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June 29, 2018 By Melendy Johnson

A Numbers Game

What do numbers mean to you

Numbers

What are these little things we see everywhere?

Numbers

They create a sense of accomplishment,

A sense of self

A sense of self worth.

Value

Place

Location

Numbers define our lives more than we realize.

Our income

Our debt

Our giving

They define our self

Our weight

Our height

Our clothing size

They define our home

How much

What area

How many rooms

They define our accomplishments

What place

What grade point average

How many followers we have

How many likes we get.

But why do we give numbers so much worth in our lives?

 

Because we learn to from the moment we are born. As a mother, I can remember the first questions I would be asked about my pregnancies. What is your due date? How far along? How many weeks? How long until you know the gender? How many are there? How many will you have? All of these questions require a value, a number.

Then, once you have your child, the first things people want to know about a baby are their height and weight. (Numbers)

Then time and date (numbers)

Then weeks/months/years (numbers)

How many words? (Numbers)

We are measured by numbers from the very beginning. We learn that these numbers hold value. They define who we are. People see us as the skinny or fat baby, the tall or short child, the rich or poor person based on numbers.

 

We try so hard to change these numbers. To make them different. To make them better. Being better or best means having the highest or the lowest number (depending on what you are talking about). Being better or the best means comparing yourself to others. We should always caution ourselves from being too quick to compare ourselves to others. When we do that to our children we can create a world of hurt.

As a mom, I often find myself saying that the first or the second or the third child did x, y, or z at such and such an age. Then, I find myself saying this to another parent when we compare our children. It is like a three ring circus of “well, my child was walking at 10 months old. How about yours?” And “Oh! Well, my child could read at the age of 2.” Followed quickly by an occasional, “Well, my child was playing Mozart at three.” And so on. It really makes me sad to think I have done that about and to my children. I Am trying not to do that anymore. I try to use names and their character to describe them, but sometimes that is hard in a society of numbers.

Motherhood and life are filled with so many numbers. At one point in my own life running seemed like a good idea. How hard could it be, right? So, I signed up for a 5K. I never practiced, never warmed up, and just showed up to run. I came in last place. It took me 47 minutes to run that 5K and it was the most grueling 47 minutes of my life. Those numbers have improved drastically over time with focus, practice, and dedication.

Why did that bother me? Because I let that get to me. I let those numbers give me value. I have learned that those numbers only hold value in that they pushed me to run faster and farther, and to understand that it takes practice to improve my running numbers.

As parents we wanted to choose a sport for our boys that would help them find their values: hard work, dedication, teamwork, good sportsmanship, etc.. The sport we chose for them is all about the numbers : track and field.Aaron Running

Talk about numbers, this sport is about how fast, what place, and how far. We chose it because the one thing I did learn from that race was that I could better myself from that time. Track & Field is a sport that doesn’t compare you to someone else. Well, it doesn’t if you do it right. As coaches and parents we are constantly telling our runners to do THEIR best. Not to worry about the other runner’s best, but to focus on what they can do to beat themselves. We push them in practice to stretch, run, jump and throw better every time. This dedication has lead to personal bests for many of our runners, and even a showing at the Junior Olympics.

The numbers here show our runners that they have grown. That their hard work is paying off. That dedication and focus will lead to great rewards. This lesson is not just for running or jumping or throwing, but it will play out in life.

If they focus on the task at hand, do what they have learned to do and dedicate themselves to it, they will find that they are capable of growing at any task.

Numbers. They mean so much, but also, so little.

Love yourself!A number can never compare to the worth a person feels inside. The sense of accomplishment and wonder someone feels as they rise above a challenge and grow from it. No number can ever replace that feeling.

So I challenge you. Move forward with fewer numbers. Credit yourself for what you can do, and find your non-number worth. What makes you fully you? How do you find your non-number worth? For me, it is how happy my children are, what they believe they can do, the joy in my marriage, and what I know I am capable of. Numbers do not need to define any of that!

be free to love yourself for you

Leave a comment and help others find ways to find their worth as well

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August 15, 2017 By Melendy Johnson

8 minutes…

Today is the start of week 7 with my running coach – Week 7!

They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit – or to become adjusted to a new routine.

It took me 7 weeks – but running 3-4 times a week, this was my 21st run.

21 times I got up, put on my  “I don’t want to”
“Big Girl” shoes, grabbed my headphones, my playlist, my water, and my running plan.

21 times I did it.

8 Minutes – that is what I ran for today – my whole run was over half an hour, but I ran for 8 minutes straight –

Minute one – I’m not ready

Minute two – only 6 to go

Minute three – Maybe I cannot do this

Minute four – halfway there

Minute five – maybe I should have started slower

Minute six – two minutes to go…

Minute seven – one to go, that wasn’t so bad!

Minute eight – maybe I could have done 10!

and then there was the rest of the ladder.

But I ran for 8 minutes.

When I started this program 21 runs ago, I couldn’t run for one minute straight.

My progress may seem slow, but to me, it is exactly what I needed to do. my body is slowly changing, my waistline getting a little more definition, my abs a little tighter, loosing some of the roundness in my face.

What am I gaining?
Strength
Endurance
Confidence
Resilience
the ability to understand my splits and pace

courage

All things I was lacking before I started running.

I am so grateful that one Saturday morning my now coach took a chance and asked if I wanted to train with her. She asked if I wanted some guidance in my running. She led with value, and offered me the ability to find myself at my own pace. She sends reminders when it has been too long since I have run, and rejoices in my triumphs when I overcome an obstacle.

There are so many excuses I could have made – so many things I could have let get in the way yet 21 times I said yes, and today I rejoice in 8 minutes! Maybe tomorrow I will do 10.

~~~~~~~~

What do you want to make a new habit?

What are the excuses you tell yourself?

Go do it! Make that change for you!
Let me be your inspiration – and you go be mine!

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July 5, 2017 By Melendy Johnson

Who is Melendy?

photo of Melendy

Melendy (muh-LEND-ee) is a mom/wife/aunt/sister/daughter from Rhode Island. She teaches preschool, Coaches youth Track & Field and Cross Country, Sings, Photographs casually, runs, and loves a great glass of wine and the beach!

Spending time with friends discovering new foods, sitting by the fire on a summer night, being by the water at any time of year – these are just a few of her favorite things. She rides with the windows down, music up, and usually a pair of shades.

When she isn’t doing all of those things she is planning creative ways to inspire others. She loves to make graphics out of quotes that speak to her, and is always up for a new adventure! She loves to learn, and spends a majority of her time researching things she is passionate about.

She has learned in life that spending  your time worrying about making others happy only takes your joy away. Instead, she is working to do better for herself, and her family – while creating joy for others through her actions. Teaching, Coaching, and inspiring others is her way of giving back – while still being herself.

This blog has evolved over the past few years into one that is more her voice. She has discovered who she is, and how to love that. She hopes to share that passion with you, the reader, and help you love yourself too!

Melendy has a passion for reading that is often unfulfilled – she is working in more time for reading into her daily life.

In the blog you will find inspiration for your daily life, recipes created by Melendy, and inspired by others, workouts she uses, and others she wants to try, and – Melendy’s sense of fashion! Plus more – you will find a caring ear, fun read, and a relatable author.

Welcome to Lifestyle with Melendy!

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Welcome! I am so excited to share all things life with you! Recipes, fashion, workouts, relaxation, packing lists - you name it - I love it! I am a mom to three teenage boys, and a wife to my best friend. I coach youth track and field, and teach preschool. Life is always busy, and always fun here! Join in and share the fun!
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