Sharing life lessons
Making significant changes in one’s life can be overwhelming and daunting. Well meaning people set out with the best of intentions; and when those intentions are grand the magnitude can often lead to abandonment of the plan. Change best comes “one step at a time”; making micro changes, allowing them to normalize and then introducing the next step.
On Mother’s Day 2012 I curled up to “Experience Life” magazine where there were a few nuggets that inspired me.
1) I started out cutting out a recipe in which the main ingredient was carrots. The author included a reminder to avoid the little precut carrots, which for the most part, have lost their nutritional value. Time to go back to the “real ones”.
2) Download (for free) the “101 Revolutionary Ways to Be Healthy” app – available on the iphone, iPad and Android. This app gives you a random thought of the day – one small change to reflect on and to try and incorporate. On this particular day the light bulb that went on for me was “connect with health community”. Build an active, inspiring peer group. Learn from others. See getting healthy (physically, emotionally, spiritually) as an adventure. My favourite line? “Greet the challenge with other brave people you enjoy”.
3) “Cheat Days” – this was article about cheating when trying to follow dietary regimens. If you adhere to a decent nutritional way of eating 80% of the time, you still have the other 20% to indulge. “Enjoying a glass of wine and some dark chocolate won’t typically cause problems. It’s frequently indulging in foods like bread, pasta, pizza, and bagels that can send a person into a downward spiral with regard to digestive function and suppressed immunity”. When cheating be choosy!
4) It’s okay to fail and mess up – rather it’s more than okay – it’s desirable for progress and personal growth. Be comfortable with making, admitting, and learning from errors. And learn to say “I’m sorry” – it’s shows you are comfortable with being human.
5) All items (living and non) have energy. This can interfere with your own personal energy – so the more you declutter the more you can focus on your energy and keeping it balanced. Don’t try and declutter your whole house at once (trust me, I’ve tried, and retreated). Try one drawer/ shelf a day – 15 minutes a day to declutter. If you find it stressful to throw things out, put the items in a box and put them in the basement. Mark the box with today’s date and if you don’t open the box for 3 months, out into the garbage it goes!