Jim's Place

A matter of character...

I did some thinking about how I can better keep myself on track with my Body-for-LIFE fitness program. One pitfall that so many people experience is that after losing a lot of weight or achieving an important goal they back off on their workouts and get a lot more flexible with their food intake. Of course, that often means regaining a lot of weight.

So I felt it was a good idea for me to reframe my fitness perspective. Surely, it's important to drop the excess weight, but more than anything it's about being the person I want to be and who I think God wants me to be. Even if I was at my normal weight, my fitness regimen would still be just as important, because it means I'm living consistent with my values and principles. When I look at it that way, I'm not so tempted to back off after losing a lot of weight.

In many areas of life, it's painful to live in a way that is inconsistent with who you are - in your job, relationships, family life, etc. - so you're already motivated to live according to your principles. You do it because it's your character - not requiring some big goal, but simply because it's who you want to be. I hope that you can also view your fitness program in a similar fashion and that your commitment and drive is driven each day mostly because you are passionate about being the best "You" you can be... :)

"Time to take a look under hood?"

As excited as I was to start a new Body-for-LIFE challenge a couple of weeks ago, I realized today that I haven't been doing it with my usual gung-ho enthusiasm and to a large extent, I've just been going through the motions. That's not a surprise since I knew it would take awhile to get my emotional energy back after such a draining rough spell of illness the last few months. But I know from experience it's best to just get going - and that eventually the momentum will develop and the excitement will come back.

It's only human nature that when you're going through a long spell of sickness or some other physical adversity that you might have to lower your expectations. Progress would be nice, but frankly you're just trying to hold on!

But when the storm passes and you finally get a chance to ramp things back up, there is usually some fallout mentally and emotionally to deal with. Perhaps, it's simply because it takes awhile to get your confidence back after a serious setback, but it still is crucial to address any insidious thinking or beliefs that might be holding you back.

In a nutshell, the "stinking thinking" that crept in was "What can I get away with and still have decent results?" and the "Maybe I'm still not physically or emotionally up to fully committing to my fitness program and as such I probably won't meet my goals for this challenge." Yikes! Not exactly the kind of thinking or beliefs necessary to feel excited or passionate about your fitness program!

Now, let me be clear - this has been under the surface stuff. I would have caught it right away if it was in the forefront of my thoughts. But it's the kind of insidious stuff that can slip in under the radar screen if you don't stop to take inventory of that churning or stress. It's under the surface, but it's still greatly affecting your focus and behavior. Unaddressed it tends to drive a person towards escapism and diversion, commonly resulting in eating and drinking behavior that ensures your fitness/weight-loss goals aren't going to happen!

Now that I've identified the issues, I'll deal with them. I feel so relieved and excited now! Shazam! I hope sharing my exercise in emotional/mental "homework" might be helpful to anyone dealing with similar issues. And of course, this kind of internal work also applies to any of life's issues. Keep on truckin', gang! :)

"How do you manage to always be a happy camper?!"

I thought I'd share a little of my daily approach that helps me be a happy camper most of the time...

- I believe each day is a gift from God, even those days when I feel too sick to do much of anything.

- I don't let things fester inside. I frequently take inventory of whatever hurt, anxiety, fear, disappointment, stress, etc. I might be feeling and work at determining what the root cause is. I then try to figure out what I can do about it, accepting what I can't change. I make sure not to feed that little monster that sometimes tries to turn a negative feeling into a condemning judgment on my self-worth.

- I take a moment to grieve the ongoing feelings of loss from the illness and try to reassure the kid inside that everything is okay.

- I focus on what I CAN do. I put my energy into getting excited about how I can make the most of my day and not into being angry because illness or some other adversity derailed my original plans.

- I continue to have big dreams and big plans, even though based on the past it might seem foolish. It might seem like I'm just setting myself up for disappointment by always making plans and setting goals that have been derailed a gazillion times before due to illness - but what I'm really doing is just giving myself a chance for success! Long ago, I decided that I'd rather dream and risk disappointment than not dream and GUARANTEE disappointment! I can deal with disappointment, but I can't deal with giving up!

- I've always believed that God has a purpose for everything that I've gone through. That even the long-suffering is part of my "training" for something bigger and better.

- Even on the roughest days, I still have the joy of the Holy Spirit in my heart.

- I'm careful not to get wrapped up in drama, anger, envy, jealousy or any emotions that will drag me down, however I don't let that keep me from having deep feelings of love, compassion, empathy, etc.

- I treat all of my emotions as valid. I don't run away from "negative" thoughts or emotions. I give them the attention that is warranted, but also I make sure they don't drive my mood. Trying to gloss over such emotions or just put them behind you will only cause stress and eventually depression.

- I try not to let my physical state drive my emotional state. Even when I'm feeling awful I'm usually still feeling happy. That throws a lot of people off, but hey, I'm a rebel!

- My "requirement" to be happy is simply that I'm alive. That might sound Pollyannish, but I've decided Pollyanna was pretty darn smart! Yes, I still feel some big voids in my life, such as not having a partner - but I'm not going to let that keep me from being happy right now.

- I'm a realist in an optimistic sort of way. From what I've observed the typical approach to being "realistic" is often just conceding your dreams, because they fell apart so many times in the past. It might not be "realistic" to dream about getting well - but yet it could happen! So often people get caught up in their fear of disappointment... "What if this doesn't work out?" to which I counter "What if it does work out?! What if this time you actually lose the weight?! Or have a medical breakthrough?! Or meet the love of your life?! Granted, you don't know that it will happen, but then again, you don't know that it won't!" I say, give your dreams at least a fighting chance!

Ok, gang, I hope this gives you some insight as to how I face life each day and I also hope that you might find something in here that helps you as well... :)

"Helping others will take your mind off the illness!"

Some people need to understand that the suggestion to go get involved with the community to take your mind off the illness/fatigue/pain is like saying go lift weights to help you forget about having a broken arm.

"Just put it behind you!"

It's easy for some people to think that after years of being sick that "You just need to accept it and move on!" But what they don't understand is that every day brings a new episode that hurts just like the first one did years ago. You still have to work through the emotional and mental fallout, not to mention the physical aspects, of what is happening in the present - even if you've managed to put the past behind you.

My fireworks photo technique

My basic fireworks photo technique using my Canon Rebel T3i w/Canon 17-40 L-series lense:

• I position myself upwind of the fireworks to minimize smoke messing up the shot.

• Settings:
• ISO 100, on a tripod, using a remote switch, manual mode, bulb mode, manual focus, mirror lockup enabled, image stabilization off
• Aperture - f/13 for exposures up to 8 seconds. Longer exposures such as for the grand finale will require smaller apertures such as f/22 or a neutral density filter. (Note: This aperture has worked well for my local fireworks display, where I'm able to get extremely close. For fireworks that are further away, apertures such as f/8 and f/11 might be a better choice)
• No UV filter or similar filter unless you are using an ND filter
• White balance: I shoot in RAW format so I don't worry about it but if you shoot in JPEG try Daylight or Tungsten or set a custom white balance.

• I set the focus manually and ideally will do that before it gets dark - usually using the launching pad where the fireworks are set up as a focal point.  I also look for a fallback focal point that I can use during the show (i.e. one you still see after it gets dark) - for example, a street light that is about the same distance away as the fireworks. That way, if I have to move or change my zoom during the fireworks, I can quickly do it.

• After the first shot, I quickly check my LCD to confirm that the focus is correct. I make sure to already have my reading glasses on!

•  As soon as you hear a firework launched press the remote switch to start the exposure. If you're using mirror lockup it'll take 2 presses. Close the shutter after the explosion ends, or leave open for up to about 8 seconds to catch multiple bursts. If the fireworks are especially bright, you'll want to close the shutter a little earlier than usual. I like to close the shutter earlier on some shots so that I catch the explosion while it's still in progress and then on others I'll leave the shutter open longer to capture the light trails.

• After your first couple of shots, check to verify correct focus/exposure and see if you need to reframe the shot. If you do, be careful not to bump the focus. If you decide to zoom in or out, you'll need to reset the focus, which might be a challenge now that it's dark. If the shot is too bright, lower the aperture (increase the f stop), too dark, raise the aperture (lower f stop). Note: changing f stop may require re-focusing.

• For the grand finale: Ideally, you would want to use a neutral density filter so that you could leave the shutter open for 10-20 seconds without the picture being blown out - maybe a good option if you have an extra camera. But what I usually do is near the end of the show, I just spin up the aperture to f/18 or f/22 and leave the shutter open for about 10 seconds.