"Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect. But I press on, that I may obtain that for which Christ Jesus also obtained." Philippians 3:12 Yesterday, during my reflection of "PMS", positive mindset shift, I mentioned my current physiological state of peri-menopause and the effect this hormonal change has had on my body and soul. Today, I'd like to zone in and learn a little bit more about Estrogen. I will be using Dr. Sara Gottfried's book, The Hormone Reset Diet, to obtain my information. She states, "estrogen is the hormone primarily responsible for making us uniquely women, with breasts, hips, curves and glossy locks; that is, we're not simply small men." Estrogen is highest during puberty, the middle of one's menstrual cycle, and during pregnancy. Estrogen is lowest during menopause or when a woman has her ovaries removed. Dr. Goffried states, "When I completed my medical training, no one talked about estrogen dominance. I was taught to prescribe birth control pills for women with ill-defined hormone problems up until age 50, and hormone replacement therapy after that. I knew the birth control pills balanced out women who had too much estrogen, so the term "estrogen dominance" had a context in my mind. But as I learned more about the particular issues women face - difficulty with weight gain, breast tenderness, ovarian cysts, premenstrual syndrome, endometrial polyps, fibroids, endometriosis - I realized that estrogen dominance was the elephant in the room that most modern medicine was not addressing, and meat consumption plays a key role. " In her own plight to lose weight, Dr. Gottfried discovered that estrogen dominance related to eating grain-fed, hormone-injected, superbug-infected conventionally raised red meat raises your body's estrogen levels, slows down your digestion, makes you bloated or constipated, and messes with your gut microbiome. Oh my Lord, just thinking about this makes me sick to my stomach! Dr. Gottfried offers a visualization of the consumption of a typical burger ..."as you smell the aroma of the burgers cooking on the grill, you may be unaware that they were previously part of cows raised in a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) and fed grain, typically genetically modified corn rather than grass, and highly stressed...and you don't think about how the standard practice for cattle is to treat them prophylactically with antibiotics and dewormers, thereby breeding bacterial and parasite resistance which can trigger hard-to-treat infections and food-borne illnesses." Apparently, this practice has been going on with poultry since the 1940's. Dr. Gottried informs us that when we eat steroid-injected meat which is used to fatten them, it fattens us up as well. In addition, fake estrogens called xenoestrogens are embedded in the synthetic chemicals. Grass-fed meat, as opposed to what we traditionally eat, contains up to ten times more omega-3 (good, healthy fat). Grain-fed meat has too much omega-6 which leads inflammation and more fat storage. She then shares that since our liver is not designed to process the toxins, we store the toxins in our fat cells. When we have stored too many toxins in our fat cells, it leaks out into the bloodstream which is tied to insulin resistance, obesity and breast cancer. Dr. Gottfried recommends substituting conventional grain-fed red meat with locally grown grass-fed beef. Other options include cold water fish such as salmon, cod and tilapia; pastured chicken and eggs, lentils, beans, nut butters and seeds. She also recommends eating eating one pound of vegetables a day such as kale, spinach, cabbage, arugula, broccoli, radish, carrots, squash, bell peppers and cauliflower. A typical menu could look like this: Breakfast: 3 egg omelet (pastured eggs), 1/2 cup aspargus and 1 cup cooked spinach; Lunch: Banana Almond Milk protein shake, 20 cashews, and 1 cup chopped bell peppers; Dinner: 6 ounce wild salmon, 1 cup broccoli, 2 cups salad." Even though I have not started a "diet", I am way more conscious of my food choices, how I spend my time, what my goals are and how I feel. Yesterday, I had the will power to say no to Christmas cookies at work. I passed that tray of cookies about 1,000 times, and I watched as it went from a full tray to two cookies. I was not tempted one time to eat from it! I have ate a healthy breakfast every day this week, and I prepared and ate a healthy lunch and afternoon snack every day. I worked out 3 days, and plan to work out this morning. I started my thermogenic supplement, and I take my doTerra Lifelong Vitality pack every day. I've also added a daily probiotic (good bacteria) to my routine. I've been blogging for 20 days, which means I am actively changing my brain. By staying focused on my goal, I am developing healthy new dendrites which means healthy new thoughts. In addition, over the past week, I've lost 1.7 pounds and feel more energy than I have in a long time! Praise God!
0 Comments
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" Hebrews 12:1 Yesterday, I had a win! I'm going to call it a positive mindset shift, PMS! Just thinking about this new acronym, PMS, makes me giggle inside! I'm 47 years old and the "great change" began about a year ago. Yes, I'm talking about peri-menopause. Initially, I was relieved to know that I would not have to have a period every single month. However, now I'm beginning to realize that no period also means low estrogen. Low estrogen symptoms include mood swings, less sleep, more forgetfulness, increased tiredness and increased weight gain that can be difficult to lose! UGH! It's a vicious cycle! It can be easy to allow your mind and body to get trapped into thinking there's no way out! Thank you God for helping me to adopt a new mindset, PMS! I will walk forward knowing that I am never a victim! With a positive mindset shift, I can choose to step outside the vicious cycle and develop a plan of attack! Yesterday, I experienced the PMS when I was eating lunch. Earlier that morning, I prepared a healthy meal to bring to work for lunch - tuna wrapped in lettuce, organic strawberries, hummus and organic blue chips. As I was eating my lunch, I remembered there was soda in the fridge. I took the soda out and had a sip. I noticed that the soda did not taste like "real food". I stopped myself, looked at my water, looked back at the soda and then threw the soda in the trash can. I felt amazing and empowered! Okay, before I get too far off, I want to begin Chapter 1 in Dr. Leaf's book. Today, I will reflect on the first section of Chapter 1 called, "The Diversity of Diet." Dr. Leaf shares that human beings have survived and thrived on a variety of diets. Food options are often dependent on where a person is from. For instance, Mediterraneans digest a lot of olive oil, Japanese eat a lot of vegetables, and the African Maasai tribe eats a lot of grass-fed beef and dairy. What food do Americans eat? What foods did I grow up on? Where did my mindset about food come from? This is what I will be reflecting on in the next paragraph. I grew up in a poor home. My mother used food stamps to purchase our food. Our typical meal consisted of hot dogs and Kraft mac and cheese, hamburgers and french fries or grilled cheese sandwiches. Fruit and vegetables came in a can, and we mostly drank Kool-Aid. On special occasions, when we did have money, we would go out to eat at McDonald's or Burger King. Also, we seldom got desserts. I remember stealing Little Debbie fruit pies from the grocery stores just so that I could have a treat. I also remember that when my little brother and I did get a dessert, we would eat is so slowly just so we could hold it over each other. We would taunt each other with the tasty treat. Until I was 16 years old, this was the only way I knew how to eat. When I turned 16, I started dating a boy who came from a financially wealthy family. They are the ones that introduced me to various foods. I learned that fresh vegetables tasted better than canned vegetables, and I was introduced to foods like crab, salmon, lobster, and artichokes. I also went to my first "fancy" restaurant where cloth napkins were used. In addition, my boyfriend took me to McDonald's on a regular basis. I used to think, "I want to rich someday so that I can go to McDonald's whenever I want." The meaning of food changed. Food became a form of financial status. I was the first person in my family to go to college. Colleges have dining halls! A dining hall is like the Golden Corral! All you can eat! They used to have a saying called, "the freshmen 15", meaning that college freshmen often put on 15 pounds due to open access to food. Well, I gained the 15 pounds. When I went home at Christmas, I remember a friend making fun of me about my weight gain. He called me "Thunder Thighs", and that was all it took! During the Spring semester, I took it all off! I worked out almost every day and I ate less food. Unfortunately, looking back, I never changed what I was eating. I only changed how much I was eating. Either way, the weight came off! Over the years, I was able to manage my weight through exercise. After gaining 65 pounds with each one of my 3 boys, I reached a weight of 215 lbs. I joined the gym and started taking group exercise classes. I was able to get myself down to 145 lbs. I loved group exercise so much that I became a certified fitness instructor, and a certified personal trainer. I taught a variety of classes including step aerobics, cardio kickboxing, body sculpt, yoga and pilates. When I turned 41, I moved across the country, and was not able to teach group exercise for a while. By the time I was 43, I had gained 20 pounds. My weight was 165 pounds. I decided to start teaching classes again, but they were sporadic. Currently, I teach one class a week. Thank God for this class because it keeps my foot in the door and helps me to remember how much I love group exercise. When I turned 46, I fell into a depression due to a major life event, and I stopped getting my periods. I don't know if it was the stress that stopped my cycle, or if it was my age. Either way, I did not have energy to work out, and I turned to food for comfort. I gained another 15 pounds bringing me to 180 pounds. By the grace of God, I was able to overcome the depression. However, my food addiction and lack of energy did not stop. It have been emotionally and spiritually healthy for one year. I have so many things to be thankful for. My marriage is better. My children are safe and healthy. I have great friends and a wonderful church family. I have a full-time job as a School Counselor and am financially sound. My business is flourishing, and I am finishing my last two classes for mental health licensure. Unfortunately, by devoting time to all of these things, I have given up my time to exercise. By choosing to not change my diet and not exercise, I have gained another 10 pounds bringing my weight to 190 lbs! This is ridiculous and unacceptable! I am realizing that if I am not physically healthy, then I won't have the energy or the mobility to "run the race that God has set before me" (Hebrews 12:1). It is time to change my thoughts and behavioral habits about food, and it is time to build in exercise. I am open and ready to receive guidance from the Holy Spirit and I welcome His presence. God, give me the strength and courage to move forth on this journey. In the name of Jesus, break this addiction that binds me. Help me to choose healthy foods. Enable me to carry out your will. Amen. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh." 2 Corinthians 10:3 Yesterday, I digressed from my topic of weight loss. I wrote what was on my heart at the moment. A topic that often keeps me awake. A topic that I often need to pray about. The topic of mental health and treatment approaches. This morning, I am going to stay on track with my mission of getting healthy. I continue to read and reflect on Dr. Caroline Leaf's book, Think and Eat Yourself Smart. I often find my mind wandering to different areas that interest me, or that I am passionate about. When my mind drifts from one passionate thought to the next, I lose focus on my original intention and then I never meet my goals. So this morning, even though there are so many areas that I would love to think and write about, I am choosing to stay focused on my mission of getting healthy! Speaking of that...I had an opening in my schedule so I went to the gym and took a Cardio Combat class. Even though I was not able to perform high impact exercise, I was able to endure the class. I felt so good when I was done! I have been making healthy food choices over the last few days and I can already feel my energy coming back! I have every intention of staying focused so that I can get rid of the extra 30-40 pounds. Okay, back to the prologue of Think and Eat Yourself Smart. Dr. Leaf has divided this book into three parts: Admit It, Quit It, and Beat It. "Admit It" is about gathering information on the Modern American Diet (MAD) and admitting that our current food is not the food that God intended for us to eat. We are eating fake food instead of real food. "Quit It" focuses on the power of the mind and the impact of toxic thinking and toxic food choices on the brain and body. "Beat It" deals with lifestyle changes that can help us begin the task of thinking and eating ourselves smart. In Dr. Leaf's words, "We can change nothing until we fully comprehend what needs to be changed. Just as every action first begins with a thought, we, as the children of the Creator of this beautiful universe, first have to understand the broken food system we face (Col. 1:15-20). We have to take these thoughts captive unto Christ Jesus, asking him to guide our minds and show us the way forward (2 Cor. 10:5). And, as we renew the way we think about what we eat and how we eat it, we take the first step to renewing our health and the health of God's wonderful planet (Rom 12:2). Only after we admit it can we quit it and beat it. The choice is ours."
"So it is with my word, it will not return to me void, but it will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11
During my morning meditation, I asked God to answer a question that was sparked yesterday at work. I have an 11 year old boy who has been using stimulant and anti-depression medications since the age of 6. His mother is concerned that the medications are destroying his brain and liver, and, it appears, she is weaning him off the medications. The student has been struggling, horribly. His behavior and emotional state are declining and he has become a risk to himself and others. His physician has ordered a high dose of the medications and states they are needed to help him balance his emotions and behavior. As I am engaging in this outward conversation, I am having an internal conversation with myself. What is the right thing to do? I recently attended Dr. Leaf's conference where she and other prominent physicians discussed the mental health medication madness we have in America. I have personally witnessed children in the foster care system as young as 4 being medicated with major narcotics to balance their moods. In my soul, I am struggling with this issue. I woke up at 3:30 am with this issue on my mind. I decided to go to God with my question and this is what I heard the Holy Spirit tell me - "My word does not come back void." I truly have no idea what this means. My first inclination is to trust the direction of Dr. Caroline Leaf and her colleagues. They are highly educated and spirit-filled medical professionals who have much experience with this issue. While it does not make sense in the moment, I acknowledge that there have been numerous things I have been wrong about. There have been many times when I felt I was right and I went my own way, knowing that it did not line up with God's Word. Looking back, I realize how foolish I was! I don't know what the right answer is. If I was that parent, I would probably medicate to re-stabilize and then consult with my physician as we discussed the weaning and withdrawal process. At the same time, I would be looking for an educational environment that best suits my child and his needs. My heart goes out to that child, the parent, the teachers, the physician and everyone else involved. It will take many humble hearts coming together to instill love and resilience in this situation. We know that brains change (neuroplasticity) and grow healthy when rooted in love! If there is anyone reading this blog who is interested in learning more about Dr. Leaf, her panel of professional colleagues, or the issue of psychiatric medication, I have embedded the websites below.
https://www.madinamerica.com/parent-resources/
http://drleaf.com/
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5: 3-5 Today I am going to re-ignite my passion for learning about food. Since I love Dr. Caroline Leaf, I will be using her book, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, to gain knowledge. At the very basic level, I need to change my mindset about food, health, healing and nutrition. Dr. Leaf nails it when she says “this book is not a feel-good-quick-fix-magic-solution-pop-a-pill-latest-food-fad-I-have-the-only-solution diet.” Her goal is to create a lifestyle that blends food into an integrative spirit, soul and body framework. She states that this book will not give me the solution to weight loss, but will teach me how to be my own solution, with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. I love her way of thinking because it matches my philosophy as a parent, counselor and life coach. There are so many theories and techniques offered in the realm of parenting and self-help. I’ve actually been in conversations where people who have no children want to teach parents how to parent! While theories are helpful and can be used to strategize positive outcomes, it’s not until you are in the midst of the situation that you truly know what will work and not work. I’m finding this quite often when working with parents of children diagnosed with ADHD. Many are looking for the “quick fix”. My child is failing, can you fix them? My child won’t listen to me, can you fix them? Like Dr. Leaf states, there is no “feel-good-quick-fix-magic-solution-pop-a-pill-only-solution” to parenting or self-help. Unfortunately, this is what the Modern American Mental Health System is based on…get ‘em in and get ‘em out! When a person is suicidal, they get 3 days of treatment, at best. Usually the treatment entails antipsychotic medication, regardless of what age you are, and a referral for counseling. Most insurance plans cover a minimum amount of sessions. It amazes me how we have minimized and de-humanized mental health in America. God has given us a choice: life or death, blessings or curses (Deut 30:19). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, He has given us LOVE, POWER and a SOUND MIND (2 Tim. 1:7). I believe that God wants the best for us. Because we live in a broken world, we will experience hardship, even when we have done nothing wrong. We will experience suffering, frustration, anger, betrayal, resentment. We will experience addiction, broken relationships, sickness and atypical personalities. I suppose when something is broken, our natural tendency is to fix it. When your car is not working properly, you take it to the mechanic and have them fix it. When the computer is not running properly, you take it to the computer tech to fix it. When we break a leg, we go to the orthopedic surgeon to fix it. Modern society would have us believe that when our brain is not operating correctly, we take it to the psychiatrist or neurologist to fix it. The unfortunate reality is that modern society does not teach us that we have a mind that can change our brain. When our brain changes, as a result of our mindset, we can actually heal our body. When we endure the hardship, by setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2), we persevere. As we hold onto hope, remain patient in the trial, and pray constantly, we build our character (Romans 12:12) and our hearts become more open to God’s Word and direction for our lives. In conclusion, I am settling into the fact that it will take time for me lose this weight. While I need to learn about food and change my dietary habits, I also need to stay in tune with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I need to remain patient and not let feelings of frustration and doubt overpower. I need to maintain the MPA (that I talked about in yesterday’s blog) and continue to focus my mind on changing my brain and body. "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5 I had the coolest thing happen today. I experienced what Dr. Leaf calls "the Multiple Perspective Advantage (MPA). Quite literally, I was listening to a colleague talk about an upcoming meeting. At the same time, I noticed the smell of her coffee and felt an immediate urge to have coffee. While I was listening to her, my mind battled the urge. My thoughts were "I can do all things through Christ Jesus" and "My body is trying to trick me into doing something that I already set my mind not to do." As I became aware of what was happening, I smiled, internally and externally. I was able to be attentive to the conversation, and allow my mind to handle unconscious and conscious thoughts related to cravings simultaneously! I felt the leading of the Holy Spirit and knew that HE was helping me bring all thoughts into captivity. It is empowering to know that I can self-regulate and think, feel and choose according to what I have already set my mind to do! By the way, I did create a cooler to keep in the car and chose healthy snacks while driving. I am still waiting for my thermogenic, and I joined a 5-Day accountability group on facebook. "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your descendants may live." Deuteronomy 30:19 I had computer problems yesterday and most of today, so I'm posting yesterday's reflection "Mind vs. Brain" as Day 14, and today's reflection as Day 15. This weekend I had the privilege to attend Dr. Caroline Leaf’s Perfectly You Switch On Your Brain Conference in Dallas. Dr. Leaf is not only an amazing woman of God, but she is the first person who has helped me understand the link between science and God. She believed that the mind could change the brain long before neuroplasticity was conceptualized, researched and validated as a scientific fact. If the mind were merely a construct of the physical brain, then the notion of free will and the ability to think would be negated. She is also the first person who has explained what the soul is in a way that makes perfect sense. The soul is the mind, emotions and will of man. The soul is separate from, but intertwined with our spirit and body. We are three part beings, made in the image of our creator. The spirit of man is the part of humanity that connects with the Spirit of God. Both the spirit and soul aspects of ourselves exist in the non-physical realm, therefore, many people don’t pay attention to or believe in them. Many people only believe in the physical domain, and because of this, miss the larger, more complex picture of who we really are. Dr. Leaf likens this approach to an iceberg. When we observe and address only the tip of the iceberg, that which is visibly seen, we miss the depth and width of the true dimensions of the iceberg. When we connect our spirit to the Spirit of God, we are able to operate in the realm of love. We will naturally want to direct our mind, will and emotions to the Spirit of God and will then make choices that play out through our behaviors. Our physical will change as a result of the non-physical. Here’s the kicker – there is scientific evidence that backs this up! In her book, Switch on Your Brain, Dr. Caroline Leaf illustrates how our thoughts are real physical things that develop in our brains. You can see that a new thought transforms from what looks like a bump to a lollipop to a mushroom over a period of 21-days. If the new thought is given energy by the power of attention and intention, then the thought, which is actually a memory, will become rooted and automatic over three cycles of 21 days. Most people have fantastic intention, however, if the intention is not practiced on a regular basis, then the “bump” evaporates into heat and is burned off. It no longer exists. Dr. Leaf reminded us that what we pay attention to grows. That means that if I am paying attention to negative thoughts, then negative thoughts will grow. As negative thoughts grow, negative feelings grow. As negative feelings grow, negative behaviors grow. The same is true for positive healthy thoughts. She also reminded us that we should only pay attention to one or two things at a time, and that we should practice the new way of thinking, feeling and choosing for approximately 7-10 minutes per day. She calls this process, “The 21 Day Brain Detox.” Dr. Leaf recommends three rounds of 21 days to create a new habit and new way of thinking. There are so many other concepts that Dr. Leaf unpacked during the conference. Attending her conference reconfirmed my desire to see my clients as whole, complex beings who need love and support. It is not my job to fix my clients. It is my job to love and accept my clients, where they are, and join them on their journey to health. It is my job to teach them skills, when they ask, and to help them see the brilliant, beautiful beings that God created them to be. It is my job to see myself and treat myself in the same manner. Attending Dr. Leaf’s conference reaffirmed the approach I am taking to losing weight and breaking free from food/sugar addiction. She stated that the Modern American Diet (MAD) is a harder addiction to break free from than cocaine and heroin. There is no magic pill, or any other quick fix that will change my addiction. Dr. Leaf offered the “Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship” exercise as a way of putting God first before working on whatever it is you want to change. When you thank God, your brain changes. Your brain releases neurotransmitters, becomes primed for learning, has increased beta activity and there is a heart release that mimics a feeling of peace. Once we have honored our God and tapped into His Spirit, we are ready to begin the 5 Step Brain Detox (Gather, Focused Thinking, Metacognition and Writing, Re-Visit, and Active Reach). "I pray that out of the riches of His glory, He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and ground in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of His love." Ephesians 16-18 Thirteen days ago, I decided that I was going to overcome my addiction to food/sugar. Like any prisoner trying to break-free from the walls that bind them, I have been studying my options and devising an escape plan. My first step was to brainstorm what I want, where I’m at, and what options I have available. From there, I had to make a decision about how to move forward. I decided to create a GROW Plan. A GROW Plan would give me an overlook of my goals, reality, options and way forward. My goals included keeping God first so that I could be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, losing weight and building consistency and routine into my life. Because I have a spontaneous, distractible nature, it's important for me to find ways to be grounded. I established the following steps to move forward: (1) spend 15-30 minutes per day with the Lord to prepare my heart and mind for this challenge; (2) write a daily blog to build routine and consistency into my life, (3) gather my resources (educational and fitness) into one area so that I can easily find them and reference them; and (4) build accountability partners by asking my book group if they want to start “The Tablet” or “Think and Eat Yourself Smart” as a new book study. After creating my GROW Plan, I examined where I was at in the change process. I realized that I have been contemplating weight loss for a long time, and that I was about to enter the preparation/determination stage of change. Building a routine by writing a daily blog would certainly help with preparing my mind for the work that will soon be needed. As I think on this, I'm realizing that I'm actually doing the work and preparing at the same time. I have not set specific dietary goals, but I am becoming aware of my food choices and the feelings that are stirred because of it. This in turn is causing me to make healthy choices some of the time. I spent a day updating my vision verse by adding a sensory experiences and a present tense to it. The vision allows me to feel and imagine the me I want to be. The me I can be. The me I am walking into. I developed two SMART goals, and have achieved both! The first SMART goal was: “By Friday, December 1st (time-based and entered into my calendar), I will have written one daily blog per day (measurable, achievable and realistic) about overcoming food addiction (specific) which is grounded in God’s Word (more specific and personally-oriented).” Achieved! The second SMART goal was, “By Sunday, December 3rd, I will read through my blog entries to examine whether or not I have achieved my SMART goal.” Achieved! I found two small jars to use as my “I DID IT” jar and “NOT YET” jar. Since I currently attending Dr. Caroline Leaf's Perfectly You Conference, I will use the $20 motivational reward to purchase her "Think and Eat Yourself Smart" book. It's so important for me to recognize and reward the small tasks so that I can feel a sense of accomplishment and success rather than guilt and failure! I attempted to use the BeeMinder App to track my behavior, but it appears to be having some problems. I'll give it a day or two and then see what happens with it. On Day 10, I began to feel a bit overwhelmed and realized that I may need an accountability partner(s). But not every accountability partner is the right fit. I tried to use my husband as an accountability partner, but every time he commented on what I was putting into my mouth, I got angry. I know he means well, but I take his words critically and I feel like I’m letting him down. I need an accountability partner who is sensitive to my plight; preferably another middle-aged woman who has walked through, or is walking through, difficulties with weight loss. Eleven days into my escape plan, even with the best laid plans, the temptation of “bad habit” took over. I was reminded that I am not invincible, that my flesh is weak, and that I sometimes fail. I fell into the Fear Zone and took my mind, will and emotions with me! I had to revise my plan, and added the following actions: (1) Mid-Day Thermogenic Supplement; (2) cooler of healthy snacks in car; and (3) Herbal Tea at night. Yesterday, on Day 12, I reminded myself that I can still move forward even when feeling frustrated. Feelings are fickle, and often times, are not accurate depictions of truth. When operating in the Fear Zone, negative feelings accompany negative thoughts. Fear is false evidence appearing real. Fear is not truth. Only love is truth. Rather than walking forward afraid, I can step into the Love Zone and walk forward frustrated. I can pray that God will take my frustration and re-design it into something purposeful and beautiful. The important thing is that I continue to walk forward grounded in God's love. Today, I give myself credit for achieving my first two SMART goals, and I can’t wait to choose a book at Dr. Leaf’s conference as my reward! After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?” Luke 7:24 How does one go about feeling motivated when they are in bad mood? Yesterday, I advised a client that, if she wanted to meet her goal, she may have to move forward feeling afraid. We talked about cognitive distortions and walked through two visualizations. First, she pretended to put on her negative glasses and imagined what see saw and experienced. Then, she put on her positive glasses and imagined what she saw and experienced. In the end, she determined that the positive perception was a more realistic perception than the negative perspective. I watched her feelings change and she processed her beliefs and perceptions. She moved from state of fear and anxiety to a state of joy and self-confidence. We agreed that she still may experience fear as her brain processes false evidence that appears real, but that she could challenge her stinking thinking and still move forward feeling afraid. Through the process, she would gain confidence. As she gains confidence, she will handle situations differently which will result in more positive outcomes. Walking forward afraid will begin to morph into walking forward in confidence. This morning, I am going to take my own advice. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and I feel tired and grumpy. I feel like giving up. I feel like laying in front of the t.v. and not writing this blog. Thank God I do not have to be a victim to my feelings! My feelings are fickle. They change so much. I’m like the Florida weather…mostly sunny, but periods of rain and thunder! LOL! Rather than walking forward afraid, I am walking forward frustrated. The important thing is that I continue to walk forward! |
Archives
April 2022
|