“Skating Uphill is tough, but the view from the top is worth it!”

                                         Judith Lawrenson

It is incredible, but true-PINK Magazine has been a gift to local women for ten years. This is our anniversary edition.  I am writing a very special column this month in honor not only of that fact, but in honor of what PINK has meant to so many women. Celebrate Your Womantality means that being a woman is important and valid. Being a woman is a unique experience that entails special feelings and values. Having said that, I will also say that being a woman involves you in a variety of self determined ways to prove to yourself that you deserve to be treated well, listened to, and recognized for your accomplishments.

In this month’s Skating Uphill, I will write about living a healthy life style in very broad terms. I will share ten things that you can and should do for yourself. Ten for Ten. These things will not be the old “go to a movie” or have a “girl’s night out.” I like to think we are past that in our journey. My ten things are different and just for YOU.

1. Go to your doctor and have a complete physical. Do not forget bone density and a mammogram. Talk to your doctor about weight, blood test results, and well-being. Discuss your overall health not just your physical results. Talk about stress as it relates to heart attack and how job satisfaction affects health. Use your time to really find out about things that are important to you. As you do this, remember that it this is not just about you. There are others who depend on how you feel on any given day. Do this for them too.
2. Journal your life for a week. Just one week. I do not mean just journal your food, I mean write down everything that happens in your day and how you feel about it. This can be such an eye-opener. Just do it once and you will learn so much about yourself and your interactions with those around you.
3. Clean out your pantry, kitchen, and bedroom closet. This may seem like a lot, but honestly, take just one hour-set your over timer. Start with two black plastic bags. One is for your donations and the other is for Stuff. By that I mean food you know you don’t want to eat, clothing that no longer fits, and panties and bras that are all stretched out. You will feel so good after you have done this.
4. Lose 5 pounds in a month. Do this by making small adjustments that you will never feel. Cut out or trade something. Don’t drink sweet tea, cut portions by one third, add 5 minutes a day to your exercises or if you don’t exercise try to do 15 minutes per day of just moving around. Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. You get the idea. Pick a couple of things and surprise yourself.
5. On this same note, no pun intended, go out and buy yourself a CD with a big beat. I have everything from Benny Goodman to ABBA in the drawer of my bedside table. I drop in something with a Flashdance beat that I cannot resist and I dance for a while with no one watching. Sometimes this start to a day does something amazing. Try it.
6. I know this will sound corny, but take a spa treatment. You do not have to go big. There are lots of special deals out there for facials, massages, etc. Treat yourself. This is a non-food indulgence that will make you feel better-trust me on this one.
7. Take a class. Recent studies say that doing that crossword puzzle or jig saw is OK for brain sharpness, but to really tone up that IQ, take a class. There are many ways to do this if you just look in the paper or on line. Remember that old joke about the college class called “Underwater Basket Weaving?” Well, I am going to take a class at Coastal Discovery Museum in Gullah Basket Weaving. I am doing it not because I am good at handicrafts, but because I am NOT good at handicrafts. Try something different.
8. Change a bad habit into a good one. A habit is a habit. If you can have a bad one, you certainly could have a good one. I am not even saying you have to give something up, just do something new. Start by drinking a glass of water at your bathroom sink every morning. Quick and easy-water and glass are already there. Try parking your car further away from the store or your job. Try cutting portions by 1/3. You will be surprised how quickly you get used to that being your amount. You get the idea. The only condition to this one is that you should start small. Build on your successes.
9. Call someone you love. Call your child, old, dear friend, anyone about whom you care deeply. Call someone you love and tell them you love them. Just as simple as that. Reach out and touch someone as the old commercial used to say. Make a loving connection. It will make you feel so glad you did.
10. Finally, and I think this is the best of all, find some time for yourself, get a cup of peach tea with a teaspoon of honey, and sit down and read PINK from cover to cover. I frequently do this and I feel educated, inspired, enlightened, and made aware. When I say made aware, I mean not just of local happenings or local ladies or even where to go and what’s on sale. All of that is in PINK, but there is also tons more. I believe at some level we are all sisters and when you put down your PINK, I bet you will agree with me.

So, here are my ten things to do for your lovely self. I hope you find, make, or have time to do all ten and I hope doing these things for yourself will lift you up and make you happy. Indeed, why not?