Day 17 of Enlightenment

I have had a comforting thought. For myself I call it "personal revelation", but for everyone else, you can call it what ever you want.

THE BIG QUESTION?

How do I make permanent positive change in my life?

Re-stated: When I want to make positive change in my life, how do I make it stick? What is the key to stopping the yo-yoing of trying to change and then I fail, then trying to change again? After praying about this, it came to me.

I am going to relate my idea to something very familiar to me. It's a scripture in the Book of Mormon, in Alma 32:27-28

27.But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

28.Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it our by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves - It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the work is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

And of course, this is a classic scripture talking about Faith.

If you have just a little bit of faith in something, (here it talks about the WORD, or the scriptures of the Book of Mormon), and you practice your faith, if it is a good thing, it will grow and make you feel good, therefore increasing your faith in this thing.

Relating this to my thing, which is "How do I make positive change in my life and make it stick?"

1. By merely having the desire to make a positive change in my life, I am "planting the seed". So that is step one, I planted the seed, I have a desire to do something, and faith that it will work. ( I am talking about positive, healthy, law-abiding things.)

2. Next, I need to believe in the change I am making, and feel positive about it. This is the first part of the work or "exercising my faith."

3. Next, I need to continue to "exercise my faith". I need to put to practice my change. Being that it is a positive change, it will make me feel good, and I will desire to do more of it.

4. Lastly, the more I continue to make this change, the stronger and more enlightened I will be for this change is good, and "beginneth to be delicious to me."

So why does change work for some and not for others? Well, for starters, some people, when jogging 3 miles makes them feel great, that feeling they get isn't as strong as a feeling they might get when they are sitting on the couch and watching thier favorite TV show. Or maybe, someone's pleasure and lack of indigestion in eating a healthy delicious salad, isn't as strong as a feeling they would get when sinking their teeth into a fresh morning doughnut.

On a good note, the more you practice jogging, or eating healthy salads, the more your body will recognize the good feelings you get when doing so and will crave to do them more. But, if you need that extra help to get yourself started, try practicing the "feeling good while doing something good" idea.

While you are doing something good for you, and you know you are going to feel good about it, enhance that good feeling by doing other things at the same time that also make you feel good.

For instance, while jogging (or any other exercise), listen to your favorite "feel good music", wear a fragrant lotion or spray that you love to smell and makes you feel good, wear an exercise outfit that is comfortable and makes you feel good about yourself, say affirmations to yourself that boost your mood levels, jog in an area that is visually stimulating and pleasant or next to someone at the gym who doesn't intimidate you, and try just relaxing more and enjoy what you are doing.

With eating, while eating a healthy salad (or anything else healthy), only allow yourself to watch your favorite TV show if you are eating that healthy salad, try putting some different foods into your salad to increase its yummy-ness (green or kalmata olives, lentil salad, apples, shredded coconut, mint, fresh basil). Eat your salad in a pleasant surrounding. Listen to some soothing music while eating, try eating after you have showered and feel fresh and relaxed, try making a healthy lunch date with someone who you enjoy and who makes you feel positive while around them. Try dressing up before you eat your salad, you will be amazed at how it might make you feel.

I am sure there are many other ways to increase your "feel good" feeling while doing positive things in your life. The bottom line is, if it is good, it will begin to feel good to you, and you will want to do more of it. Stay positive, and keep practicing having FAITH in your newly planted seed. Change happens the moment you plant that seed, and will continue to happen the more you nourish and practice this change.

Day 10

Days 5, 6, and 7 sucked. Days 8, 9, and 10 were and are great!

Part of my family got hit with strep-throat, and I was running back and forth to the doctor's last Thursday and Friday. I decided to give up trying on Saturday and Sunday thinking to myself that "it's no problem, I'll just start again on Monday".

How many times have I told myself that?

But this time, I wasn't going to binge on Sunday night like I used to; trying to taste all the goodies I knew I wouldn't beable to have anymore. I decided to have a nice light dinner and call it good for the night. The next morning, Day 8, after putting the kids off to school, I went back to bed and slept till 12:00 pm. Woke up and realized that my body was trying to fight off the strep-throat as well. So for the rest of that day, I ate only fruit, salad, lots of Vitamin C, and tons of water.

Day 9 was awesome! Here is how it went.....

4:00 am - I woke up and did my prayer and scripture reading
4:30 am - I found a candle, lit it, sat on my bedroom floor with my candle and meditated (or at least tried to).
5:10 am - I put on my Qi Gong DVD and practiced increasing my body's Chi.
5:50 am - I put on my Pilates DVD and practiced for about 1 hour
7:00 am - Got the kids up, and ready for school
8:30 am - Packed my gym bag to head for the YMCA
9:00 am - Talked my husband into coming with me, (he was home that day)
10:00 - Walked on the Treadmill for 1/2 hour
10:35 - Started to lift weights
10:42 - Changed my mind and played basketball in the gym w/ hubby instead
12:00 - Ate a nice veggie salad at Whole Foods for lunch
1:00 pm - Felt as tired as a dog, and both my husband and I took an afternoon nap till 3:00 pm

The rest of the day was spent doing regular family things. I didn't get my regular chores done, I didn't get any studying done. But, I did get up at 4 am and I did follow my Plan till at least 1:00 pm and it felt really good.

Today, Day 10, I slept in till 7:00 am. My neck felt achey and I was congested all night long. I knew that in order to get over this "thing" that I had, I needed lots of vitamins, rest, and water. I am also throwing in some Acidophilus for good measure.

My food comsumption is on task. I eat only fruit, salads, or Whole Raw Foods protein shakes. A great recipe for this particular kind of shake is:

8 oz orange juice or coconut juice
2 tlbs of raw bee pollen
1 tlbs of green superfood powder (most brands will do)
1 tlbs of agave nectar
2 tlbs of Mango-xan (a mangosteen antioxidant juice blend)
1 tlbs of Tocotrienols ( a potent source of Vit. E)
1 tsp of Pure Radiance C (100% Vit. C powder)
1 handful of frozen fruit of choice

blend and enjoy

(Somtimes I also poor in while blending, 2 tlbs of melted coconut oil, which helps increase your metabolism)

Sound funny, and looks very interesting, but tasted great!

I think I might include a special link just for recipes.

Day 4

Day 2 and 3 were pretty much a repeat of day 1, except I didn't go for seconds on desert.

Day 4. I have been getting little sleep lately. My littlest child has been sick with the flu/strep throat. I just found out today that he has strep throat. I am starting to feel like I have a sore throat now. But I refuse to pig out on sweets after giving myself that prep talk on Day 1.

I am eating good, but have not exercised, and I have yet to get up at 4:00 in the morning. No sleep at night can make a person re-organize their priorities in the morning. ;>

I have not accomplished a single thing on my list of wonderful things to accomplish, other than eat desent during the day.

(Will I ever get to bed on time, get a full 6 hours of sleep and get up to accomplish my new plan?)

To be continued.......

Day 1

Monday, March 12th. Today started out sucky for me. I went to bed late the night before and slept-in Monday morning. I was sooo tired. It must have been from all of the deserts I ate last night knowing I would be forbidden to eat ever again. So, after sending the kids off to school I ran back to my bed and stayed there till probably 12:oo in the afternoon. I couldn't believe how zonked I was.

2:00 pm I drank a Kombucha drink for 'breakfast' and felt great! I just love those drinks.

Around 4:00 I ate an Oskri Coconut Barfor lunch. Yum!

I was doing great! I walked my dog for 1/2 hour for a little exercise, started to make my family dinner (broiled pork chops, stir fried green beans, saffron flavored rice, cooked corn), my plan was to have just a salad for dinner. Well, there was an extra pork chop, my daughter made fudgey brownies for her first time. I gave in and decided to eat what the family was eating and have desert too.

I get weak during dinner time. I do soooo well during the day, then at dinner, I lose it.

Why am I making such a big deal about this. Well for starters, I am addicted to treats. I love them. I usually don't eat them within moderation. My brownie desert tonight turned into a brownie sundae. And then I had seconds after everyone went to bed. I figured, "why not, I have all ready messed up my schedule for the day, I will just eat what I want and start again tomorrow." This gets me every time. I have made that statement to myself at least 100 times. That is why I am trying to MAKE CHANGE.

I can't just expect change because I have come up with a wonderful plan, or because I am trying something new. Change won't just appear because I am going to the gym, or because I have better self esteem. I have to MAKE CHANGE. I have to remind myself everyday, that change is hard work. Change does not come easy, and change does not happen just because 'I want it to'. I have to work at it everyday and make it happen.

Today, I could have made change and enjoyed my yummy salad, (I make great salads), but I didn't. There is no, 'tomorrow will be different for me anymore'. Right now, I will make change. Today wasn't perfect, but right now I will make change. I am changing the way I am thinking and feeling. When I wake in the morning, I will keep making change.

Maybe, tomorrow before dinner, I will drink lots of water, and be happy about my new plans. Maybe I will make my salad ahead of time and have it ready when everything else is set on the table and ready to eat. Change is good.

:)

My New Plans

Hello, I have new and improved plans for myself. I have accomplished many different things since my last post and I have made many changes as well.

My first approach to coming back to my blog is to create a purpose for myself as to what I want to accomplish on this beautiful blog. I have decided to start with my first thought, to use this blog as my weekly to daily journal about my many changes to come and the process I go through to make these changes.

What changes do you ask?

Well, to start off with, I am doing what every other American woman is always wanting to do, lose weight. I of course have a fool-proof way of doing this, and will record my process and progress as I go through it.

Next, I have a list of goals that I want to accomplish. This list includes prayer and scripture reading, meditation, Qi Gong practice, yoga and Pilate's practice, Tae Kwon Do practice, cardio-exercise, weight lifting and journal righting which I would like to fit in to my daily schedule.

My weekly schedule will contain Chinese medicine studies, cranio-sacral studies, reflexology studies, massage studies, Emotional Freedom Technique studies, and business planning.

I would like to fit all of these things into my schedule because these are all the things I want to do.

I have created a schedule that will allow me to do all of these things.

The problem is that I have to get up at 4:00am almost every morning to do it all.

As I attempt to accomplish all of these things, I will dialogue my results here.
For a girl like me, who loves to sleep in, can't find half of my paper work, likes to sit at the computer a lot, eats a lot of the wrong foods, and always stays up real late, it should be fairly easy. (snicker)

Oh well, what the heck, might as well try it. And, of course, because I am one of the world's best procrastinator's, I will start on Monday. :)


Stay tuned in!

Jeff Foxworthy on Mormons

I thought this was real funny! Most, if not all of it is true.

Subject: Jeff Foxworthy on Mormons
This is to all of you that may be a Mormon, that may know a Mormon, that may live in Utah, that may have lived in Utah or have heard about Mormons

If all your dishes have your name written on them with masking tape.... You might be a Mormon.

If you postdate your checks while shopping on Sunday.................. You might be a Mormon.

If you believe Heck is the place for people who do not believe in gosh....You might be a Mormon.

If your Mom was pregnant at your sister's wedding reception............... You might be a Mormon.

If you pray that your food might "nourish and strengthen your body" before eating doughnuts.......... You might be a Mormon.

If you think Jell-O is one of the basic food groups...... You might be a Mormon.

If at least one of your salad bowls is at a neighbor's house....... You might be a Mormon.

If you've ever written a "Dear-John" to more than two missionaries on the same day............ You might be a Mormon.

If you were frustrated when your son "only" got accepted to Harvard...... You might be a Mormon.

If you have one kid in diapers and one on a mission.......... You might be a Mormon.

If you have never arrived at a meeting on time.............. You might be a Mormon.

If you have more wheat stored in your basement than most third world countries....You might be a Mormon.

If you've already got your order in for volume 50 of "The Work and The Glory"... You might be a Mormon.

If you think it is all right to watch football on Sundays as long as a direct descendant of Brigham Young is playing.......You might be a Mormon.

If you have to guess more than five times the name of the child you're disciplining...........You might be Mormon.

If you automatically assume that BYOB means, Bring Your Own Burgers... You might be Mormon.

If you go to a party and someone spikes the punch with Pepsi...You might be a Mormon.

If you arrive to an activity an hour late and are the first person there.............You might be a Mormon.