Lessons from Belle

THE LULU CHRONICLES

For the past two weeks, Belle, the exercise ball, has been my exercise weapon of choice. I took her and her trusty hand weights to Door County with me on my writer’s retreat. And this week, we’ve met almost every morning in my office. With determination we worked through our routine. What I’ve discovered is that not only is Belle a big blue rubbery ball who puts me through the paces, but Belle is also my Mr. Miyagi (remember the original Karate Kid movie? “Wax on. Wax off.”) So I give you Lessons from Belle:

#1: A firm foundation is a must. Bare feet make a horrible stabilizer. You must wear shoes or once you’ve rolled down onto your back, you’re never going to get enough traction to get back up. Trust me. I know this for fact and it ain’t pretty. Being firmly planted is not only a BelleRule it also makes good sense in life, no? But firmly planted in what? That is the question.

#2: Balance is the key. In order to achieve balance BelleRule says you must keep adjusting. Belle is never stable. She’s round, remember? So I must adjust myself constantly to stay in the game. Likewise, life is never stable. We must have the ability to adjust to the rolling wave of what’s thrown at us. How? See BelleRule #1

#3 Stay alert. The minute you take your eye off the ball, so to speak, you’re going to roll off. What I mean is, sometimes I close my eyes while I’m balancing on my back lifting the hand weights over head. I try to shut out what I’m doing, sort of wanting to coast through the exercise. The minute I do, my reflexes relax and Belle, the round ball, sees an opening and bucks me off. Life will do that to us too, if we aren’t diligent. We won’t see it coming, we won’t be prepared and before we know it, we’re laying on the floor wondering what happened. Engage in your life. No coasting. Also, see BelleRule #1.

Oh, there’s more, Belle isn’t done with me yet. But be thinking about your life’s foundation. What stablizes you? What helps you keep balanced. What prepares you for the roll? We’ll see you back here on Tuesday.

deb