Greetings Bears! What a wonderful week and weekend it has been! I wish everyone out there could have the weather we've been having in San Francisco the last few days--sheer bliss. So wonderful, in fact, that last night I decided to go dancing. My favorite DJ was spinning at a party last night and I had to go hear him. I enjoyed the DJ playing before him, but there was a noticeable moment when my guy took over the board. I don't know if the shift was mostly psychological or a truly tangible experience. But I really could feel his control and I allowed his style to take over my body and I slipped into a comfortable rhythm that I haven't felt in a long time.

That made me start thinking about the comfortable rhythms of our lives. We all have them. We all strive to find a comfortable balance and fit in everything we need and want to do--get the most bang for our bucks, so to speak. It's become increasingly more important for me on my quest for health and fitness. Let's face it: It's easy enough to find an excuse not to go to the gym. If your schedule is hectic and exhausting, you're not gonna go. I know I won't.

So, I've had to find a comfortable rhythm for my workout schedule. One that allows for maximum physical benefit but won't interfere with work schedules or days off. We all need time off to rest and decompress. Up until last week, I was using my days off for my sessions with my trainer. It was working, but I was feeling like I never really had a day off to just relax. I wasn't reporting to a supervisor, but I was reporting to someone. So I decided to change things up. Why not go for it all at once? As of last week, I have combined my training sessions at the gym with my boxing workouts. I am doing both workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I decided to add a third personal training session to my schedule each week because I need it and I want it--I'm starting to feel a hunger at the gym. Something is driving me, compelling me to work harder. I'm starting to see the bear I want to be and I have to work even harder to be him.

It's a double-whammy. An hour of calisthenics and punches, followed by an hour of weight lifting. By 9 PM, when I am finished, I am exhausted. But it's a great exhaustion. It's a feeling of change and accomplishment. It's a feeling of empowerment. It's knowing I have earned a good night's sleep to rest and help my muscles grow. It's a shot of self-confidence. Walking home from the gym, it puts a little swagger in my step and a little twist in my boots. But that's ok. Those are comfortable rhythms too.