Thursday, May 26, 2016

The Edge of Miraculous

That's me on the edge of West Sedona, AZ on a hike around Chimney Rock.

“We live at the edge of miraculous.”
Henry Miller

With this post, we celebrate my 200th posting! Since 2010 I’ve enjoyed sharing my ups, my downs, and my all arounds in an attempt to inspire you to consider the best within yourself, to guide you into forward thinking, and to learn from the circumstances of your life. I reflect on these things every day and have found them to be powerful influences in my life. I am making it a point to consider every day as living at the edge of miraculous.

With that in mind:

  • Even though I have been blogging for a number of years, I have never stepped into the social media scene until the last few days. I can now be found on Facebook as well as Instagram and the new travel website my husband, Dennis, and I collaborate on www.damclark.com. While I will continue to post weekly on both sites, it will be fun to share my thoughts on any given day via Facebook, and photos of where I am and what I am doing on Instagram. Other than these hyperlinks noted, you may also find links in the Follow Me section of the sidebar. This is a big change for me personally, and I am looking at the social media scene as if I were standing on the edge of miraculous.
  • I would also like to share with you an exciting change in the future of It Is What It Is. Once again it’s time to update the look and feel of this website and will do so in the upcoming months. Change, my word for 2016, is guiding me to the edge of miraculous time and time again this year, so it seems appropriate that this website follow suit.

I do believe we all live at the edge of something. Try considering and making whatever it is miraculous. This type of forward thinking will change your life. Celebrate with me as I embrace my 200th post with miraculous. And if you are allowing fear to slow forward thinking and miraculous days ahead, just know I am with you and I am holding your hand!
Living at the edge of miraculous in Sedona, AZ courtesy of our Clark family photos

Sunday, May 15, 2016

My New Normal

Now that we are officially houseless and making our way as we live a life on the road, it is time to evaluate my new normal. Physically and mentally I know I do best when I have a sense of balance and routine in my life-most people do. While on vacation, well, I'm on vacation and the routine goes out the window. Since I'm not on vacation, and traveling is how I live now, it is probably even more important to create some semblance of balance by maintaining a routine. In other words, a sense of normal. Simple is always the best approach so here’s what I am focusing on:

  • Meditate and set the pace of my day
  • Make it a point to have a consistent sleep schedule and catch the 8 hours I need
  • Stay hydrated, and eat healthy meals
  • Keep my body in shape by continuing to include what used to be my "normal" workout routines: run/walk, lift weights, yoga, stretching, and a few laps in a pool now and then

I may have to be creative in keeping to these goals, but in creativity I may find something else I can do to help my body thrive under ever-changing circumstances. For example: I have been lifting weights for nearly 30 years. But traveling with dumbbells is obviously not possible and joining gyms everywhere we go is not the answer, so I purchased resistance bands of varying strengths. These pack into a small pouch and don't take up much room or add weight to the suitcase. While I have just started working with the bands, I am enjoying the change and know it will help me stick to my new normal and thrive.

By focusing on what I know I need to do and keeping it as simple as I can, I will be successful in keeping myself in the best of health and enjoy my new normal to the fullest. Are you thinking about making a positive change in your life? If so, keep it simple, be creative, and you, too, will be successful.
3D world map courtesy of kcp4911

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Winds of Change


We hit the road the day our house closed, now officially houseless, and head to...Yakima, Washington! Isn’t that everyone’s top destination? We stayed with family, attended a wedding, and took care of a few business details. We then head south to Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. For more details on what we are up to you might be interested to know that my husband, Dennis, and I are officially launching a new blog with the focus on traveling and our new lifestyle without a house. You will be able to follow along as we live a life on the road. You can find our travel blog life is a journey at: www.damclark.com. You may also find us by taking a look at the sidebar in this blog where I now have my travel link. When visiting life is a journey, make sure you subscribe to receive a post anytime we publish.

Oh, and don’t you worry. You will still be able to find inspiration right here with It Is What It Is. Since I will be traveling, there will be even more to share with you as I find my way on the uncertain path ahead. If you are a regular follower of this blog, you know my word for 2016 is change. And while I have dealt with many changes already this year, I know the winds of change will continue to shape my future in the days ahead for the better.
Now what photo courtesy of John Eisenschenk