Life is Growth

https://www.tonyrobbins.com/documentary/

A documentary that I recommend everyone see. My life experiences, good and not so good, have given me the drive- an obsession- with helping others; one of the many things I found in common with strategist, Tony Robbins. The words he shares in this documentary, with the film makers and seminar participants, resonate in incredible ways. The messages so clearly reminded me that the more I empower others, the more I do for others- the more empowered I feel to be the warrior my challenges have created me to be. I am proud of who I am, as everyone should be.  I have so many moments, memories, and gifts that I am grateful for, as many people do.  I live each day with an attitude of gratitude, and some days, the days things just aren't going well- I have them too ya know...it's character that I CHOOSE to reconnect with gratitude and try again and again. What does your character say about you? Who are you? What are you made of? Are you a victim of your circumstance or the one who changed course out of your circumstances? 

I am not a survivor- I am a warrior. I have endured- not survived. I continue to learn and grow; I do not give power to past hurts nor anyone who has hurt me. I know a couple of truths that allow me to release the pain: Only hurting people- are hurtful to other people. People who have hurt me, hurt far more from inflicting the wounds than I do in receiving them- IF they have a conscience.

To all that have been a part of pain in my life, on the giving or receiving end- I forgive you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you. Words I say often to myself, thanks to a mentor and hypnotherapist. Seeking and learning self improvement techniques is not selfish- it's necessary to break free of merely surviving into thriving.  Forgiveness and Love start with what's inside each of us. Embrace who you are so you can grow into who you want to become...YOU deserve this.

I no longer need to, nor want to, escape from my life or the people I choose to be in it. I used to. I used to find safety and empty promises of peace in isolation, I hated to feel anything uncomfortable, and I couldn't stand to be, or feel alone. If I did reach out to others, I often surrounded myself with people I thought I wanted love from, wanted a sense of belonging with, but I have come to realize that many were people with their own agendas- people who "loved me" only for what I could do, be, or give them. I know now what love is- through learning to love myself, and I was so distorted to believe some of the people in my life "loved" me. The people who remain in my life, love me for me- good days and bad. It's finally ok to be me. I no longer seek approval, and I release the need to please others. Take me or leave me- my words and actions are often raw- and that's not well received at times- but I have lived a life of lying and hiding, unhealthy ways to protect and defend myself. I just won't do that anymore.

I know I am never alone, and I absolutely know that I never have been. I also know the person in the mirror will always be my biggest challenge. I've lived my life afraid of the dark. Afraid of silence. Afraid of being alone and being left alone. I've been afraid to try anything new, because I feared I would always be a failure. I have lived a life trying to please others- and I understand now- that's why I have felt like I have failed. I never believed I was good enough. I have been to rock bottom, a few times- been hospitalized, hopeless and irrational. I was isolated, sad, withdrawn and just going through the motions in life- until I CHOSE to live. Yes, we all have a choice, even in the worst of times and most painful of circumstances. These moments do not have to break you, their are lessons in them. 

I have endured things no one person should ever endure; before you judge, envy, or ridicule someone's life or journey- remember everyone has a story. I have felt ridiculous meeting new people in support groups and sharing my story, but sharing is FREEING, and it has helped me realize that I am SO STRONG, even when I haven't wanted to be. I was blessed with challenges because GOD has a plan for me. He has shown me pain and trials so I could learn and go on to be a mentor, and to empower others; to help others heal- Body. Mind. Spirit. I AM sure of my purpose, and I am passionate about everyone knowing there IS hope. There is ALWAYS opportunity. YOU ARE LOVED.

Tony Robbins reminded me today, as I watched this documentary on the treadmill- I am powerful. I have blamed people for the hurts I have endured by their action and words, but I also need to blame people for the strength and drive those hurts have given me. I care deeply. I am able to empathize and connect with people who hurt in ways that many will never understand. I AM a vessel. I Am obsessed with feeling good, living well, and inspiring others. I AM fulfilled. I have a new life, new values, a new vision, and more clarity than ever before. I feel unstoppable- I AM STILL HERE. Creating the ME I want to be. One day, sometimes, one moment at a time. LIVE your life because "Change happens in a moment"- Tony Robbins. Embrace the changes. Embrace the possibilities. Feed your Faith more than your Fear.

"Life is growth"
"Progress equals happiness- if you are growing, in anything- spiritually, financially, emotionally, physically...in relationships, in your body...in any area of your life, you're gonna feel better in your life and you're gonna have something to give. You can't give something you don't have".- Tony Robbins

I am a work in progress.

I am loved.

I am grateful.

I am enough.

I am fully alive.

You try it. Start your day with 5 positive "I Am" Statements in the mirror. Even if it's uncomfortable and some are difficult to believe- KEEP Saying them. Say 5 more before bed. Once you get the hang of it, add the intensity. FEEL these in your core being. Jump, clap, do something physical as you say them to enforce them on a deeper level. See if, feel it, know it, be it. Be your own best friend and cheerleader. 

My Body is a Temple

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19 

As I embark on the Whole 30 Challenge with my daughter, I am reframing my mindset and meditating on the purpose of food as fuel for the body I've been given to care for. Many, including myself, ponder the question: Why should I treat my body like a temple? Well, our bodies were created in the image of God. They are a gift from Heavenly Father to allow us to experience mortality and are designed to bring glory to the Creator. Does this knowledge influence the way we treat our bodies and how we feel about Heavenly Father and ourselves? I tend to think it does not. Most people do not take the time to really appreciate, nor recognize, the body as a gift; a temple, to care for and treat well.  

I see fast food franchises continuing to pop all over my community, and these do not inspire the majority of us to think of food as fuel for the vessel we have been given to care for. I certainly have never been through McDonald's to place an order with thoughts of how my menu choice and consumption will glorify God. Rather this is a quick fix, instant gratification, for my preceived physical hunger "needs", having nothing to do with what my body actually "needs" for fuel, nor my relationship with, or gratitude for, God.  I do not frequent fast food establishments, but poor choices are available at the grocery store and every restaurant there is; not just fast food joints. I have become keenly aware of how I feel when I consume processed, fatty, sugary foods;  lethargic, irritable, bloated, foggy in thought process, and just plain disgusting shortly after. So, again, time to make different choices.

I wasn't always aware of how food made me feel. I started paying attention to the messages my body was sending a few years ago when I elected to go through a Mind. Body. Spirit detox program. I learned that if my great grandmother wouldn't recognize a dish, or if she couldn't pronounce the ingredients on a label- it was not intended for me to eat! You don't have to be a Christian to respect the body you have; you just need to care about being able to enjoy your life for years to come. The 30 day detox program had No Sugar, No Processed Foods, No Dairy, No Alcohol, No Caffeine, No Grains...just whole foods. Understand the concept of "whole foods" seemed foreign to me too- I had seen the grocery store, Whole Foods, but had never actually been in one, and the store sign was all I knew of this "whole foods" thing, until my detox program. Who knew, it's not just a grocery store!

I grew up on cereal and mac and cheese, game meat and whatever dreadful vegetable my parents could find in a can or in the freezer for a side dish. Dinner always served with milk to drink and plenty of white sliced bread and butter, if I was at my grandma's house, or margarine at my house. Yuck! If you break this down to what grows from the Earth and the plethora of meats and fish available to us -being the top of the food chain- it's really not as big of a threat to your lifestyle. We can get overwhelmed and give up before we even try, so focus on what you CAN have and how good it makes you feel, rather than focus on what you CAN'T have. You always have a choice; just pay attention to how you feel when you choose crap over whole foods and vice versa. 

Moral of the story, I guess I have done the Whole 30 before.  When I was having emotional instability, mood swings, chronic fatigue, migraine headaches, seizures, constipation and fibromyalgia, I needed to change my life so I could live and not just exist in this vessel. My body felt 90 years old when I was in my 30's, and I took so many prescriptions just to get out of bed and function, then more to be able to sleep at night. It wasn't living. Food IS Medicine, and changing the food I consumed for 30 days, reset my whole life. I was able to come off dozens of medications and enjoy time with my family and friends again. I have been seizure free for two years, and many other diagnoses have been resolved- just by changing my diet.  I learned to mediate and discovered yoga; last year I even ran my first half marathon! Before my detox, I struggled even to get out of bed most days, I hadn't exercised in years, and I had secluded myself away from the world- not having the energy to be around people or even work outside the home. I had to make a change.That was 2013.  

Since then, I have submerged myself in learning about Food as Medicine and how nutrition effects our neurochemistry, aka, Mood and Energy. Don't get me wrong, I have certainly derailed a few times since my detox in 2013 by overindulging, by I keep getting back on track because I enjoy feeling good. I absolutely will struggle to give up my Carmel Macchiatos and Chocolate cake, and the occasional glass of wine, but I AM WORTH IT. YOU ARE WORTH IT. 

Yep. I have started the Whole 30 today, and I am not focusing on what I'll give up for 30 days...(it's 30 days people...ANYONE CAN DO IT),  I am choosing to focus on how great eating Meat, Fish, Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, and foods God provided for me to fuel the vessel he gave ME makes me feels. I eat pretty clean, but I know I have let old habits take over a few of my choices, so I am grateful my daughter wants to be healthy and happy and asked me to join her in this challenge for Lent- yep- she's extending her 30 to fit her Lent commitment this year. 

Who's with us?

Remember: it's 30 days, and when we treat our bodies as temples of God, we obtain physical, emotional, and spiritual blessings. Live your best life. 

In gratitude, 

Nicole
nicole@rebalancesf.com