Music Mondays: If I Die Young (The Band Perry)

No one is an expert in death. Whatever the manner or the circumstances, it always comes as a shock. Reality becomes a bad dream that everyone wishes to wake up from. It’s just a matter of living the nightmare or accepting it for what it is.

It’s hardest to those closest to the person who passed. It’s similarly hard to the people who care about those who experienced the lost a loved one. We can only hope to get through it safe, sane, and sound, even though the scars of loss remain.

A single life snuffed out of existence is like a single drop of water in a calm lake. It creates ripples affecting everyone’s lives. It distorts and shakes what we have become accustomed to. And the effect it has on our being is small at first, but gradually growing, and there is a struggle to keep afloat against the waves of emotion each time reality hits.

Today’s Music Monday is dedicated to everyone who’s lost a loved one and to those who’ve witnessed what this loss does to their own loved ones. It’s never easy, no matter which perspective. One thing I know for sure, we should never shut down or close everyone else off. It’s their struggle as much as our struggle to continue, but we all continue together.

The experience changes us. Be it for better or worse, it changes us for good.

If I Die Young by The Band Perry

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Have you suffered or know someone who’ve suffered a loss? What advice would you give in such situations?

Squat Circuit Challenge Update: Day 10 and 11

For the past few days, although I’m able to continue the daily challenges, I find myself having little time to spare to post updates. So in case I miss those update days, such as Day 10 and 11, I’ll just do a consolidated update on a rest day, like today! Hurray!

Day 10: 6 reps of each, 2 sets

This is the same as Day 3 and so is relatively easy. I have little to say about this day’s challenge, except that it felt like a clam before the storm.

Day 11: 5 reps of each, 4 sets

True enough, Day 10 is just the calm. It took me so much time to finish Day 11’s challenge, on top of being dragged by my friend to the gym. So hello tired body!

You really start feeling it in the quads, glutes, and inner thighs. I don’t see any cellulite disappearing but I do feel the strength coming in. It’s progress!

Here’s a photo of me taken by my friend, doing my after squat stretches.

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A post shared by Mimi Banayat (@hungrymimi)

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Hurray for rest days!

Squat Circuit Challenge Update: Day 9

No, I didn’t miss the challenge. Whew! I just missed doing the update. My bad. I was recovering from an illness and it isn’t an excuse for skipping this relatively easy workout, I still wanted to fully recover so I was at a social media abstinence. I also avoided any continuous staring at monitors so as not to aggravate the illness.

Having said that…

Day 9: 9 reps of each, 2 sets
I can say that I am getting stronger. But rests on between sets are a must, especially if it’s the only workout you’ll be doing.

I now treat the first set as a warm-up and try to be more intense in the latter set/s. It’s no good to shock your muscles.

Cool downs have also become a requirement on my part. Otherwise, I get muscle cramps. So stretching the concerned muscles is a must.

Update on Day 10 coming right up!  🙂