Are you overwhelmed? Do you feel that your to do list is twice as long in December? It seems December causes a lot of stress for a lot of people. With the halls to deck and the cards to write not to mention the gifts to purchase even an elf will feel less jolly. Most of what we do today has us caught up in tomorrow somehow. In other words, we are trying to get things done for the next day and then the cycle continues. What if you were doing okay right now?

A few weeks ago I was at a local Safeway checking out. In front of me was a man who appeared homeless. He had a backpack full of clothes and a rolled up blanket on the side of his backpack. I felt the need to do something. It was going to be a cold night and I wondered where he would stay. What would he do tomorrow? How would he eat? What about keeping warm? So I looked for some extra cash in my wallet and as we both were leaving the store I handed him the cash and I said Happy Thanksgiving. He looked up at me with big eyes and he said; "thank you miss, but I am doing okay right now." I said no really take this, it is going to be cold tonight. Do you have a place to stay? Again, he said; "I am doing okay right now." He added that I would see him walking, and who knows he might need help another day, but today he was doing okay. WOW! First I was stunned that he would not take the money. After all, I was thinking about what he needed for tomorrow and so on. But, he was taking each moment as it came. In that moment he was doing okay.

Powerful gift he gave me. In my profession I am always trying to help fix something for individuals. If you do this series of exercises for this period of time you get these results. Now I am not suggesting you don't exercise and set future goals. But maybe check in with yourself and see how you are doing right now. Maybe you have weight to lose, but how are you doing right now. Because the decisions we make right now will affect the future.

During this holiday season check in with yourself and see how you are doing. Simple yes, but so effective. When I find myself getting a little stressed about what I have on the agenda for tomorrow, I check in with myself and see how I am doing right now. Blessings come to us in many ways. This gentleman gave me a gift I will treasure. Funny, I was going to help him, in return he helped me. So I pass this on to you because what we really have is right now. How are you doing right now?

For more information about health and fitness please contact: Kay Colgan, Middleburg Pilates and Personal Training, 14 S Madison Street, Middleburg, Va. 20117 or call 540-687-6995.