TJ Hirst

After reading about sugar overload at Women’s Health from a link on Evolving Mom and hearing about Minna’s Sugar Strike, I consciously watched and reduced my own sugar intake.

Before I go any further I must warn that the rest of this post, the poll, and the ensuing comments may not meet the standard of inspiring (in a good way) that I routinely seek in my posts.

But, today is Friday, and Friday is a dessert night in our house. I have an undeniable sweet tooth. I have learned to limit myself in different ways throughout my life, with varied results. Only after I left my parent’s home could they dedicate a whole drawer in the kitchen to all the varied flavors of Twizzlers.

In my own home, now, the inspired balance of eating some sugar but not too much, is still not easy, especially as a wife and a mother who gets cranky at 3 p.m. every afternoon and loves baking for her family.

However, setting particular days aside as dessert nights seems to help me and my family limit the indulgences (to at least three or four days a week instead of seven). Thus, I am contemplating Rice Krispies Treats or Warm Brownie Pudding Cake.

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I was deep in thought as I considered a discussion in church. Later, a friend said, “You weren’t smiling during that discussion.”

My countenance revealed the truth inside of me like this scripture from the Old Testament:

The shew of their countenance doth witness against them. Isaiah 3:9

I was reminded that I may not be keeping my challenge to smile more, which has been a good goal but is one that takes effort. This counsel from a past leader in my church encourages me:

Every man and every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil. It is not what he says alone; it is not alone what he does. It is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she really is . . . It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us.

David O. McKay
^{from Man May Know for Himself}

I hope I will radiate the depth in me that reaches beyond just a smile on the surface.

Try-It With-Me Tuesday, an interactive weekly time and place to foster connections that challenge and encourage the process to become a well-rounded person.

My bottle of choice for the challenge to drink more water is a Peach Propel bottle. We buy and drink Propel regularly, but I refill with my real daily drink—filtered WATER from the fridge. My goal was to drink at least three bottles per day. At 23.7 oz each that is just over 70 oz (excluding additional water for exercise). I met that goal every day except one. The supportive connections from readers, friends and family helped me to succeed. Thank you.

The day that I did not reach my goal provided some insight about lifestyle changes for health. That day was during spring break from school. Although my children took a “break” from their normal routines, I had tried to keep mine, especially my morning routine, close to the same. But on Friday I took a “break.” I slept late and did not exercise. And it wasn’t until 11:15 in the morning that I filled up my bottle.

This makes me think there is a correlation that when I participate in good health habits I am more likely to participate in others. In other words, either I am doing them or I am taking a “break”. Have you found this?

Despite this lapse, I saw health improvements (like clearer sinuses) that cause me to believe that simple changes like an increase of water and other daily lifestyle choices are an important contributor to good health.

What experiences have you had with drinking more water? I would love your feedback. Leave a comment below.

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One more week for the March Reading Challenge. My self-imposed challenge to read a biography by Tuesday, April 1, is pressing upon me and maybe on those of you who are trying it with me.

If you are participating, whether you are finished or not, plan to connect with me here next Tuesday and share what you gleaned from this experience. Leave me a comment on Tuesday, April 1, telling me what biography you read, a few facts about the person in the biography, and something that person did or said that inspires you.

→ If you would rather publish your thoughts on your own website, I will publish your link on April 1. Here’s what to do:

1. Write a post on your website.
2. Include a link to my website or the March Reading Challenge in the body of that post.
3. Send me your link by Monday, March 31, 6 p.m. (CDT)

Try-It With-Me Tuesday, an interactive weekly time and place to foster connections that challenge and encourage the process to become a well-rounded person.

March in Minnesota brings spring a little bit at a time. Our water comes in the form of snow showers. Despite what it looks like outside, I have been able to open my windows once or twice and let some spring air blow in. The smell of spring (and the spring cleaning) rejuvenated our house and me.

With all this renewal of nature, I thought it appropriate that I began a health challenge:

Drink more water this week.

Water has a lot of health benefits and my attempts to drink more of it as a health habit have been a lot like March in Minnesota. So, I need your suggestions. How much is more water for you? How do you keep track of how much water you drink? What do you do to remind yourself to drink more water?

Meanwhile, I am just beginning my biography for the March Reading Challenge. I’m going to spend my spring break reading about Dolley Madison.

Do you want to Try It With Me?

Join in by trying the challenges with me, commenting, linking, or suggesting a challenge. If you want to write a post on your blog about what happened when you took the challenge, I will publish your link. Just link to my website in your post and send me your link.

^{Have you taken my poll on Finding What Inspires? I would love your feedback.}

Try-It With-Me Tuesday, an interactive weekly time and place to foster connections that challenge and encourage the process to become a well-rounded person.

When I created a challenge to smile more often, and invited you to participate with me, I didn’t expect to be opening more than my mouth. But I discovered that whenever I set out to improve, I am opening myself to change more than just a habit on the surface.

As I first reported, for the first few days of smiling more often, my children said, “You are creeping us out.”

I smiled because I was trying to smile. Obviously, they could tell it wasn’t wholly genuine, yet. I could feel that, too, when I gritted my teeth through a grin during a disagreeable situation.

When I am in the beginning stage of change, I often try too hard. I have been known to try to make change happen, instead of letting change happen.

Even so, I actively committed to smiling genuinely from the inside out. As Minna said, sometimes we have to “fake it until (we) get it right.” Usually, the desire to get it right does win out.

It did for me. By the third or fourth day, I recognized that a genuine smile is not generated by circumstances, it is generated by genuine hope. This is not the hope in which we wish for our circumstances to be worthy of a smile. It is hope that we can look forward with a confidence.

And so, I continue to smile with hope and encourage you to Try It With Me!

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Have you chosen and began reading a biography for the March Reading Challenge? Some have asked for suggestions. Do you have any to offer? Leave a comment and tell me what biographies you would suggest.

I am reading A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation by Catherine Allgor.

Here’s what some others have chosen or suggested:

The Story of My Life by Hellen Keller

The Reagan Diaries by Ronald Reagan

Other people to consider: Clara Barton (the founder of the American Red Cross), Theodore Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin.

Everyone has a story, and that makes biography inspiring. Do you want to try it with me?

Join in by trying the challenges with me, commenting, linking, or suggesting a challenge. If you want to write a post on your blog about what happened when you took the challenge, I will publish your link. Just link to my website in your post and send me your link.