The Beauty of Nature

How did everybody do on their quest to appreciate the beauty of nature this past week (and a half)? If you didn’t do so well, or forgot about it, then go ahead and spend another week focusing on it. Spend as long as you need until it has become part of your daily life. These lessons are supposed to inspire you to actually create changes in yourself and in your world, but you need to be ready to take advantage of that and try your best.

Don’t be ashamed if you need to take longer working on some of the steps, there is no pressure or judgement in this cleanse.

I found this lesson to be very enjoyable. I make sure I run outside with my dog, Avery, every day. It’s good for both of us, and it helps me get out of the house and clear my head for a while. I have also been looking at the stars every night before bed, and I thank God for this beautiful world. I love the fact that I am becoming more aware of how the day actually feels. When I wake up in the morning, the air smells very fresh and soft, with a hint of damp humidity. At night, the air is crisp and heavy. I feel it when the sky is getting ready to storm; I smell the rain and can feel the air become thicker, more humid. It is amazing how synchronized you can be with the world around you, if you just ay attention to it. 

100 Days to Freedom

So, I’m tired of confusing cycles and evil patterns that seem to tear me down. I fall into the traps of obligation and expectation, and as of 5 minutes ago, I decided to end it once and for all. I am guilty of only half-heartedly embracing my personal revolution project, losing my commitment to cleanse and detox programs, ignoring my own health and lifestyle rules, and ignoring second chances and opportunities because I am too overwhelmed with the pointless crap.

I can’t do it anymore. Scratch that. I WON’T do it anymore. 

Yes, I know it’s finals week, and that my main focus should be on stressing myself out and worrying about every little thing, but it’s not. It’s impossible for me to focus on my schoolwork when I don’t even have the room to breathe. I over-commit myself to social events, I misuse my work time, I don’t appreciate my free time, and I procrastinate and avoid things until my closets are so full they explode, and I drown in meetings, assignments, due dates, appointments, chores, exams, study dates, responsibilities, and ignored friends. I have been continuously bobbing up and down on the stress roller coaster these past few months, going from finally getting the opportunity to catch up on things and enjoy my life, to being overwhelmed, to having an opportunity, to being overwhelmed….blah blah blah. Well, after my most recent life changing event (my car accident, which I will talk about in a separate post), I found myself looking at life differently, yet over these past few days, I notice myself falling back into old bad habits and negative loops. I don’t want this to be another round in the cycle…this has to be different. 

There’s no way I am going to take the lessons that my accident has taught me for granted. Over the next 100 days, I am going to devote all of my energy to breaking free from that cycle. I have gathered all of my most important and helpful books, including the Bible, all of Elaine St. James’ books, and Kris Carr’s lovely book. I will add to the collection over these next few months. I will be posting regularly about each lesson, and will focus on one step/project/series a week. I couldn’t wait to start it tomorrow, so I decided to start it immediately. Today is being considered DAY 1! 

I encourage you to drop all of the crap in your life too. It’s way too hard to feel like you’re drowning all of the time. That’s not how life is supposed to be. We are supposed to enjoy and appreciate life. We are supposed to grow, and you cannot grow when you are being smothered.

 

Be watching for a DAY 1 post very soon.

Are You Drowning in Life?

Have you ever felt that you are being completely smothered by your life? Like you have slipped under the current and now you can’t catch your footing? Like you just can’t seem to catch a break?

Well trust me, I know exactly how you feel. In fact, it seems that a lot of people that I have spoken to recently are having a difficult time with life in general right now. It is easy to get swept up in the urgency of things; the meetings, lectures, due dates, planners, assignments, responsabilities, etc… Life moves quickly, and if you cannot learn to juggle all of the demands that you have placed upon yourself or allowed to be placed upon you, then you will most certainly drown. 

So are we all doomed to a miserable, hectic fate? I am happy to say NO! Absolutely not. There is not reason that we should spend our lives been swallowed by stress and pressure. That’s no way to live. There is no enjoyment in that. 

Tell me this, which group of words sounds better?

A. Chaos, busy schedules, deadlines, appointments, assignments, tasks, to-do lists, meetings, projects, chores, requests, bills, letters, phone calls, alarms, text messages, e-mails, memos, reminders, jobs, expectations, rushing, demands…..

B. Beauty, awareness, relaxation, appreciation, gratitude, acknowledgement, vitality, energy, tranquility, free time, hobbies, peace, simplicity, bliss, joy, improvement, opportunity, possibility, dreams, passion, pleasure, fulfillment, adventure, nature, travel…

Honestly…which life would you chose?

Well, with the help of Elaine St. James, I am choosing option B.! Elaine St. James is the author of the books “Simplify Your Life”, “”Living the Simple Life”, and “Inner Simplicity”, and she is an expert on simplifying your life and making room for the things we truly enjoy. I adore her books, and over the next several weeks as I read them all, I am going to share some of the best tips with you, so that you can benefit from her amazing amounts of wisdom and make some space for yourself in your own life.

First Detox Grocery List

The afternoon before you begin your detox, you need to go grocery shopping, but before you do that, you need to empty all of the crap from your kitchen. Go through all of your cabinets and cupboards, drawers, and your fridge and freezer. Throw out all animal products (this is necessary for this detox), including meat, seafood, milk, cheese, yogurt, dairy products, eggs, ice cream, cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and anything else containing animals. The ingredients can be pretty tricky, so throw it out if you’re not sure. You can compost anything biodegradable. Get rid of all cookies, snack cakes, chips, candy, crackers, soda pop, sugary drinks or flavored waters, alcohol, caffeine, energy drinks, white bread, white rice, white sugars and flours, processed or pre-packaged foods, anything that requires a microwave,  and anything with an self-life longer than your life. Don’t be fussy, just do it. I promise, you’ll be happy and skinny and sexy and you will thank me.

Now go to the grocery store, get your groceries aisle by aisle, and make your shopping trip fast and smooth. Stick mostly to the edges of the store for the bulk of your shopping. REMEMBER: you should be as organic as possible, with everything from groceries, to medicine, to clothes. It’s really important, but I do understand that organic can be expensive. Just do your best.

Produce:

• apples
• lemons
• bananas
• pears
• oranges
• tomatoes
• carrots
• avocado
• sweet potato
• kale
• spinach
• romaine
• sprouts
• zucchini
• celery
• cucumbers
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• peppers
• onions
• garlic
• ginger root

Beans and Grains:

• chickpeas
• black beans
• kidney beans
• buckwheat
• millet
• quinoa
• gluten free oats

Other Food:

• cinnamon
• gluten free pasta
• nutritional yeast
• stevia
• tea
• tofu
• almond/rice/soy milk
• almond or cashew butter
• cashews, almonds, or brazil nuts
• sunflower seeds
• chia seeds
• flax seeds
• coconut oil
• flax oil
• raisins or currants or dried berries
• apple cider vinegar
• organic mustard
• raw tahini
• spirulina
• wheatgrass

Other:

• notebook
• calendar/planner
• neti pot
• dry brush/ exfoliating glove
• trash bags

Where Do You Go Wrong?

   My first step toward creating a better life for myself was to buy myself a special notebook that I carry with me everywhere I go. I use this as my detox/cleanse/revolution journal. It gives me something to do when things get rough and I need some support. It also helps keep me on track. I suggest you go out and get yourself one of these journals (look for my post about what to buy on your first cleanse grocery shopping trip). 

   Open your journal to the first blank, beautiful, anything-is-possible page, and title it “Where I Went Wrong”. Doing this helped me see how all of the little cheats and shortcuts that I thought would have no affect on my health and weight were adding up to a long list of bad habits. By writing down all of those things, I was making myself more aware of them, and it made me think twice the next time I was tempted to skip a workout or sneak some unhealthy food. A little treat now and then is fine, but a “little treat” a couple times a day ends up being a bad habit. Be very careful with how you reward yourself for making good steps toward health and weight loss. Try getting yourself a new yoga outfit instead of diving into a greasy pile of fries or a highly processed candy bar.

   Think of as many things as you can to write down. If you are stuck, here are some questions that might help you out:

• Do you eat fast food more than once a week?
• Do you get 7-9 hours of sleep every night?
• Do you get 15-20 minutes of sunlight every day?
• Do you eat in front of the TV?
• Do you go grocery shopping while you are hungry?
• Do you go for salty potato chips, soda pop, greasy fatty foods, processed sugars, or pre-packaged meals (aka Sodium Bombs) when you feel upset, stressed, or when you don’t feel like taking the time to cook?
• Could you find the time to fit a workout into your schedule, you just don’t want to?
• Do you eat right before bed?
• Do you skip workouts or take more than 3 days off a week?
• Do you spend most of your time sitting or lounging?
• Do you eat too much during one meal?
• Do you drink at least 64 oz of fluids a day (water, tea, green juice, or fruit juice)?
• Do you stretch before and after every workout?
• Do leafy greens and vegetables make up at least half of your diet?
• Do you eat when you are stressed, nervous, or upset?
• Do you smoke cigarettes?
• Do you drink alcohol more than once or twice a week?
• When you drink, do you have control over how much you are drinking?
• Do you stop functioning unless you have caffeine?
• Are you close friends with sleeping pills, pain medication, or other pharmaceuticals that mask your symptoms?
• Do you have a healthy way to handle your stress?
• Do you feel pressures to eat every bite of food on your plate, even when you are full?
• Do you pick the food off of other peoples plates? 
• Do you eat while you are cooking? (I’m not super guilty of this at all…..)

   These are just a small few of the hundreds of little things that you could be doing to sabotage yourself. What are some of the things that you catch yourself doing that prevent you from reaching your goals?

 

Where Did I Go Wrong?

Sometimes when I feel like my life is running away from me, I spend a little time wondering about where I went wrong. I actively try and pinpoint certain things that I did to sabotage my progress. During my recent weight gain and mini-eating disorder relapse, I made a list of some of the things I did that I noticed create stress or bigger issues for myself. I found it to be extremely helpful, and it helped me locate all the places where I was going wrong. Try it out, it can be very informative.

Where I went wrong:

• not drinking enough water
• not drinking enough green juices
• not getting enough sleep
• eating too late at night
• not working out in the morning
• not sticking to goals
• not sticking to meal plans
• over-eating at one time, not spacing out meals
• doing the same workout repeatedly
• snacking while cooking
• not spending enough time outside
• not reading the Bible daily
• not stretching after every workout
• not recording every meal
• snacking on too many meal bars (Clif, Lara, Luna, etc…)
• not eating enough vegetables
• skipping yoga classes
• skipping school classes
• not cleaning up after myself
• not doing enough core work
• ignoring strength training
• skipping derby practice
• not walking my dog every day
• not spending my money wisely

Revolutionize Your Life

I am taking the next 7 months to revolutionize and change my life. I will simplify my life, clean my home, work on myself, train my body, and create the life that I want to live. I am looking forward to this change, and I have decided to share my progress with all of you, and hopefully you will join me on my journey. 

Here are the goals of my “Life Revolution”:

• Clean the trash and clutter from my home
• donate 4 trash bags full of clothes
• focus on schoolwork and studying
• begin working on my Bucket List for 2013 (post coming soon!)
• grow spiritually
• organize my life
• flush toxins from my body
• clean up my eating habits
• increase my self-discipline and endurance
• strengthen my relationships
• become comfortable with my body
• give my body a chance to rest an re-set
• find some new hobbies that I am really good at
• expand my knowledge
• push myself to be better

I will probably add to the list over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!