I Hate it When Exercise is the Answer

Lizzie and I started reading this book recently. Lizzie found it at Deseret Book. It is by Emily Watts. It starts out with her talking about her body changed when she turned 50. She went to the doctor and he told her that her problems would be helped if she exercised. She didn't like this of course, but it made her think of how she could make herself better by getting some spiritual exercise. She gives us 31 spiritual exercises to do. Lizzie and I have decided that we would work on one exercise a week. I thought this would be a good idea and help us to improve our spirituality and our lives. Lizzie agreed because she has been trying to come up with some goals to keep her busy. The author tells some stories about each exercise and then gives you a task to complete.

I decided to start with Exercise #13: Making Lasting Changes. Choose one small thing to change about your life. Don't pick a full-on diet, for example, but maybe just one eating habit you could alter. We're starting small on purpose so we can feel some success. Pray and ask for the Spirit to help you make the change. Write down all the reasons why you should make it, and why you can. Decide what motivators would help you stick to it. And then take a deep breath and do it.

My small thing that I am going to change this week is to wake up happy and glad to be alive and with Gary. I am not a morning person and I usually wake up kind of grumpy and I do not treat Gary very well in the morning. I want to be better at this, so that he feels of my love. I have started to pray for the Spirit to help me. The reasons why I should do this are that I want to have a better marriage; I want to feel better in the morning; if I feel happy earlier, I will accomplish more; I am more pleasant throughout the day if I start off happy. I can do this because I have the Lord's help. I can do this because I can overcome weakness. I can do this because I love Gary more than I love myself.

Pick up this book, "I Hate it When Exercise is the Answer" by Emily Watts and start your spiritual exercises with Lizzie and I today.