Finding a Way that Works

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May 29, 2010

Trying to find a way that works in all the various aspects of my life is an ongoing priority for me. As life is ever-changing, the ways of making things work also need to constantly evolve. This week I had a reminder of two key factors that can make finding a way that works possible.

Firstly, we need to keep taking action. If we don’t try things, we will never know whether or not they can work. Secondly, and very importantly, we need to stop over-analyzing, because the solution will often appear without conscious thought.

For the last several months, most days I have taken my children for a long walk along the oceanfront to the fishing port near our home. These walks are intended to give me a good work-out, so we don’t stroll!
My daughter, Jade, has been a bundle of energy her whole life, and can run rings around me. My elder son, Ben, didn’t show much inclination towards physical activity until I started taking him (initially a little reluctantly, and eventually extremely enthusiastically) on my walks a few months ago. My younger son, Daniel, now 18 months old, is content to sit in his stroller and enjoy the ride.

Our frequent walks were a part of our routine that we all enjoyed- not least of all my husband Ian, as it gave him a quiet house for an hour. I have always found exercise to be a vital part of a balanced life. When I exercise regularly, I feel so much better mentally, physically, and emotionally. To help cope with the ups and downs of life and to ward off and alleviate bouts of depression, exercise is one of the best things we can do.

I know what a difference vigorous physical exercise makes to my kids too. They come back home rosy-cheeked and with a sparkle in their eyes. They burn up some of the energy that they have such an abundance of, while taking advantage of the fact that I am a (moving) captive audience. I get running commentaries from the elder two, and Daniel has also started joining in with a delightful babble.

Recently though, our exercise routine hit an inevitable snag. The summers in Taiwan are very hot and humid, and summer is here. To find a way that works for exercising outside now would mean either walking at 5am, or walking in the evening. Both these alternatives present logistical problems, which include sleeping, mealtimes, and swarms of mosquitoes.

Finding an indoor exercise option became the clear choice. Last summer, I scheduled my own exercise for the evening when the kids were in bed, and did my walks on a treadmill. This year though, as well as the fact that I am committed to giving my kids the exercise they need, my evenings are often occupied with work commitments.

I decided that mid-morning, we could put on music and do some aerobic/dance type exercise which I always enjoyed doing at gyms when I lived in places that had gyms. I figured that Jade and Ben could either follow along with what I was doing, or do their own moves, while Daniel watched us from a playpen so that he wouldn’t get trampled underfoot.

The first time I tried doing this exercise with my kids, it was less than successful. Much of their time was spent on the sofa, rather than actively and joyfully participating. Nevertheless, I persevered for a few sessions, with slightly varying degrees of success.

During our exercise session a couple of days ago, without conscious thought, a solution came to me. Rather than trying to show the kids dance moves or motivate them to join in, I started chasing them around the room. They love to be chased, and began running, leaping, and squealing while I danced and jogged around them. After half an hour of active craziness, accompanied by the lively, happy sound of pop group Aqua, we were all feeling wonderful.

The picture above shows my elder kids during our newly discovered exercise routine. For some time now, Jade and Ben have been checking out the pictures I put on Choosing Life My Way, and have vocally wondered when their pictures would appear on the site, like mine does. Since this page is essentially about them, I figured that this was a good opportunity to put a photo of them on and show off my beautiful children in action.

What my experience this week really reminded me is that there are a couple of very important factors in finding a way that works. The most important thing is to keep trying. If you know what it is that you want to create in your life, believe that there will be a way to have it, keep thinking of ways that might work, and keep trying.

The other point is that we can often think and think about a situation, but the answer may very well come to us indirectly, or in a moment of activity. This goes hand in hand with the point of keeping on trying. By trying various ways, you may find, like I just did, that while you are trying one way that isn’t really working, the idea for a way that works just pops into your mind.

Let’s keep finding a way that works!