Actively Engaged in Your Own Life.

I think that getting into shape is kind of daunting for some people. The thought of going to the gym for an hour every day can almost be painful.

Going to the gym isn't for everyone, but that's not the only way to be healthy. Even working out isn't the only way to be healthy. Yeah, if you want muscle tone and stuff like that, you probably need to go to the gym. But in order to feel good, you really just need to move. Get up. Walk around. Be engaged in something other than sitting.

ac·tive/ˈaktiv/

Adjective:	(of a person) Engaging or ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits.
Noun:	An active form of a verb.
Synonyms:	lively - live - brisk - energetic - operative

Physically energetic pursuits aren't only running or weight lifting. It's all about choices--how you choose to live your life. Instead of spending your whole weekend on the couch, choose to do something different. Engage your mind, engage your body.

A few days ago, my boyfriend and I went on a group date with my sisters and their husbands. We went to dinner, walked around downtown a little bit, and then went to a park so my nephew could play. While we were there, all of us started playing on the playground, and it was honestly pretty fun. Monkey bars, cargo nets, weird spinny things... all that good stuff. I wasn't sweating after, I didn't feel like I was exercising, but I felt good. I felt active. I was choosing to play instead of just watching my nephew, and that made all the difference. 

It wasn't only that my body was active, my mind was active as well. I was focused on not falling off of the monkey bars. I was focused on not slipping from the rock wall. Being actively engaged with your mind is just as important as with your body. Sometimes, pick one. Sometimes, pick both. Just choose to do something. Make a decision, and then follow through on your decision. By not choosing to make a decision, you are choosing to not be engaged in your own life. That's when you start to feel like you're not worth it. 

Walk around the block, take the stairs, do some cleaning, have a dance party, play basketball with the neighbor kids, have a game night, bake some muffins, go to the Farmer's Market, run through the sprinklers, fly a kite, throw some rocks at the annoying birds in your yard. Then, after you've had some fun, rest. Recuperate. And get ready to be active again tomorrow. 

I promise, once you start making a conscious effort to be actively engaged in your life, there's no going back.