Barre3 Bellingham

Gotta love Bellingham, City of Subdued Excitement  @JoylovesPhotography Winter 2018

I thought I was pretty fit until I went to a Barre3 class today for the first time. I'm participating in the Fairhaven Runners annual beginning of the year Bingo Challenge and one of the squares says "Try an new activity/exercise". Instagram popped up the other day with an ad for Barre3 so I thought why not give it a shot and cross that box off my bingo card. My friend Emily, who was already sore from Snowboarding yesterday, came along too and I can hardly imagine what it felt like for her. I've been lazy the past couple days besides the 30 minutes of hula hooping each day and hiking on Chuckanut Island, oh and hot yoga a few days ago. 

I felt like I was lazy anyway but generally I'm pretty active. This class kicked my ass, my muscles were shaking multiple times trying to keep doing the moves. It was absolutely fun but totally hardcore compared to what I expected. Yoga, pilates and ballet combined to create a type of aerobics on steroids. I will be going back only because they had a 3 for $30 special for newbies otherwise I think I'd prefer my ass kicking from reaching the summit of some mountain peak. However after class I did ask what it would take to become an instructor with some nutty post-workout adrenalin surging through my veins. Anyone who does that for a living deserves serious respect for that kind of dedication to fitness.

I like the studio too, with the floor to ceiling windows on two sides of the square room. I wish I could have a hoop dance studio like that. It was lovely to be able to see the lighting change as the sun set during class. I'm planning on going to Fairhaven Runners Tuesday night all paces group run tomorrow evening and I only hope my legs are going to forgive me for what I put them through today. It was a hell of a workout and I would highly recommend anyone give it a try at least once just to see what I'm talking about.

Selling Books

#Gagbot Quotes and #Prisma App modifications hooping with a selfie stick today.

I think one of my biggest fears is actually selling my books. Once I get them done then I have to get them out there and once they're out there I have to be ready to hold my own regardless of the feedback I'll probably get. I know I can't please everyone and if my first book is a success it's scary to think of how many people might read it.

Then the more people that read it the more there may be people who don't like it. It's a vulnerable feeling to allow such an intimate look into how my mind works with regard to my personal experiences and perceptions. 

Writing this blog seems safe currently because there are only a few people who even read it. It's going to be much harder to write here when I have a bigger audience because there will be more at stake. At the same time it's also good that I'm aware of this fear and ready to face it.

That's why it's funny that this Gagbot quote is what popped up in the Prisma app when I was looking for a picture to go with my blog post for today. There's so many other things I could be working toward selling that don't make me feel so vulnerable and scared. At the same time I know they won't be nearly as beneficial or satisfying to complete which is why I'm willing to put myself on the line.

Part of it's not really even the selling that scares me, it's finding out whether or not I'm even good enough to be a successful writer. I'm coaching myself daily and doing my best to get past this. I know it's risky but sometimes the bigger the risk the better the reward. I just hope this is the case when I'm selling books before things. 

Thanks Gagbots & Prisma for inspiring this introspection!