Ms. Bear on 10 Life Lessons Learned From Zumba!

Well, I’ll tell you, I’ve got to hand it to Melissa because doing one post a day seems a lot to me and she does so many!!! But, in preparation for this one, I went to an extra Zumba class last night for “research” and came away with some great ideas on things that I have learned from attending Zumba for the last 8 years! Melissa, in her super organized way, assigned today’s post to be on the topic of Zumba, so here goes…

When I first started going to Zumba, I was so nervous. What if I couldn’t do it? What if I tripped and fell? What if I couldn’t keep up? All these things ran through my mind, but I decided it looked like fun and I went ahead and tried it. The first few months my legs were wobbly and felt like Jello each time I finished. I didn’t realize then that that is how so many things in life start out. You’re unsure, but if you take that risk, you can stumble (sometimes literally!) upon something that will bring you happiness and teach you important lessons at the same time! So, what are the top 10 things about life that I have learned from Zumba?


1. Sometimes beginning is the hardest thing to do.


2. Sometimes you go fast, sometimes you go slow, but as long as you go you are still passing everyone on the couch!


3. Like so many things in life, a good teacher can make or break your experience (Thanks, Kristina from the Y and Brandi from my work!)


4. Some days you are out in front and some days you just need to hang out in the rear. Either of these is just fine, or you can stay smack in the middle!


5. It’s OK to move to your own rhythm — you don’t always have to be exactly on step.


6. In the words of Mary Poppins, “Well begun is half done!” If you don’t take that first step, you will never reap the rewards!


7. Working as a group brings its own rewards. When people clap at the end of a song, it’s not for themselves; it’s for everyone who participated. There are always smiles all around!


8. You can make lots of new friends and have fun with your work friends at the same time.


9. Just like it should be in life, everyone is welcome at Zumba!


10. But by far, the best part of Zumba is knowing that you are pushing yourself to the limit, not only for a stronger body, but for a stronger mind and for self-discipline.


***** Bonus reason to do Zumba…..It’s fun. As our cool down song always says, “Just dance, dance, dance!” The world looks great when you’re spinning around!

Family Photos: The Cat Days of Summer

So I woke up yesterday and this was happening.

Harry.

Just chilling. You know, like it’s #NBD. And that’s when I realized it: That’s how I want to spend my summer. Add a never-ending supply of root beer and I’ll be set. Leave it to cats to teach us the most important lessons…cats to the rescue once again!! xoxo

My Essay on Woman’s Day: “How Coming Off Antidepressants Taught Me to Give Myself More Credit”

Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? Obviously, this is a topic near and dear to my heart, so I was really proud to see my newest essay How Coming Off Antidepressants Taught Me to Give Myself More Credit go live on Woman’s Day this week. I wrote about the experience of deciding to come off some of my medications following my depression. It’s been a journey and one I’ve been wanting to talk about. I’ll no doubt be writing more about it in future blog posts, but this essay serves as a good overview!

Here’s an excerpt of the essay, where I unleash my trademark honesty…

To my relief, the meds continued to work, and life settled into a comfortable, familiar rhythm. So when my mom first suggested that I think about going down on my dosage, I was very hesitant. After all, I liked how things were now; why should I change a good thing?

“You’re on a lot of medication, and of course you needed it when your depression was so acute,” she said. “But you’re out of the woods and doing so well these days. Just think about it.”

She had a point. It had been nearly five years since I was hospitalized. For some reason, though, despite improving, I continued to cling to those pill bottles; they’d become some sort of security blanket. Maybe I couldn’t live without them.

My biggest fear was relapsing and ending up back in the hospital — having to drudge back up that mountain of recovery for a second time was just too overwhelming to even think about. I’d become afraid of who I was with the medication and even more afraid of who I’d become without them.

But maybe I could live — even thrive — without them. Maybe, at long last, it was time for a change. Those meds had saved my life and were there at a time when I needed them most, but you know what I’d also realized over the last few years? I saved my own life, too.



You can read the full essay here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo

My Essay on HelloGiggles: “What My Grandmother’s Stories Taught Me About Life and Love”

I got a nice little surprise on Saturday afternoon, ironically, as I was furiously working on a new essay: My essay “What My Grandmother’s Stories Taught Me About Life and Love” went live on HelloGiggles! I’ve been wanting to break into this awesome site for awhile now (way to go, Zooey Deschanel!), and the fact that I got to do it with a piece about my grandmother just makes it extra special. It’s weird because you’re never really aware of the impact your loved ones have had on you until they’re no longer here. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been thinking more about my grandparents and all the good times we shared. My favorite part of those visits?

All. The. Family. Stories. She had literally thousands of them, and I never got tired of hearing them.

Here’s an excerpt of the essay, and I’m SO happy they used my grandparent’s wedding photo (side note: The photo almost didn’t happen until someone said, “you need a photo on your wedding day!” This is the only one they have from that day)…

Maybe her influence is even part of the reason I became a writer. Stories are powerful. Sharing who you are is powerful. Being brave enough to be vulnerable is powerful. My grandmother was all those things.

Hearing those stories as a kid, I appreciated them simply as a look into my grandmother’s life when she was young. But now, I can’t help but see the sneaky little tricks she pulled on us. She was telling amazing stories, sure, but more than that, she was sharing her wisdom and teaching little life lessons along the way. About finding out who you are. About running full-speed ahead after your passion. About living fearlessly. About falling in love and not looking back. It takes courage to do that, and I’m grateful every day for the courage my grandmother passed on to me. Be brave. Be you. And tell lots of stories.

You can read the full essay here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo

P.S. Make sure you hug your loved ones extra tight today!! :)

In The Pursuit of Happiness: Prince Harry on Women’s Rights

Everyone was a-buzz over Princess Charlotte’s first-birthday photos recently, but it’s Prince Harry who seems to be having a moment of his own. He’s on the cover of this week’s PEOPLE and his recent speech in Nepal on women’s rights was truly inspiring. Have you seen it? His words really resonated with me, but this particular passage stood out…

Whether it’s a girl in Lesotho living with HIV; or the talented young woman in Britain who doesn’t get taken seriously because of where she grew up; or the 14 year old girl forced out of school so she can get married here in Nepal; we need to acknowledge that so many countries and cultures are failing to protect the opportunities of young women and girls in the way they do for boys. I believe it is vitally important for men like me to acknowledge this as loudly and openly as role models do like President Bhandari, the US First Lady Michelle Obama, and activists like Malala. As the First Lady has said, change needs to come from the bottom up. We won’t unlock these opportunities for young women and girls unless we can change the mindset of every family and community. To achieve this, it cannot just be women who speak up for girls.

In a world with far too many sexist misogynists who feel a sense of entitlement just for being a man, it’s SO refreshing to see Prince Harry step up to the front lines on such an important issue. In 2016, something as basic as education should be a right for all, not just a privilege reserved for the few. I’ve always said that when one group is held back, it’s detrimental to everyone, and I fully believe this.

A brighter tomorrow starts with change today, you know? Not to sound too much like an afterschool special, but this is something we all have to work together on if we ever want to see any real change. I just think of my own life and how over the years, my college degree is something I’ve taken for granted. I’d always just assumed college was the next step after high school, but even high school isn’t a guarantee for everyone. My degree has afforded me so many opportunities, like freelancing and writing this very blog, and everyone should have the same opportunities. It’s a matter of human rights, really.

OK, I’ll get off my soap box now, but I think you’d agree with me, friends! Go, Harry! xoxo

[Via Marie Claire]