Embracing a healthy lifestyle: letting go of the “diet mentality”

By: Just myself
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Big boy! (Or girl) Garden friend.

I was disappointed with myself at the end of the day yesterday. I had reinstalled another “step counter” on my phone to track my activity and I was no-where close to my goal of steps taken when I went to bed. Crazy thing was my body was screaming at me. Why?

I started cleaning up my gardens yesterday and my two hours I had alloted before I chained myself to my desk for a few hours, turned into five hours of joyous work in the sunshine. Doing hundreds of squats, digging, pulling and activating muscles that have laid dormant since last year.

I worked HARD, so why was I so disappointed about a stupid number on my phone?

The conversation my mind was having with my soul, was not very nice! Instead of saying good job today, it was talking down telling me, “I would never reveal the skinny (healthy)person inside that is disguised in an excess layer of fluff(fat).”

The problem with a mindset of diet is it is equal to scarcity and want vs a mindset of health and well-being which is a mindset of delicious fresh abundance and ability.

Ironically like many other lessons in my life, the most impactful person to give me this lesson about diet vs lifestyle, was my daughter Stephanie. One day I was talking about preparing lunch and said the word “diet”. She spoke up and said,”no mom, not a diet, it’s your lifestyle now.”

A lifestyle is about daily sustained choices for the long-run, as apposed to a short term denial for “quick, unlasting results”.

A lifestyle is about making choices and taking action on a daily bases to bring self closer to your own type of beautiful and joy.

Maybe I should have slipped away yesterday for a power walk, to boost some calorie burning. That would only have worked on one area of my lifestyle dream.

I chose instead, muscle building, weight-lifting, beautifying, garden building, weeding: with the hope that someday soon, my body will be fit AND my gardens will be beautiful. Not to mention the fresh, healthy, local abundance of home-grown food. Payoff for this lifestyle choice!

Where in your life do you need to make a mental shift from lack (diet) to abundance (lifestyle)? What can you do today to level-up the impact of your actions?

Half a century in the blink of an eye!

By: Just myself
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Breakfast in bed, with school work, perfect!

I was a little disappointed this morning. I woke up and did not feel any wiser at all.

Somehow I thought that if one was turning as old as I am today, with all the life experiences that I have encountered, I should wake up smarter or wiser or something.

Funny, I really don’t feel much different than yesterday, except maybe a little sad, that I didn’t slow down and bask in life’s experiences more as I was passing through.

The lessons learned young about hurrying along, get up, get dressed, get breakfast,get to school/church/work, get back home, get changed, get to bed, repeat. Not sure how wise these lessons were. With 50 years gone by and the memories of those days quickly slipping away.

One more day, a day of conversation, or togetherness with some of the people I loved and are no more, what a precious gift that would be, if time could freeze for a moment and one could appreciate the heart beat of time as it was happening, basking in pure love and adoration .

Memories, memories, even these are unfaithful and slip and transform in my reckoning. Cruel is the mind!

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not in mourning, or grasped by great sorrow, but only nostalgic for what was and is no more.

In youth you do not understand as time seems to go by at a slow, slow pace and you wish your life away, one hurry up at a time.

I am wise enough to know how I am extremely blessed. A God who loves me, a family to care for me, friends to challenge and celebrate me, no more would a wise person ask for, because nothing else is as sweet.

Today is my birthday, and today I choose to absorb every moment, to slow down and not hurry, to open my senses, to absorb all expressions of love.

Thank you to all that make this journey of life more amazing to me!

If you could only smell the breeze…

By: Just myself
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It looks grey, there is mist in the air, kind of a bummer, I thought. When I stepped around the protective edge of the cabin the clean fresh breeze made me stop in my tracks. I stand here explaining to you while deep breathing cool freshness and coming a little more alive. I should already be working, but rushing is not living. This very moment, this very breath will never come again. Be blessed and may you recognize the blessing when it comes!

Half way there, already!

By: Just myself
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Wild red raspberry at home

June 1st, 2021

I remember when I was a child my mom helped out my Great Uncle George and Aunt Beatrice. They had the most beautiful garden, lots of gladiolus plants, nice and neat. Vegetables all in perfectly straight weed free rows.

They also had a massive row of big sweet juicy raspberries. It was always fun to ‘start’ picking them, one for the bucket, one for the belly, one for the bucket, two for the belly, etc, etc.

Always about half way through the task of picking, these berries would get boring and old. I remember whining about “how much longer till we get to the end?”

My mom would always say, ” instead of worrying how much we have left to do, look how far we have come!”

Today, right now, the half way point, it’s time to look how far we have come. What was sweet and juicy? What is not quite on track?

Regroup, refuel, strive for the prize but don’t forget how far we have come!