A bit of FLOURISH, a bit of fitness

Balance

My last few blog posts have centered on this important theme, and here’s another.

We all seek balance in our lives whether emotional, physical, or financial, as Liz, the protagonist in my novel, FLOURISH, is constantly doing.  Here’s an excerpt from a chapter where she’s dealing with that ever present problem.

***

Liz threw the afghan over the back of the couch.  “Enough daydreaming,” she said scolding herself. “Michael’s arms can’t help me tonight. I’ve got to figure something out.”  Her balance sheets were as unsteady as a toddler taking his first steps, and she had to come up with a solution to keep her business going. She got up, walked through the kitchen, grabbed a piece of cheese and went into her bedroom.

“Okay, Liz,” she said climbing into bed, “you need a plan and you need it now!”  As she lay in bed staring up at the bare white ceiling, her mind explored every possibility about how she would pay her mortgage. She wasn’t about to ask Matt Woods. Even though she was hanging on by a slender thread and knew she could lose everything, Liz didn’t want to depend on her friend’s generosity again. I’ll do this myself, she vowed. I will not fail now. Unable to drown her anxieties in sleep, she devised a plan.

***

Since I’m not a financial advisor, I can’t give you any tips for the health of your balance sheets, though Liz probably could. She did a good job with her profits and losses, but you’ll have to read the novel to find out how. As of this writing, my website, which is focused on FLOURISH, is under construction. I’ll keep you posted on this new journey in my life.

As a fitness professional, I can give you tips for your physical balance, as I have done in previous posts. Below is a video of an exercise for core strength as well as ankle and calf strength, those all important muscles for balance. Whether or not you are having balance issues, this exercise is extremely beneficial. It brings in abdominals, buttocks, hips, thighs, legs, ankles, and upper body depending on what you choose to do with your arms. That choice is yours. I give one suggestion, but be creative. You can add bicep curls or tricep presses while doing the lower body work, if you’re comfortable and are sure you’re doing them correctly. Your body is a magnificent machine, better than any you’ll find in a health club. It uses many muscle groups to perform everyday activities such as walking or climbing stairs, not to mention dancing, tennis, golf, jogging, etc. Muscles work together. They are the perfect marriage when the body is strong and flexible. So give it a try. Increase your strength, improve your balance.

You can tell by the way the video ends that it wasn't done professionally. My friend, Dan Schlossberg, who plays as my videographer, is really a writer, so you'll have to excuse our little mistakes. Baseball fans and anyone who enjoys travelling should check out his books and radio blog. Braves Banter www.blogtalkradio.com