20 weeks...

Change is the only constant. Sounds like an oxymoron or something doesn’t it? Literally nothing is consistent for me except for knowing that things will change every day and maybe, every minute. This week has been challenging because I never could figure out or predict what was going to come next with my body! One day I felt amazing, energy was up, and I almost felt…normal. The next day, I was groggy, tired and didn’t want to move. Later that evening, I pushed myself to go to Zumba class with my absolute favorite instructor, Melissa Zugell. While I was so glad that I went and completely enjoyed the class, I didn’t enjoy the new pain in my ankles that I felt as I moved and grooved across the floor. Usually after cardio I am hungry, but a good serving of chicken, veggies and a salad normally does the trick. That night I was famished! I felt like some crazy hungry hippo had taken over my body and only wanted wheat toast with peanut butter and bananas. Weird right?

Apparently, it’s not so weird. During my “what the heck is going on with this body?” moments, I remember the words of a dear friend laughing and then telling me,”Oh friend, when your pregnant, you body is so not your own.” I love the stories my post-pregnant friends have shared with me about their crazy, inexplicable, or just flat out frustrating moments. Hearing their stories always make me laugh and reminds me that someday my body, hormones, emotions, etc. will be back to normal. But for now, I have to choose to enjoy every moment, even the weird ones, that developing a new life brings my way. I am a “baby hotel” as my husband lovingly refers to me. While Champ is checked in, he is in total control!

Seriously speaking, there are a ton of things that I have no control over like having to pee all the time, being tired randomly, and my growing belly. Amidst the uncontrollable there are many things that I can control and if I do a few things well, these things will not only help me to feel like myself during a time of constant change, but they should also refresh and rejuvenate me. Whether you are pregnant or just in some kind of transition, you always have control of your attitude and your actions. Focus on these things and learn to go with the flow on the rest.

I can control my ATTITUDE- Have you ever heard the saying “attitude is everything?” That statement has proven itself over and over in my life. It doesn’t even matter what actually happens during the day! If I decide to handle every moment and experience with a positive outlook, it is never a bad day. This attitude check starts when I wake up and I actually say out loud that my day is going to be amazing! When I am brushing my hair or putting on my makeup, I will say things like “today will be the best day EVER” or “I will make a positive impact on everyone I come in contact with today.” I love to take it a step further and give my day to God asking Him to give me tons of opportunities to bless other people that day and that they would see Him through me. These days are always full of joy and purpose. I don’t sweat the small stuff and even the bigger stuff doesn’t weigh on me. You should try it…tomorrow.

I can control my ACTIONS- Sometimes, you have to act before you feel. For example, I may not feel like going to the gym, but I must decide to act on my commitment to going, not on my feeling of laziness. When I act on my commitment to going to workout, the feeling of enjoyment usually kicks in about 5 minutes into my workout. Placing a priority on having your actions line up with your commitments will keep you on track and keep the guilty feeling associated with not keeping commitments far away! So many times we act on our superficial feelings and stray away from the actions that will benefit us in the long run. We think that the temporary gratification (like staying on the couch) will make us feel better, but in reality most feeling based decisions take us one step further from our goals. Make the decision today to act on your commitments, not how you feel that moment.

Wishing you all the best this week,

Jada