit with his physical therapist, excited about a piece of equipment he'd used. "You've got to try this thing, Monica!" he exclaimed. "It's amazing!" He went on to describe something that sounded pretty strange. "It's this machine that you stand on and the platform vibrates. It's called Whole Body Vibration," he told me. "They're also called WBV machines. I want to get one for our house!"
I'll admit I was skeptical at first, but because James was so enthusiastic about it, I did a little research and learned that WBV machines were initially invented for the Russian space program in the 1970s to counteract the effects of zero gravity and as a training method for their Olympic athletes.
In the 1990s after the fall of the Iron Curtain, commercial machines were developed and rapidly spread throughout Europe. Ten years later, vibration machines arrived in California and began to be available across the United States. Currently, WBV is predominately known and used for its dramatic effects on the musculoskeletal system.
There are millions of satisfied users worldwide, including top athletes such as Shaquille O'Neal and Trace Armstrong. Sports franchises such as the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins, and celebrities like Madonna, Clint Eastwood, and Tony Robbins are also fans of WBV.
Seeing that I was coming around to his way of thinking on investing in a WBV machine, (These things aren't cheap!) James played his trump card. "You know all those squats you do? If you were to do them while you're standing on the platform, they'll really pay off! They say ten minutes of WBV training gives you the benefits of one hour of conventional weight lifting in addition to increasing your muscle strength and bone density."
"Geez, you sound like a spokesman for WBV!" I teased.
"You're gonna love it!" James insisted with a wink. "You know, it can also help with weight loss."
At this, I rolled my eyes. "Are you implying I need to drop some pounds?"
He smiled and replied, "I was talking about myself, of course!"
"Right!"
I'm happy to say that we found a preowned WBV machine on Craig's List for around $800. (ours is a Pulser brand and would normally run around $2800 new) The guy we bought it from had knee replacement and was unable to use it.
It's been nearly four years now and James and I use our WBV every day. I normally get on it in the mornings and yes, I love it! In addition to helping me feel more focused and energized, working out on the WBV platform is amazing. I do everything from squats to weight lifting on it and believe it has made a big difference in "the jiggle factor" —especially on my upper arms and thighs. (Sidebar: With all that shaking goin' on I can also sing like Stevie Nicks!)
If someone had told me years ago that there'd be a day when I had a giant vibrating machine in my home, I wouldn't have believed them! And, even though the name of the thing raises eyebrows, the fact is, the results I've gotten from using it have definitely put a smile on my face.
Closet ClotheSure Challenge Week 22
With it being the week before the Fourth of July, I went with a red, white and blue theme—
Monday - I purchased this bright red dress for a trade show a few years back off of Amazon. I normally wear it with my black and red cowgirl boots. It's from a company called Meavon which I've never heard of before. I like the lace and the length of it, but have decided to poke it back into the section of my closet where I store trade show apparel. #reddress #rockthered
Tuesday - (below) This fun dress is from New York & Company. It's very fitted and of course, the pockets make it even more awesome! I paired it with some bright yellow pumps by Jessica Simpson, just to add even more pizzazz to the look. A definite keeper!
Wednesday - Another trade show purchase from a few years back. This white lace number is from RN Studio. I have to share that James took more pictures of me in this dress than any so far in Closet ClotheSure history. No matter what I did, there was always a little "pooch" that showed around my belly! After taking numerous shots and having me nix each one, James finally suggested I go put on "one of those incredible fat sucker things you're always blogging about'. This might have been helpful if I hadn't already been wearing one! Ugh! In the end, we turned off the upstairs light and that reduced the tummy pooch a bit and he finally got a photo I could live with. I didn't notice until I posted this photo that my eyes are closed! Too funny! Oh - and this dress will be stored in the aforementioned work apparel section of my closet.
Thursday - Didn't I tell you that the size 6's were coming down the pike? And so, here I am in my just a wee bit tight red, white & blue Ann Taylor dress. I've had this patriotic piece for nearly ten years and it normally makes an appearance around this time of the year—zipper permitting. (and yes, there's an incredible fat sucker involved here!) As you'll recall, part of the Closet ClotheSure Challenge requires that I must wear everything in my closet (without repeats) until I run out of clothes. I'm going to hang onto this one because I do love its classic style. #anntaylor #redwhiteandblue
Wishing everyone a fabulous fourth!
And remember: God is in control and hope is on the move!
Love & Smiles -
Monica