I just started a diet (Weight Watchers) in January. I know, I know, lots of people begin diets in January, don’t they? And then, many times, they go back to their old ways and may end up gaining even more weight. Been there done that! With so many weight-reducing programs to choose from, which is the "right" one’? There are low carbohydrate/high fat programs, and then there are the low fat ones, the super low calorie ones, etc. You can wrap yourself in saran wrap, sit in a sauna, exercise like a fiend--I’ve tried them all, yet I found my waistline (and the country’s) expanding! Eek! There seems to be a missing ingredient!
My diet is different; it’s called a Mental Diet. I am taking a break from negative thinking. Focusing on the good. Taking in nourishment that promotes my well-being. Giving myself a good dose of self-love, turning it all over to God and releasing that which no longer serves me. Isn’t that the only diet there really is?
So, I’m giving it up to God. I don't have to always clean my plate to help starving children in the world that I was told about as a kid: "Clean your plate, there are children starving in Africa!" Now is that a good reason for me or any of us to add on and carry around extra weight, be uncomfortable, and possibly unhealthy? I think not.
This happens to be the time of year where many Christians celebrate Lent. They give up something they like (duh, why suffer?) and then after the 40 days of Lent, I assume they go back to eating it, drinking it, doing it, etc. So, this year for Lent, I am giving up negative thinking. I figure that’s something I can give up that I won’t want back! For me, LENT stands for, "Let’s Eliminate Negative Thinking". I may as well give up something that is not for my highest good anyway!
How about letting go of the idea that I am not good enough? How about giving up the thought that I can’t have my heart’s desires? How about releasing those beliefs that stand in the way of me experiencing more joy? These limiting thoughts and beliefs are blocks to my own good. I am coming to see that my body is a vessel for spirit and that these blocks (represented by extra fat) are inhibiting the free flow of spirit through me. Besides, spending so much time losing and gaining it back again has been a real distraction to my spiritual growth. I decided I am ready to get over it and let it go!
It is food for the soul that nourishes me. This is what sustains me and gives me what I need to flourish. I am able to nourish my mind, body, and soul by being on a Mental Diet. Then, the Weight Watchers program (or any other one I choose to follow) will work because I am dealing with my consciousness first, and allowing the physical manifestation (the healthy, fit body) to follow.
The Coach Approach
When you use what you go through to grow through, you take the coach approach. I am suggesting that you hire your own counsel. After all, who else knows your dreams, goals, and intentions better than you do? Who else has access to your inner compass?
Sole Work – Walking the Spiritual Path
For the past several years I have struggled with getting (and staying) fit. Ok, I admit it, the struggle has been longer than just a few years. As a kid, instead of playing nicely with the girls, I fought with the neighborhood boys. I attempted to join their fun and received new scars weekly in bloody games of soccer. I was always the last one picked to play on the kickball team and, as the catcher of my 5th grade softball team, I hit the pitcher in the head with a fast ball. Uncoordinated in team sports, I succeeded only at baton twirling which was fun, but I barely broke a sweat.
Good Grief
If tears are an indication of how special my relationship with my mother was, I cry with pride! I’ve come to see grief as pain with a purpose. Interestingly enough, as I cared for my mother in my home the last several weeks of her life, much of what I had learned through spiritual teachings about death had gone out the window. It seemed as though I were losing her forever!
