Be Grateful For Your Problems

I don't want to complain or whine in this entry (coach Tom hates that!), but it's been a tough week. Challenges at work, a minor crisis at home, several extra-long commutes, and a few unplanned expenses to boot. In all of the chaos and stress that this week introduced, my discipline broke down. I haven't done any physical training or stretching in the last 4 days, and my new habit of healthy eating has really taken a beating. I'm off my game, out of my routine, and feeling rather cranky about it all!

I did manage some quite time for meditation, though, and in a sudden insight, a little voice spoke to me and said, "Love your problems."

I'm learning that "what we resist, persists," so I'm trying to go with the flow and look for the lessons. And, I know darn well that there are many, many other MAJOR problems out there that I'm fortunate enough to NOT have to deal with. So I've been trying extra hard to smile, be kind, stay centered, and help others. Doing this takes my focus off of my petty little problems — even though they seem big right now. In fact, I believe my problems are life's way of encouraging me to grow.

Fall down seven times, get up eight. Right?

Tomorrow's another day, and the first day of a new month will be the perfect time for a fresh start.

Cleaning Up My Diet

This past week, I sat down with Jill Braverman, an acquaintance of mine who is also a holistic health counselor. As part of my initiative to clean up my diet during my UBBT, I talked with Jill about diet and nutrition and my eating habits. Jill introduced me to the concept of "primary and secondary foods." According to Jill, primary foods include love, hugs, meditation, self-expression, tears, nature, downtime, close friends, and play. These things all feed our souls and our hunger for living.

Primary foods are things that feed us, but they don't come on a plate. Secondary foods, on the other hand, are the things we actually put into our mouths to chew and swallow.

According to this theory, the more primary food we receive, the less we'll depend on secondary food. The opposite is also true: the more we fill ourselves with secondary food, the less we are able to receive the primary foods of life. This certainly puts a new spin on the way I "eat!"