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What do these words have in common, besides being the new buzz words? They all have Hope attached to them. Hope I think, because we all would like to have wellness, and a sense of well-being as well as happiness. Considering the definition of words we give them actually create our perspective, they also define your choices. When I ask you what these words mean to you and how do you define or describe them, what is the answer? Are they just an illusion that is being portrayed within the happy community, similar to the love movement of the 70’s? Do they have any relevance to you and your place in life? Maybe, they just represent an evolutionary movement of humanity representing something we are actually searching for - peace, contentment and connectedness.
I dare say as an individual in the Western Society, we are collectively searching for meaning in the vastness of turmoil the world appears to be in. I don’t think many would dispute there is an increasing dis-chord between what we innately know to be truth and what we have been lead to believe via popular press, marketing, capitalism and that money is the saving force to our woes. I challenge you to question this. What if, by questioning your current perspective, you can have more happiness, more wellness and a sense of freedom? A different appreciation for your life is available if you are able to make conscious and informed choices of how you choose to live it. What if you could create a different life, enjoying it more while living in the manner you like simply by encouraging you to own your power to choose? What if, all you needed to do is be grateful, to see the better parts of people, to let go of your expectations to avoid disappointment? How then, do we define wishes, hopes and desires, when parts of society is encouraging us to dream big, to work smart, to play hard? The answer may just be by responding and not reacting to the environments you are in. Working with the things you can influence and allowing the rest to be as they are. As Steven Covey explains in his book “7 Habits of Effective People." Is the reality that you see, that you feel and that surrounds you is negative, predominately irritation or frustration towards being stuck in a work just to pay for the house, car or the children’s education? I want to challenge this thought because it is social illusion; one that was born from the concepts of the have and have not's, with the need to keep up appearances, with the Jones and with everyone else in between. What has this got to do with eating habits, and health? A lot really. Food, and drinks have various symbolic relationships. Many use it as a way to show or share love - the dinner date; celebrations - special foods, drinks and locations; comfort, learnt from an early age - good behavior and treats, sick and comfort foods etc.; avoidance, distraction and boredom - often high energy, comfort foods. These symbols or associations we have made with food can, for some lead to unhealthy choices to fill the voids of our lives, by self medicating with foods/drinks/alcohol. When people start to associate more pleasure to foods, drinks and alcohol than connecting with others and achievements, then a dangerous scenario is being created. It can at times seem there is a gremlin in us that overrides any conscious thoughts, and we have seen this with microbes telling our mind what food choices they want. But how about when emotions and the heavier emotions start demanding to be heard and we sub-consciously attempt to distract, suppress or ignore them? I think that it is possible to incorporate ambition and contentedness into our psyche. By combining snippets of materialistic ideologies, emotional intelligence, and personal awareness, combined with powerful emotional healing we can encourage and support the dream big, wellness theory. It is possible to take every day actions that supports transition into what we dream to have and be.
"Life, what is it, but a serious of moments, which at the twinklingof an eye can change down a different path from what one might think" Life has over the past months been a soap opera, which if anyone was watching on a screen would be drawn in with the drama, high tension and the resolution that always happens at the end. If we are in fact in charge of choicing our characters of our life play, along with directing, shooting, taking on different personas to 'get the point across' then i have been doing a damn good job. In the past i have joked that my life has been worthy of a movie. It really has been as twistedand high action as the local Days of our Lifes, or even maybe Home and Away. But, at what cost?
The cost for me has been painful, but then of late the guru messages have been saying the more shattered one's persona is, more light can come through. I would agree with this. My life has over the past 4 years been shattered wide open exposing my deepest fears, and asking me to live them, only too see a deeper, more softer side of myself that it would seem in hindsight, others could see but i couldn't quite yet see. What does this have to do with food, nutrition and health???? I will challenge each of you who might take the time to read this to sit for a bit and just yourself a few of the questions below:
This is how my life story brought me to this point. I too have struggled with eating disorders, addiction - to bad behaviour and to filling the gaps with negative thoughts and bad behaviour. I am not 'cured', but i will way that i am now a long way to be ok with who and what i am. I am a special person with unique gifts, that struggles with fitting in with the 'norms or life expectations'; my ability to read people has created a space that is being a lot more common in the younger generation, but it also means i struggle with crowds and lots of people. I undderstand people, and will challenge them, just as i do on a daily basis to understand the motives of what is really going on in the world inside my self and how it relates to the world out there. Food is just another expression and medium through which this occurs. This weekend, i took myself away from my life as i had been living it. I stripped it down to a few truths that i had been struggling with and again have found a peace which i am ok with. Changes are a cummin as the saying goes and it may not be as we know it. I am becoming me again, as i once was. And thank God for that, along with the people who have been placed on my path to guide me back. To this end, i wish us all a smooth transition, to self love and acceptance; to seeing ourselves as we are, and for the conformists, may don't be so quite to surrender yourself to others, be true to yourself and let the magic happen. When we utilize “musts” we set up all or nothing scenarios that will generally lead to unhappiness and generate anxiety. Such mental chatter can result from trying to satisfy other people’s expectations and it tends to be the default language of perfectionists. If these terms dominate our internal guidance systems, our fight or flight mode may be almost permanently affixed in the “ON” position. The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
After years and years of observation and self reflection I came to the realization that the best way to face life’s challenges is to take a good look at yourself, assume responsibility for whatever it is that you are thinking, feeling and living. If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.~Mary Engelbreit For example, if you are interacting with negative people and these are people you have to deal with on a regular basis – like a friend, spouse, a family member or someone you work with, you should never allow their negativity to affect you and what’s most important, you should never blame them if it does. Never give your power away by blaming others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. The moment you do, you become a victim of your circumstances and instead of using your time and energy to overcome life’s challenges, you will get lost in the problems and you will get stuck in a really dark and unhappy place for a very long time. Today I want to share with you 9 clever ways of dealing with the negativity that comes your way from those you love and care about in a more positive and effective way. 1. OwnershipGo from being a victim, from blaming, judging and criticizing to assuming full responsibility for your own thoughts and feelings. Take a different approach to how you deal with their negativity. Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. ~Carl Jung Don’t say: They are draining my energy;.....For the full article (definitely worth reading)  Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.
How? * Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. * Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. * Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless. * Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life. * Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. * Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us each together. * Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. * Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings. * Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going. * Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. *Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily. * Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way. Brian Dyson Former CEO of Coca-Cola Company. This was from a speech he gave at the Georgia Tech 172nd Commencement Address on September 6, 1996. |
AuthorA dietitian with an interest in mind, body, skill development and empowering people to help themselves. After living a lifetime in the first 40, it is now time take it easier and let things be and help others get their their 'life'. Archives
January 2018
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