3 Ways to Transform Your Current Life Circumstances (Read Time: 4 min.)

Ever have a day when you look at the circumstances of your life and wonder:
How did I get HERE? 

And not because everything's wonderful or peachy keen but because life, at this moment, just isn't going the way you expected it to.  Things aren't working as smoothly or as quickly as you thought they would.  Despite your best efforts to be "good", "nice", "fair", or "responsible", when you look at your life, in this moment, things just don't seem to be working out.

Ever been there?

It's in that moment when the temptation to throw a massive pity party is SUPER HIGH... and I've thrown them.  But, after a while, the pity parties do nothing more than make you feel worse about where you are.  So you shift into detective mode and start asking the big WHYs:

1) Why me?
2) Why now?
3) Why this?

And, again, a total waste of time because, at the end of the day, even when the WHYs get answered, it still happened... and it still happened to you. 

When your current life circumstances are not what you planned and you wonder if your life is ever going to take the shape you always dreamt it would, the work you have in front of you is not to judge the outcome but to more consciously invest in the creation process.

What do I mean?

In a book called "As a Man Thinketh", James Allen states:

 "We do not attract that which we want but that which we are." 

As harsh of a truth as that is, it is true.  The circumstances in front of us have arrived to serve as a mirror of what we REALLY believe is possible for us.  I can hear people already balking at this idea: "But I didn't ask to get sick... I didn't ask for my spouse to leave me... I didn't intend for the company to lay me off..."  Dig in with me here.  That's not what I'm saying.

We can only create in our lives what we truly believe we CAN and WILL be able to receive.  If you don't believe that you're worthy of a loving, lasting relationship, if, somewhere, deep inside of you, what you really believe is that you can get a partner but you can't keep a partner, guess what's going to happen at some point down the line? 

If you look at your job and you believe that all corporations are sinister and vile and that managers exist to bring you down, that companies will lay you off at the drop of a hat and devastate you financially, guess what's awaiting you at some point along your work journey?  You got it: a downsizing.

Now, your thoughts won't be what caused the downsizing or the partner leaving or you carrying around those extra 20 pounds you've been wanting to lose for 20 years.  But your thoughts will have orchestrated you believing that this is how your life is meant to go.  More than that, those thoughts will have you living in fear that these are the things that WILL happen to you... and you won't have the strength or the resourcefulness with which to handle them.

Bad things happen to good people.  "Nice" is no immune system to pain or loss or devastation.  But when you live believing that these are the kinds of things that happen to you, you attract them more readily, not because your thoughts draw them in but because your fear brings them to you.  The moment you release the hold that life's uncertainty has on you, the moment you say to yourself, "I can handle WHATEVER comes" and believe it is the same moment that you no longer live by the whims of change. 

Life's going to happen.  Things won't go according to plan.  But the person who knows what he or she deserves embraces uncertainty with one single claim: EVERY experience happens FOR me, not TO me. 

 

So how do you get there? 

 

If you don't like what's going on in your current life circumstances, how do you flip the switch on your life?

Here are 3 ways to transform your current life circumstances:

1) Think differently about every negative experience that happens.  I could've said think differently about EVERY experience, positive or negative (yes, that too) but what gets people is how they interpret negative circumstances.  Let me give you an example.  For about a week now, I've been waiting for a FedEx package to arrive at my door.  I paid for next day service and it's a week later.  Nuff said.  Now, the first day they missed delivering the package, I was PISSED.  I called FedEx on the phone, was snarky and rude to the people on the line and demanded the shipment be to me by the next day.  Do you think I was thinking, in that moment, that life was happening FOR me or TO me?  You got it: TO me... and it showed.  I was attacking, angry, and guess what the result was?  The package didn't get delivered the next day OR the day after that.  Then I got tired.  Attacking others is a tiring business and I didn't bother calling on Saturday.  Why?  Because my belief was "They won't deliver it today either, those twits!" and guess what?  It didn't get delivered on Saturday either.  So Sunday rolls around and I'm so tired of attacking and so sick of non-sense that I simply accepted it for what it was and decided to be peaceful about the whole thing and call again.  This time, with a FOR me approach, I spoke nicely to the representative who put in notes to have the person call me about my package before arriving at my location.  It was awesome service and I fully expect to get my package today.  Now, it was a process from getting from where I was to where I am right now.  What was the process?  I had to think differently about the delay of the FedEx package and until I thought differently, I was seeing the same results.  We have to do the same thing for EVERY area of our lives.

2) Do differently.  I can't tell you the number of people who go in action merry-go-rounds, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  Enough already!  At some point, if you don't like the way life is, you need to get up and try a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT approach.  You read correctly.  I love it when someone who eats vanilla ice cream every day considers a radical change ordering chocolate ice cream tomorrow.  No, no, no, no no.  When your life is SERIOUSLY not working, you need to SERIOUSLY change it.  It's more than changing your hair color or going a different route to work.  I'm talking about going back to school to get a degree in a totally different field so you can change careers.  I'm talking about breaking up with the zero who hasn't been a hero for 5 years and maybe just maybe enjoying being with yourself for six months or so.  I'm talking about picking up your bags and with 3 months of living expenses moving out of the hell hole you've been complaining about for 3 years and moving to a location that you can afford in an area where jobs are plentiful but in a NEW place that has been calling you for a LONG time.  Yes, if you want something different, you've got to do something different and do it CONSISTENTLY and PERSISTENTLY for as long as it takes.

3) When obstacles show up (and they will), ask one question: How do I use this to my advantage?  This takes practice.  Your mind is going to want to pity party it away.  There's going to be the inclination to do the blame/shame/guilt game.  Don't give into that.  A total waste of energy.  No, when something comes and throws you off track, make yourself stop and consider the answer to that question: How do I use this to my advantage?  In five minutes, you'll know exactly how.  Don't let up until you do.

Ok, so 3 ways to transform your current life circumstances.  Start using all three today.

 

Here's my final thought:

In life, you're going to have good times and bad and when the bad times come, you're going to wonder what you did to deserve them.  Shift your mind from seeing bad experiences as punishment to viewing them as challenges you were born to overcome.  At the end of the day, pain is a part of life but suffering is optional.

 

"You do not have to suffer to grow."

- Denise Linn

When to Tell Your Feelings to SDASU (Read Time: 3 min.)

I was languishing in self-pity yesterday.  That's right.  I threw a HUGE pity party... all in my honor.  I went through the gamut of emotions from anger to irritation to stress to sadness to the pouty 11 year old saying "This is SO UNFAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

And then I took a nap... And then I got up... And then I looked in the mirror and said to myself, "Now what?"

So I did what I'd tell any of my coaching clients to do.  I looked myself in the eye, stood up straight, and said to how I was feeling (silently, clearly and forcefully):

SDASU

In other words,

Sit Down And Shut Up!

Don't get me wrong.  Feelings are important but they aren't everything.  Everybody says (including me), "You have to feel your feelings to heal them."  But once you've felt them once, do you need several encore performances?  No you don't.  In fact, that can be more of a hindrance to you getting to where you want to go than anything else.

At the end of the day, there are moments where you're going to throw a pity party.  My rule of thumb about pity parties is this: If you're going to throw one, go all out.  Give yourself 24 hours to cry and then get up.  That's what I did yesterday and here's what I'm doing today:

I'm taking a 'whatever it takes' attitude.

Which boils down believing 3 things and doing 3 other things:

BELIEFS:
1) It CAN be done.
2) I CAN do it.
3) There are AT LEAST a thousand ways to get this done.  I only need the first one that works.

ACTIONS:
1) Put my WHOLE mind into the PRESENT action.
2) Give ALL that I have to ALL that I do.
3) Stay focused on the end as I work towards it (in other words, ignore the temporary, current circumstances; they will change and you'll still be standing).

How's that for giving my feelings a boost?  Now I feel energized, strong, and I'm no longer in pity party mode.  Try it.  It works...

It is what it is... (Read Time: 3 min.)

I say that alot.  I say it to myself.  I tell it to clients.  I use it with strangers.  But I find myself wondering today...

What the hell does that mean exactly?

Does it mean that shit happens and you have to roll with the punches?  Does it mean that life unfolds in beautiful and unexpected ways and you have to be willing to go with the flow?  Does it mean that control is a myth and pretending to have it is a form of insanity? 

Or does it simply mean that all the things in life I didn't want, all the experiences I had that I never expected, every last tear I cried and angry fist I threw down, all of it is connected and while I might not be able to comprehend the WHY, I still have the opportunity to create the NOW? 

Or is it simply a line that lots of people say when they don't know what the hell to say to the horrors of life?

I guess the answer is... ALL OF THE ABOVE.

It is what it is...

The Secret to Weight Loss... and Other Personal Power Sucking Myths (Read Time: 4 min.)

Goals... We all have them.  Most of us strive to achieve them.  So why is it that so few of us actually attain them?

This is the question I've been pondering for the last few days.  For years, I've been working on this goal called "getting into the best shape of my life", and of all the goals I've set, this one goal has not been achieved AND held into place... and I kept wondering why.

I've tried different approaches, used all the self-talk in the world I could muster, and administered to myself every coaching strategy I could think of... and still my weight fluctuates, leaving me feeling uncomfortable in my skin and tired of the roller coaster ride called "I want my best body ever!"

So, yesterday, I picked up a book I'd started reading a few months ago called "The Science of Being Well" by Wallace D. Wattles.  I figured, "There must be something in this book that I need to know" as I hadn't been drawn to it for months.

Imagine me, standing in my kitchen, reading a book written in the early 1900s, hoping to get some morsel, some "secret" to weight loss, when I came across this passage:

"If the foregoing be true- and it is indisputably so- it is a self-evident proposition that the natural time, and the healthy time, to eat is when one is hungry; and that it is never a natural or healthy action to eat when one is not hungry.  You see, then, that it is an easy  matter to scientifically settle the question when to eat.  Always eat when you are hungry; and never eat when you are not hungry." 

Alrighty then... Simple, right?  So why was I waiting for some profound truth, some "big" secret that would unlock whatever it is within me that has not gotten this goal accomplished?

I was waiting for an answer outside of myself that doesn't exist when all the answers come from within.  I was holding out for a magic pill when I know, on a logical level, that no such pill exists.  I was believing that someone else's words, thoughts or ideas could trigger in me the level of desire and commitment required to achieve this goal that I haven't been able to trigger in myself.

Essentially, I was giving my power away... 

and didn't even know it.

And here's what I gained from reading that one passage:

1. It really is that simple and it really can be that easy.  Somehow, we don't think it's hard to wake up as ourselves, to open our eyes and see life through our own individual perspective.  Why is it that we think being who we REALLY are is so difficult to achieve?  Guess what?  It's not.
2. All the answers are within.  This bad boy lesson keeps coming back to me.  Whenever I start looking for answers outside myself, I am profoundly sent a reminder that I'm looking in the wrong place.  You've got the answers.  You simply have to trust and follow them.
3. When you make a goal important enough to take center stage, it does.  Yup, it's like that.  When a goal becomes a deep desire to the point where you will lay aside WHATEVER has to be laid aside to achieve the goal, then your focus kicks in, your creativity kicks up, and you stay the course of that goal... UNTIL.
4. There are no shortcuts to the Laws of the Universe.  Yup, no magic pill.  No blue pill or red pill.  No hijacking the process.  It takes what it takes and fighting the truth certainly doesn't change it.  Not only do we have to be good at goal formulation but we have to master goal execution.  Formulating the goal takes creativity and desire.  Executing the goal requires courageous patience and persistence which many of us have not learned to have without immediate gratification.  

So, at the end of the day, I found no secret, no magic pill, and no "AHA" epiphany moment except for this:

I can do what it is I choose to do IF I follow the simple, straight path:

Desire --> Decision --> Determination --> Focus --> --> Action --> Persistence -->  Trust

Yup, simple.  Yup, kinda boring.  Yup, it works.

Numerology & Coaching: How to Use Numerology to Strategize Your Future (Read Time: 5 min.)

Your birthdate was no accident...
The name you were given at birth, the name you've acquired through life... Those were no accidents...

Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a number and the numbers of your life (from your birth date and your name) tell the story of YOU: your desires, your distinctions, your destiny.

Lots of people look at Numerology and go, "How can numbers do all of that?" 

In Numerology, there are 3 numbers that tell YOUR story:

1. Your life path number (the most powerful number in all of numerology- this is about your destiny, why you were put on this earth and what you were put here to learn)
2. Your attitude number (this is the number that breaks down how you show up in the world; the ins and outs of why you come across the way you do and how that connects to other people), and
3. Your soul number (this is the core of who you are, what you feel deep inside, and the brilliance that you have to offer the world). 

Not only is it important to know all three for yourself but it's critical to understand how your numbers differ from those of the most important people in your life: partner, children, family, boss, co-workers. 

Ever want to know why some people just bug the crap out of you?

Numerology answers that.

 

Want to know how to connect on a deeper level with someone in your life?

Numerology points the way to it.

 

And some people have asked:

How could this possibly tell you all that?

 

Here's my answer:

See for yourself...

 

When I conduct a numerology and coaching jam session, unbelievers come out raving fans. 

 

Why? 

Because in one numerology reading, I tell them much more about themselves than I could've possibly ever have known.  I reach into the depths of who they were born to be, combine that with coaching on strategy, purpose, and calling, and those individuals walk out knowing who they are, trusting their purpose, and ready to strategically take the action steps that we created in their coaching session.

How does it work? 

1. Your purchase your session (click the Paypal link below- a 90 minute session is $375.00).
2. You fill out the Numerology Coaching Questionnaire (see the document icon below) and email it to me (email indicated on the questionnaire) along with THREE days and times you're available to meet.
3. I develop your numerology profile, email the report to you, and we conduct our coaching session.
4. You walk away from the experience with 3 things: 1) deeper understanding of who you are and why your relationships have been or are the way they are, 2) insight into what to do next, 3) a 90 day strategic action plan to pursue your goals, 4) an MP3 recording of the call, and 5) a detailed email recap of EVERYTHING we went over.

If you've ever asked yourself "Why am I this way?" or "Why do my relationships always go like that?" or "Why are people so jealous of me?" or "Why are my finances constantly like this?", it's time you got those answers. 

I've opened up 3 numerology coaching timeslots

and when they're gone, they're gone. 

Purchase yours today!

 

90 minute Numerology and Coaching Session:

 

 

Numerology Coaching Client Intro Questionnaire Form

Every Choice Creates or Destroys a Legacy (Read Time: 3 min.)

The older I get, the more I realize how powerful choice is.  In this life, there are no MAJOR life decisions.  ALL decisions (big or small) have MAJOR life implications... and that's where we miss the boat.  The defining moments of our lives rarely look the way we expect them to.  They are quiet, subtle, seemingly small choices and we fail to realize their gravity until years have passed and we look back to find that in that one moment, we decided much more than a decision; we created a legacy.

Knowing that now, I make decisions with two things in mind: 1) integrity and 2) legacy.  Before making any decision, I ask myself: 1) How does this decision reflect my character? and 2) What legacy will the consequences of this decision leave for my children's children's children?  You see, it's not about us.  At the end of the day, each person is a vehicle through which destiny travels... and not just your destiny but the future and the calling of your children to come.

Before you make a choice, before you pick a path, and before you go down a road, ask yourself two very important questions:

1) Can I live with the consequences of this choice for the next 50 years?
2) Am I willing to create the legacy of this choice for my children's children's children and is this the legacy that they deserve?

In any given moment, you have the right and the responsibility to choose wisely.  Be sure that you decisions are made based on the future you plan to leave for your eighth generation. 

I Need a Nap (Read Time: 3 min.)

Sleep deprivation puts me in a weird place and I'm in a weird place today.  I feel like the world is on my shoulders, like I've got so much to do in so little time, and I feel the bigness of all of it.  Staying present has been difficult today and guess what?  I have days like this.

As I work to get present and centered, I find myself observing life.  Whether I'm looking for clues, answers, or signs, I'm noticing things today and getting bothered by stuff today that wouldn't normally catch my attention.  That's the signal to me that I need to rest, rejuvenate and get back to me.    It all boils down to one word: stressed.

So many things aren't going according to plan that I'm almost to the point of throwing out the whole damn plan.  Ever watch something unfold not knowing how exactly it's going to end?  That's how I feel about life in this moment.

I know it's all good.  I know things work out but I'm looking at each day and wondering, "What is the meaning of this?"  When you're young, you watch all these movies that feature these "defining" moments, moments where the protagonist wakes up to life, goes "AHA!" and arrives.  At 16, I thought that "arrival" would happen at 25.  At 34, I realize that there is no arriving.  Here is what is and the present is where the future is created.  It's all about the now baby... and the futuristic part of me simply isn't having that. 

But, rather than fight life, I've decided to join with it.  I say to myself, "Be here now."  I remind myself, at times, to not worry about what can't be controlled or changed.  I work hard to center myself through meditation and prayer. 

Life is changing and it's all good.  I'm still learning how to be good with any changes.  But there's a part or me that rebels against it.  In the words of Ebenezer Scrooge, that part is looking at life right now and is saying "Ba humbug!" 

My dreams are coming true and I'm scared SH*TLESS! (Read time: 3 min.)

This week has felt tough.  Not hard work, blood, sweat and tears tough but mentally challenging, limiting beliefs driven, fear in your face emotional battling.  I'm in the midst of major changes where I'm starting to see that my dreams (those long sought after things I've said I've wanted for years) are finally starting to come true... and I'm scared shitless.

When I created those dreams, I was excited at the hope of them.  When I held onto those dreams, I was passionate about the promise of them.  Now that the dreams are actually starting to realize, I'm scared at the thought of both having and possibly losing them.  And here's what I've had to say to myself to move through it: Think challenges, not problems... and you LOVE to thrive through challenges.  

The way you look at a situation decides how you move through a situation.

And here's what I wanted to blog about.  People will tell you about dreams fulfilled.  They'll preach to you about what it took to achieve them.  They'll motivate you with what they had to do to stay the course but who talks about the sheer fright, resistance, and pain that comes when it suddenly dawns on you what you've struggled so long and hard for is finally coming true and it's now up to you to make good on it?  Who's going to talk to you about the fact that having a dream realized also means that you've hit the point of no return, the point where you can no longer be who you used to be and you're heading into a territory of being someone you've never physically met before?  It's like going on a blind date... with your best self. 

And as I embark upon this next journey of stepping into a new level of personal power, I feel three things:
1) The tug of who I used to be
2) The deceiving comfort of who I currently am
3) The thrill and fright of who I'm slowly but surely becoming

And it doesn't feel like joy every single day of the week.  Today it feels like being almost pregnant- think EPT, two lines but one line isn't really there -and I've decided to take that feeling and transform it into joy.  Why?  Because the alternative is not very fun and won't go a long way in making me feel any better.

What's my point in all this?  Scared shitless is not a sign to stop; it's a symbol of you moving forward.  Feel the fear and do it anyway!

Is Your Dream Compelling Enough to...? (Read Time: 3 min.)

Is your dream compelling enough to:

... stop eating out at restaurants for 3 years so you can become debt free?
... stop eating dairy, sugar, gluten, and wheat so you can lose weight and have more energy?
... go to a therapist so you can improve your relationship communication?
... put together a resume and cover letter so you can stop working at a soul killing job?

Is your dream compelling enough 

to do what you HAVE to do 

so you can do what you WANT to do?

When people talk about dreams, they often talk about their wishes, fantasies, and visions of how life will be "when" but how many people talk at length about how excited they are to give up, sacrifice, endure, or go through whatever it is they have to go through to achieve their dreams?  Even when you talk to people who've reached massive levels of success, they spend far more time talking about the glorious aftermath of the dream than about all the land mines, obstacles, and bumps in the road on their way to achieving it.  Achieving your dream requires that you be compelled enough to stay consistent in the turbulent parts of your dream journey.

Right now, I'm on Day 2 of Body Ecology and the caffeine/sugar withdrawal has kicked into MASS EFFECT.  I'm lethargic, tired, and not able to do ALL the things I'd planned to do today.  In the midst of all of this, there's a part of me that says, "You've got way too much to do.  You NEED your coffee!  Grab some sugar and get that burst of energy that will get things done!" and then there's the other part of me that says, "Don't sell yourself short.  Don't exchange short term energy for long term vitality."  Guess which side is winning?

I'm still on Body Ecology because I have a super compelling vision.  I see myself wearing those size small Victoria PINK sweats, t-shirt, and hoodie, rocking a fabulous HM sweater dress, and giving my next talk in a sharp size 8 Victoria's Secret suit (pencil skirt and heels).  I see myself living in a space of vitality, energy, and enthusiasm ALL the time, waking up energized, going to bed peaceful, and feeling no 3 pm slump.  I see myself feeling great in my body, wearing my favorite pair of jeans, and NEVER again wearing black sweatpants and a sweatshirt because I'm not in the mood to dress.

My vision is compelling so I'm going through pain right now and I'm tempted, in every moment, to drop the ball but NOT dropping the ball means way more to me, in this moment, than running to Starbucks, downing some chocolate chip cookies and paying later with the extra weight, the extra guilt and the lack of self esteem.  Yes, I'm not getting what I want to get done today but I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be doing what I'm supposed to be doing. 

And here's the point:

Everything in life boils down to choice.  

Whenever you say 'Yes' to something, you say 'No' to something else.  

Whenever you say 'No' to something, you say 'Yes' to something else.

Can you have your cake and eat it too?  Sure but not without a stomach ache. 

You CAN have both but you have to understand that decisions will require choice and choice will involve timing.

So I come back to the bottom line: if consistency is your issue, if focus is your problem, how compelling is your vision?  Dreams come true when you have a vision that pulls you, not when you have a goal that you push.  Is your dream journey a downhill slide or an uphill climb?  When in doubt, go with what moves you and keep the feeling of that passion ever in front of you.  It makes the painful parts easier to persist through.

Facing My Shadow... (Read Time: 3 min.)

The past week of Body Ecology has been interesting and eye-opening.  I hit Day 21 of Body Ecology and got struck with excruciating tooth pain, tooth pain so bad that 4 Motrin didn't even cause a dent in the pain.  I waited an entire week before going to the dentist only to find out that I needed a root canal.  The night before having the root canal, I couldn't eat anything hard (no veggies or protein) and, honestly, I was so sick and pissed off about all the time I'd lost for exercising and eating well due to the tooth pain, that I through a HUGE pity party and ate sugar cookies (did I mentioned I baked them?) and pancakes for dinner. 

That crashed Body Ecology.  It's been about a week of being off of Body Ecology and I feel crappy: bloated, tired, insatiably hungry and pissed off that the week before I got off Body Ecology I hadn't lost one pound.  I lost 6 pounds week 1 and 4 pounds week 2 and week 3 NADA.

So here comes the spiritual lesson: I have to find a way to enjoy the process instead of focusing so intently on the event (the weight loss).

It's Easter, I've had pizza, jelly beans, chocolate and sugar and I've made one commitment to myself: To begin Body Ecology again tomorrow with the goal of completing 120 days (not 21 days) of straight Body Ecology before taking a few days off.  I think a few days off in between periods of Body Ecology may always be part of what I do but I want to know what it feels like to have 120 days of Body Ecology healing under my belt... weight loss or no weight loss. 

Inner Wisdom is Priceless... Body Ecology Day 15

The longer I'm on Body Ecology, the more connected I feel to my inner wisdom.  I've known for some time that this was the way I needed to eat... but I fought it.  I didn't want to "restrict" myself.  I didn't want to feel "confined."  I didn't want to give up the foods that were poisoning me.  I wanted to have my cake and eat it too.  All of those excuses boiled down to one thing: I wasn't willing to let go of what "felt" good for what would be great.

It's amazing how much we fight our inner knowing, how frequently we reject our highest good.  Whether it's a matter of deserving or an issue of self esteem, it's a sad day when we learn to no longer trust ourselves. 

It's Day 15 of Body Ecology and I ate well.  My reserves of veggie and protein were low but, at some point today, my body said "I need more carbs" so I cooked some red potato fries in olive oil and gave my body what it needed... and I'm still ending the day at 1,400 calories. 

On Body Ecology, eating comes naturally.  I don't have to think about what I'm eating.  I listen to my body and I feed myself good things.  I combine my foods properly and I don't even think about whether or not I'm losing weight.  I know I am.  I don't obsess any longer about what food I'll be eating next.  I already know.  There's no longer a compulsion to eat sugary foods because sugar is no longer running my life.

Does eating this way take discipline?  Yes.  Does it take work?  No.  The moment I decided to do what I knew was right, the system of eating came naturally.  It was almost like coming home after years away. 

I remember being a personal trainer and learning that muscle has memory, that even when you gain lots of weight, the moment you start working out, your muscles remember past levels of fitness and they come back in a third of the time.  Just as our muscles have memory, so does our appetite. 

If you known what it feels like to treat your body well, your body welcomes even a second of that treatment and ushers in your right and responsibility to honor the temple that carries you through life.  I'm learning how to treat my temple, one Body Ecology day at a time... and it feels good.

I am who I choose to be... Day 13 Body Ecology (Read Time: 3 min.)

I thought I would've posted sooner than today and even today I found myself saying, "I'll post tomorrow."  But tomorrow never seems to come if you keep putting it off so here I am writing about the journey to physical wholeness.  It's Day 13 of Body Ecology and I'm in a rhythm now.  I feel like the last week flew by and I barely noticed that anything was different about the way I ate.  It's becoming a habit.  There's certainty in Body Ecology.  I know what to eat, when to eat it and I know what results to expect.

There's added motivation in the 10 pounds I've lost in the last two weeks.  I feel lighter (physically and spiritually).  I feel my self esteem rising.  I know that I made a commitment to myself 13 days ago and I'm keeping it.  That alone is worth the effort.  More than that, I feel clear.  There's a clarity about me that feels wonderful.  It's hard to explain. 

There are no more foggy hazes.  I no longer wake up feeling tired or get to 3 pm and feel exhausted.  I feel great and my skin is clearing up and my body's slimming down and I'm starting to feel like the real me is making her grand entrance. 

What Body Ecology is doing for me has a lot more to do with healing than weight loss.  Sure I want the weight loss but I want the renewed energy and sense of purpose more and that's what I feel like I'm getting.  I'm in control of what I put into my mouth.  I'm in control of when I eat and what I eat and how it makes my body feel.  I didn't have that control when I was addicted to sugar, always feeling hungry, always having stomach aches or headaches and never feeling full.  I actually feel like I eat more than enough without feeling stuffed... and that's a gift.

So what am I learning on Body Ecology so far?  I am who I choose to be...

The journey continues...

Body Ecology Day 4 (Read Time: 2 min.)

Not much to say about Body Ecology Day 4.  I feel good, no bloating, no stomach aches.  I slept in again this morning because my body will not allow me to get anything less than 6 hours of sleep.  I feel so clear and so awake.  There were moments today, moments of stress, where I had the temptation to do what I've always done: to use food as a means of stuffing down my emotions.

I was in Sunflower Market and, in a stressful moment, I thought, "Just buy a package of those gluten free chocolate chip cookies.  One package a weekend won't hurt."  Then the real me kicked in and reminded myself, "You made a commitment.  Now stick to it."  So stick to it I did.  I bought a canister of salted cashews and ate two servings of those on the way home.  We then had salmon, shrimp, and veggies for dinner.

This Body Ecology really doesn't take much work once you have a routine.  It's eating simple foods in simple ways at key parts of the day.  I'm learning that proper nutrition isn't so much science as it's art: the art of knowing how to care and love you body in a way that tells you the truth, allows the room to embrace the truth but leaves no room for excuses that lead to excessive eating and the stuffing down of pain.

Well, Body Ecology Day 4 is done... The saga continues...

Body Ecology Day #2 (Read Time: 2 min.)

Body Ecology Day #2 recap- so I had no energy to wake up bright and early and workout since I went to bed around 1 am.  Good news: I slept in until 8 am and got more sleep than I've gotten in a LONG time.  Bad news: No Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper workout.

I"m ending today feeling much better than I expected.  It's Day 3 without coffee and, so far, no withdrawal headaches.  I'm a little constipated (that's what happens when there's no sugar or syrup or beans in the diet) but, other than that, things are working out.  I'm eating higher protein, lower carbs, and I'm combining my food properly so I don't feel bloated.

Day 3 is next... I'm low on energy and high on hope.  I've known this was my path for at least a year and I'm so thankful to finally be on it... really on it.  Let's go!

I Jumped Off The Fence (Read Time: 3 min.)

Ever hear the saying "Piss or get off the pot?"  Well I've spent the last month somewhere in between when it comes to my health: I want my fittest body ever and I do the 2 hour a day/6 days a week workouts... but I didn't want to give up my sugar and all the other goodies that are ultra-comforting in the moment and voraciously debilitating over a lifetime. 

A friend snapped me back into reality today (that and listening to Tony Robbins) and I am finally jumping off the fence I've been living on when it comes to nutrition.  The universe has been speaking to me about Body Ecology for MONTHS.  Not just little signs but COLOSSAL, IN-YOUR-FACE, don't ignore me because this is your life signs and I've been stubborn in heeding the call. 

Why? 

I don't like to be tired.  I don't like to feel restricted.  I don't like failing and I don't like seeing other people get to eat whatever they want, whenever they want and have the bodies they want... and be reminded that it simply isn't the body I was equipped with.  Now, their outsides (when you're eating McDonalds every day) clearly speak nothing about their insides but a size 8 in skinny jeans is still a size 8.

So I'm doing a mental makeover about this eating thing.  I've decided to replace some old limiting beliefs in the way coaches know how to do: one limiting belief at a time.

The first question I asked myself was this:

How does the fittest version of myself view healthy living?  

The second question I asked myself was this:

What beliefs does the fittest, happiest me strongly and fully believe?  

I broke them down to ten core beliefs that I have about my body, my nutrition and my life and I printed them out.  I started Body Ecology at 4:00 pm today and it's only a few hours into Day 1 but here's to CHOOSING my life, my health and every bit of abundance available to me. 

I'll do a video shortly and post it about the continuation of this journey (I almost typed saga but that rings a little too negatively in my ears; this is the ultimate journey because I have a temple that has long awaited my cognizance of its brilliance; I'm finally starting to see it).

Is 1993 Old? (Read Time: 2 min.)

I was in Staples over the weekend and gave the cashier a 20 dollar bill.  She looked to be about 17 years old.  She looked at the bill and said, "Wow!  This is an old bill.  I can't remember the last time I saw a 20 dollar bill that looked like this.  I think I was six or seven."  As she took the 20, she looked on the front and back of it and then nodded, "1993... Yeah, that's old." 

That's probably the first time I actually felt "old."  I'm 34 so 1993, to me, was my sophomore year of high school, the year before I graduated high school as a junior.  I was 16 in 1994 so, to me, 1993 was my teenage years... it wasn't so far way.

But to this young girl, 1993 seems old.  It seems ancient.  Hmm... Am I getting ancient?  I think not.  What I've learned from this experience is the following:
1) "Old" is relative.
2) Teenagers still don't get it.
3) I'm as young as I choose to feel.
4) The next time I get an "old" twenty dollar bill, I'm saving it as a souvenir... or until it's really old enough to be worth something.

What it Takes to Hold the Vision (Read Time: 3 min.)

I got tired of talking about Body Ecology.  Regurgitating what I'm eating to the world seemed, after a while, like a total waste of time... so I'm over it.  I do 75% Body Ecology and 25% Kassandra Bibas Ecology and there you have it.

Lately, I've been re-reading "The Science of Getting Rich" by Wallace D. Wattles.  It is a classic and a MUST READ for anyone who's on the path to creating wealth.  In one of the chapters, Wattles says the following:

"Hold with faith and purpose the vision of yourself in the better environment but act upon your present environment with all your heart, and with all your strength, and with all your mind."

And you know something?  It's not always easy to do that.  If it were easy, everybody would be wealthy and successful.  But there's something more in that passage that is at the heart of what it means to live into your destiny.

Creating a life you love to look at is more than some fantasy or foo-foo affirmation.  It's possible.  Not only that, it's probable and realistic IF you follow Wattles' advice.  Let me break down what he said into three key points:

1. You have to create a vision for the life you want AND keep it (i.e. don't waffle, waiver, or shift gears when the going gets tough).
2. You have know this vision well enough to shift your focus to it in a moment's notice, in a tough moment, when you feel like giving up so that you can experience the thrill and joy of the vision even though it hasn't tangibly shown up yet.  In this, you've got to practice visualizing your dream so it becomes as natural to you as breathing.
3. At the same time that you can see your future and bask in your dream, you've got to put whole mind into present action and give ALL that you have to ALL that you do.  You've got to be focused on what you can do right now, in this moment, to make that dream come true.  It isn't enough to visualize and prayerize.  With the vision firmly in your mind, you've got to take the actions but do so with FULL faith and a WHOLE heart, giving your all to everything you do. 

Notice that these three steps are moment-by-moment choices that you've got to make from now until your dream comes to pass... and even after that. 

Is it easy?  No.

Is it worth it?  Yes.

Body Ecology Day 1 (Read Time: 2 min.)

So I'm back on Body Ecology... modified.  I've kept a few of my favorites: hot chocolate, turkey bacon, and white potatoes (namely tator tots for big breakfast on Saturday and Sunday).  I feel good on Day 1. 

It's been the usual: I woke up, had 32 oz water, warm lemon water, my vitality supergreens drink (w/ cocoa biotic and potent proteins), had my 1 probiotic pill (filled with live cultures) and my regular vitamins. 

An hour or so later, I had 4 egg whites, 2 slices of turkey bacon, 10  baby carrots, and hot chocolate with marshmallows.

A few hours after that, I had 4 ounces of chickren breast.

An hour before dinner, I had hot chocolate again plus 6 ounces of ground turkey.  Dinner was quinoa and broccoli. 

Total calories: 1,653
41% Carbs, 30% Protein, 29% Fat

Not bad.  I'd like to see 1,400 calories tomorrow... But I feel full :)

Body Ecology Days 4 & 5 (Read Time: 3 min.)

So I'm combining Days 4 & 5 because they were basically a bust.  Yesterday didn't work because I hadn't done groceries and today didn't work because tomorrow's my birthday and I gave myself permission to have cake, real cake... so needless to say I'm at my maintenance calories today.

So what's next?

Well, tomorrow's my 34th birthday and the best way I can enter tomorrow is to be on Body Ecology- 98% Body Ecology - meaning no gluten free cookies or snacks, no hot chocolate (though I adore it) just apples or blueberries for fruit, and my splurge factor of turkey bacon and peppermint tea sweetened with stevia. 

It's time crunch time now.  I have 23 days left of nutrition (21 days left of workout time) and I've got 78,000 more calories to burn.  I don't have even one day to play with so I'm going to use every moment to its full advantage. 

In the meantime, in celebration of my birthday today, I thoroughly enjoyed pizza, cake, and gummi lifesavers:)  Yum!

So tomorrow I'll start with Body Ecology Day 1 as the post title.  One thing about me: I don't give up. 

Tomorrow is another day:)

Body Ecology Day 3... But Not Really (Read Time: 3 min.)

So today was a total bust.  I woke up to the realization that I was all out of Body Ecology groceries and didn't have time to go grocery shopping (until tomorrow) and, so, in a nutshell, with no lemons, no non-gluten free/wheat free/dairy free things, I chose to eat non-Body Ecology.  I could've fasted by why bother?  I took the easy route... and that's okay. 

So, today's menu was:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 10 baby carrots, 3 slices turkey bacon, hot chocolate (with 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 cup marshmallows and 1 packet cocoa mix)

Lunch: whole wheat penne pasta with sauce, parmesan cheese, 1 slice toast with butter on it

Dinner: Snickers bar, 4 barbecued chicken wings, french fries, 5 swedish meatballs, and crystal light

Oh I took it there today for a total of 2,241 calories, 43% Fat, 37% Carbs, 20% Protein... Oooh, way too much fat today... 

So what have I learned?

A- That I need to grocery shop and plan in advance so I have what I need to do Body Ecology

B- That being too full no longer feels as good as it once did; I'm liking the Body Ecology 80/20 rule (eat until your 80% full, make sure 80% of your plate are ocean veggies) more and more every day

C- I have the power to get off of Body Ecology one day and right back on it the next.  In previous encounters, if I missed a day from an eating regimen, I'd panic, thinking that I'd fallen off the bandwagon.  I've demolished the bandwagon.  Today was today.  Tomorrow I know exactly what to do: enjoy my life, buy groceries, eat Body Ecology, in that order.

I'm learning folks... I'm learning...

Day 2 Body Ecology (Read Time: 2 min.)

I'm starting to see why the Body Ecology Diet takes so much willpower.  It's a strict diet.  I stuck to the diet (with the exception of my turkey bacon) all the way until 3:30 pm and, at that point, I needed something with sugar in it.  So I had 1/2 a cup of almond milk, 1/2 packet of cocoa, and 1 cup of marshmallows... and that did the trick!  I was back on Body Ecology after that. 

So what I'm learning so far is this:

• Stage 1 (super strict) is not really for me
• There's a way to get the best of both worlds (Body Ecology and enjoyable food)
• I'm still feeling really good (tummy doesn't hurt, energy levels are high, and I don't feel bloated AT ALL)

So, here's what I did today in terms of nutrition:

• 1,011 calories, 22% Fat, 31% Carbs, 47% Protein

Ideally, I like to be at least 40% Protein so being able to have hot chocolate with marshmallows and still be at 47% protein was pretty awesome.

After starting my day with lemon water and a vitality supergreens shake, I had my usual breakfast (2 eggs, 2 slices turkey bacon, carrots, 3 ounces of chicken breast), had lunch later in the day with 4 ounces of chicken breast and Birds Eye veggies with hot chocolate) and then had dinner around 8:45 pm (right after work) of 4 oz tilapia and Birds Eye veggies and now I'm getting ready for bed.  I don't feel full and I'm not really that hungry.  So, is this working?  We'll see...

I'm all about experimentation.  On to Day 3!

Day 1 Body Ecology (Read Time: 2 min.)

I woke up pretty sick this morning... and there came my 'Aha' moment.  Something had to change.  I'd been postponing getting back on Body Ecology and here was the moment.  As I lay on the couch doubled over in pain, I knew exactly what I had to do so I hobbled upstairs to the kitchen, warmed up some water, squeezed half a lemon into the cup, guzzled it, and went back to bed.  There began Body Ecology Day #1.

I've scoured the internet for blogs on those who've done Body Ecology and what I've found isn't thrilling.  People say they're doing Body Ecology but they don't get much further than that.  So, for all of you considering Body Ecology, I'm going to get down to the details so you know what to expect.

On Day #1:

• I've consumed approximately 1,200 calories (30% Fat, 20% Carbs, 50% Protein). 
• I've modified Stage I of Body Ecology to include apples (instead of the more expensive berries which are ridiculously priced here in Utah at this time of the year) and I've added in turkey bacon (which contains some traces of sugar).  Other than that, it's strictly Body Ecology
• I had my lemon water, vitality supergreens drink (vitality supergreens + potent proteins + cocoa biotic) followed by an apple an hour later
• Breakfast happened an hour later around 11:30 am and I had 1 egg, 2 egg whites, 10 baby carrots and 2 slices of turkey bacon
• Lunch happened around 4:30 pm where I had 6 oz chicken breast (with skin on it) and 2 cups of Birds Eye veggies (cauliflower, carrots, broccoli)
• Dinner happened at 8 pm and I had 8 oz tilapia (sauteed with olive oil & seasoning), 2 cups Birds Eye veggies
• and I'm rounding the night drinking peppermint tea with 2 packets of Stevia

There's Day #1.  My tummy's rumbling a bit but I'll get used to it soon enough.  At least there's no pain.

Things Work Out (Read Time: 2 min.)

It's so easy to get caught up in drama, to over-invest in a sense that the 'now' circumstance is going to last forever.  Few things do.  What causes insecurity in life is walking through experiences thinking, 'It all comes down to this..."  It's that now or never mentality that gets people stuck.

No matter how badly you want to win or have things go your way, keep in mind one simple truth:

Things work out.

They just do.  Even the obstacles turn into opportunities.  The roadblocks become pathways.  Enemies shine a light on friendship.  Whatever you're facing, no matter how grizzly it may appear, know that the unfoldment of it will be as beautiful as you choose to see it. 

Perception, attitude, and faith are everything in life.  If you take a different view, you'll live a different life... and it is as easy as it sounds.  Truth be told, some of us love misery far more than we'd care to admit.  We like the earth-shattering dramatic feeling that comes along with believing that every decision is final. 

When you get off of that adrenaline rush, you figure out that the peaceful sense of life flowing in positive directions is a much better high that lasts a lifetime.  Again, things work out.

Only When I'm Tired Do I Miss Coffee (Read Time: 2 min.)

Today I'm sleep deprived.  William (my 7 year old) spent most of last night awake with the usual tough transition from staying up late over Christmas break to 'back to the 9:30 pm bedtime routine' and I got the special pleasure of waking up every half an hour to say "Will, go to sleep... Will, it's time for bed."  Add to that the fact that I woke up at 4:45 am to take TJ to swim practice and go run 2.75 miles at a semi-packed gym and you have one tired woman... and here's where I miss coffee.

There are lots of things I love about coffee: the smell, the taste, the fake dose of energy you get from it for a limited amount of time, the ability to carry around that Starbucks cup like a symbol to the world (Yes, I'm a coffee drinker here in Utah) but I only miss coffee like this when I'm so sleep deprived and feel so tired that any dose of energy feels like a boost in self esteem.

I don't like feeling tired.  I don't like feeling like I'm not energetically equipped to do everything I set out to do for the day and when days like this arrive (and with small children they do), I battle within myself between the dictator part of me that says "Do it all NO MATTER WHAT" and the kinder, more compassionate fairy godmother part of me that quietly says, "Do your best and get some rest." 

Which part do I listen to?

Well, I'm on my second cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, I'm hoping to record two videos tonight, and I'm planning on an early bedtime.  We'll see who's voice I listen to in about 8 hours...

What Keeps You From Changing Your Life? (Read Time: 3 min.)

What's keeping you from changing your life?

Sometimes we think that change is what we need to feel better about our lives.  But what if complaining and whining about our lives is exactly what feeds if?  What if, at the end of

the day, when the rubber hits the road, what we want most is the ability to throw a pity party and have many people attend?

Being disempowered has its advantages.  When you're disempowered, you don't have to work hard.  You don't have to live your life to the max.  You don't have to take risks and you don't have to pay the price for living your dream life.  You get to play the victim, the martyr, and the indentured servant.  You get to tell the story that starts with "Whoa is me."  When people offer you advice, you get to interject, "Yeah, but..."

However, there are many things you don't get to do when you deny the power of your own choices. 

Living the disempowered life makes sense for those who are too afraid to take chances, too focused on being "right" rather than being happy.  Disempowered works for those who feel that people wouldn't stick around if they got empowered.  We all see vulnerability as the key to relationship success (whether we admit it or not) but vulnerability does not have to translate to weakness.

"You get to have whatever you choose to think."

- Louise L. Hay

Louise wasn't lying when she said that.  You can be empowered but it comes at a price. 

When you choose to stand in your power, you'll have to:
1. Refuse to buy into your own excuses.
2. Do things you don't "feel" like doing.
3. Consciously choose your thoughts.
4. Let the past go minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day.
5. Believe the best in ALL situations, even when things go to hell in a handbasket.
6. Own when you're sabotaging yourself and make a different choice
7. Keep your dreams visually in front of you and make time to visualize, actualize and prayerize.
8. Be patient with the process even when it takes years.
9. Celebrate successes so you keep your momentum going.
10. Work through challenges with compassion and grace, rather than a pout, a yell and a closed fist.

These are just 10 prices you'll have to pay to live the empowered life.  Are you tired just reading them?  Try living them...

At the end of the day, know one thing: the empowered life was meant for you.  You can skirt the issue, pretend that you're okay playing it safe, live life at 70% but something in your soul is bound to wake you up.  You cannot hide from your own potential.