What Dina’s doing now
Random things and current miscellany.
A favorite current quote: “Aging is out of your control. How you handle it, though, is in your hands.” —Diane Von Furstenburg
BOOKS I’m currently reading (or listening to) and working with:
“The Menopause Brain” (Lisa Mosconi)
“Outlive” (Peter Attia)
“Good to Great” (Jim Collins)
“Grit” (Angela Duckworth)
The 5 BOOKS I recently finished:
“The Mountain is You” (Brianna West) - I initially got this to try to see if I could glean some messages for how to better deal with an issue that’s been going on in a close relationship for over a year now. However, as I got part way through the book, I realized there were many lessons and guiding points for my own self as well. You could call this another one of the self-help kind of books, but it’s not a cheesy one if you’re ready to do some work.
“Guard Her with Your Life” (Joy Ellis) - Fiction story. This was an Audible listen for a road trip. It’s a mystery type of genre and I’d rate it a 3.5/5 (does anyone really like this rating system that means so little?). It lacked the thrill factor that I like.
“Good for a Girl” (Lauren Fleshman) - This is a powerful memoir with many stories and lessons. It gets into the core of many deep-rooted issues with supporting girls and women in sports from youth through adulthood, revealing a history of treating female athletes through the male lens through pubertal years and beyond and many unfair (and sad) outcomes. I highly recommend this book for parents of active girls, for coaches, for anyone in the health and fitness space, for young athletic women… okay, basically everyone. This is a great resource for inspiring and making change in girls’ and women’s sports and how we can all do better.
“10% Happier” (Dan Harris) - As someone who only began meditation late in life but have “ebbed and flowed” in practice, I very much enjoyed this book to relight my fire to practice. Dan’s story is one I can relate to in the sense of feeling/having addictive tendencies and knowing there is a fast train to DeadEndVille waiting around the corner. Hearing how he dabbled with meditation and let it flow, along with his comical experiences in trying to understand the practice itself, reminded me that meditation is not chasing bliss. It is about practicing being present, bringing calm to the moment, but also a way to honor our spirit of aliveness.
“Ego is the Enemy” (Ryan Holiday) - This is one of the best books I’ve ever read in my midlife years. As an entrepreneur, business owner, athlete, and someone who struggles with “self”, this book and its lessons are invaluable. Understanding what the ego is can be an enormous undertaking in and of itself.
MUSIC on the jukebox: Hozier
MOVEMENT/TRAINING: I am now 7 weeks post-knee surgery (ACL reconstruction + meniscus repair). It’s been a doozy stretch of time, reorienting to new perceptions of pain and discomfort… physically AND mentally. [You can read about the accident here if interested.] Currently, I am learning to walk again and doing daily physical therapy either at home or with a PT. It is amazing to have support when you feel like you’re starting over in some respects, or when you feel you take one-half step forward and 29 steps backward. No matter the direction or the momentum, it is progress and it is a cherished experience in its own right. [And while I’m trying to stay here in the NOW, I can’t wait to be back on the trails with my pal, Kiki, someday soon.]
Act of kindness: The practice of listening to a loved one.
App I’m loving: Insight Timer
last updated: April 3, 2024
(Thank you @sivers for the inspiration for the NOW page; Make your own Now.)