Do you keep your promises?

I remember when, as kids, we would ‘pinky swear!’

Boy, that was the real deal!

As we grew older, we learned our word was our bond.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Promises kept to others.

But, what about making promises to yourself?

Do you hold them to the same standards? Or do you think you’re not worth it?

“Oh, I said I wasn’t going to eat that whole big serving next time we came to this restaurant, and look … oops!”

“I said I was going to exercise today and look … oops.”

These and similar statements are probably followed with negative self-talk – which chips away at our self-esteem.

I was at a workshop recently having to do with bringing our best selves to greet life each day.

One participant said, one area she wanted to work on, was in bringing her best self to herself.

She realized – while she was keeping promises to others, she was not keeping promises she made to herself.

We’ve all had an ah-ha moment with that one.

This is a gentle nudge to remind all of us that if we want to do well – bringing our best selves into each day – then we also need to bring our best selves to ourselves.

Now, on to tidbits –

Are we still making sure we are moving around each day?

At the start of our longevity series, I shared some statistics about how regular daily movement – coupled with exercise – is the number one thing leading the way to a healthier, longer life – even if you have ‘good genes.’

A new meta-analysis of 85 studies has clarified just how critical physical activity can be. I quote from Chris Kresser: “Adults who were consistently active, had up to 40% lower risk of dying from any cause, and a 30-40% reduction in cardiovascular mortality. Even better, starting exercise later in life still

provided significant benefits—a 20-25% lower risk of death compared to those who remained sedentary.”

He concludes, “From a Functional Medicine perspective, this supports movement as foundational to healthspan, not just lifespan. And while structured workouts help, what seems to matter most is consistency and enjoyment. Activities you love and can sustain—especially those done outdoors with others—are the most likely to stick.”

Computer time has ramped up for me during this early book launch. Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions is the topic of many an email and post on social media platforms!

So, my partner and I are inspiring each other as we do our online exercise routines each day as a blessed break from sitting in front of the screen. And, when the temps and 95% humidity decrease, we take walks!

It’s all because I promised I would. Pinky swear!

In health – Deidre