It's been a long time since I wrote a post. I didn't feel like I had anything to say. Today I have something to say.
I'm a religious person. I believe God talks to people. That belief is important to my little story. <--That's not all I have to say. There's more. :) It's a little disjointed, so forgive me. I hope you can follow me.
I often contemplate what I need to do to succeed in making positive changes in my life. I usually wake up in the wee hours of the morning with these thought in my mind. My mind seems to be the most clear and devoid of compulsion, etc. in the morning. So lately, as I have been sitting and contemplating what I can do, one word comes into my mind. The word is, "Walk." I believe that my Father (God) is telling me that I should walk. It makes sense. Walking is good for me. It can help me be more healthy physically and mentally. It lowers stress. So I'm totally comfortable with that prompting. God's ideas are usually good ones. :)
This morning I was listening to a training conference call. It was on setting goals. The trainer talked about how we are 80% more likely to accomplish a goal if we write it down. My thought was, "I've been writing down goals my entire adult life, and not reaching them." I wrote on my paper: FIGURE OUT WHAT THE MISSING LINK IS. I know how to set goals, and I know what I want. But my daily behavior does not get me where I want to be. This is true in my diet, my exercise, my work, my home. So I thought I should do some exploring and figure out what's missing between what I want and what I do. I started asking myself, "What do I need to do to make things start to happen for myself?" And the thought came to my mind again, "Walk." I realized that this bit of advice from my Father applies to every area of my life. Not only can I benefit from walking with my two feet, I can succeed in every aspect of my life if I take a slow and steady approach to things. Honestly, the thing that's really missing in my life is the steady part. My usual M.O. looks something like this: I lose weight, then I gain it back. I work hard for a few days, then I slack off, and my business never gains momentum. I do lots of housework for a few days, then let it slide for a few more.
So here's what I really learned today--I know that if I strive to do good things, at a pace that I can sustain, and KEEP MOVING, I will get to where I want to be. I'm not sure if this answers the whole question of what the missing link is, but it gives me something to work on, and illuminates my path a little bit.
I had to put a link to this song, to go with my thoughts for the day. It's proof that my ideas are not new ones, but they are what I needed today. :) Have a great day. <3
Put One Foot in Front of the Other
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Lessons learned from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego
This post may be harder than my original one. I have posted my numbers on my success log. I am almost all the way back where I started. Now that I've said that, I'm not looking back anymore. Onward.
For those of you familiar with the Bible, you may recall the story in Daniel 3 about the three young men who were thrown into a fiery furnace and were not harmed. Veggie tales fans may also know them as Rack, Shack, and Benny. Here's what I learned from their story this week. The story came to my mind as I was preparing to teach a Sunday School lesson, and contemplating the idea of acquiring Godly attributes. I was thinking about the fact that, for me, life gets easier as I try harder to do what is right. As I draw closer to God, my burdens are lighter. In the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, they had a choice to make. They had to choose between keeping the commandments and getting thrown into a furnace, or denying God and worshipping idols. They chose the furnace. Because they showed faith in God, He protected them from the fire so that they weren't harmed, and sent an angel to be with them. A lot of good things resulted from this, including what I will sum up as religious tolerance. But what I got out of it was a little bit different. What I recognized was that when they willingly chose to follow the Lord and submit themselves to "the refiner's fire," they were not destroyed by it, or even hurt by it. On the contrary, they were protected and sustained, and not only that, they communed with an angel. My take-home from this is that when I willingly choose to do hard things that refine me, I will be protected and sustained by the Lord, and I will commune with Him. As I try to change myself for the better, I don't have to suffer for it. I can be uplifted and strengthened by God as I try to do things that bring me closer to Him.
I hope that made some sense. Those are my thoughts today. I am ready to try harder to change for the better, and look forward to the strength that I feel from the Lord. Have a great day. <3
For those of you familiar with the Bible, you may recall the story in Daniel 3 about the three young men who were thrown into a fiery furnace and were not harmed. Veggie tales fans may also know them as Rack, Shack, and Benny. Here's what I learned from their story this week. The story came to my mind as I was preparing to teach a Sunday School lesson, and contemplating the idea of acquiring Godly attributes. I was thinking about the fact that, for me, life gets easier as I try harder to do what is right. As I draw closer to God, my burdens are lighter. In the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, they had a choice to make. They had to choose between keeping the commandments and getting thrown into a furnace, or denying God and worshipping idols. They chose the furnace. Because they showed faith in God, He protected them from the fire so that they weren't harmed, and sent an angel to be with them. A lot of good things resulted from this, including what I will sum up as religious tolerance. But what I got out of it was a little bit different. What I recognized was that when they willingly chose to follow the Lord and submit themselves to "the refiner's fire," they were not destroyed by it, or even hurt by it. On the contrary, they were protected and sustained, and not only that, they communed with an angel. My take-home from this is that when I willingly choose to do hard things that refine me, I will be protected and sustained by the Lord, and I will commune with Him. As I try to change myself for the better, I don't have to suffer for it. I can be uplifted and strengthened by God as I try to do things that bring me closer to Him.
I hope that made some sense. Those are my thoughts today. I am ready to try harder to change for the better, and look forward to the strength that I feel from the Lord. Have a great day. <3
Friday, March 1, 2013
Sharing the Love
I have enjoyed writing this blog. It's helped me a lot. And some of you have told me, in comments or when I see you, that it has helped you as well. I want to be able to have more of a conversation with you, instead of just writing and getting a comment every once in a while. I have created a page on Facebook so that we can have a conversation about transformation. I will still write here when I feel like I have something wordy to say. :) But I would love more feedback, and I think the Facebook page will be an easier way for me to just post a thought now and then. Will you check it out? It's called Pure Transformation Inspiration.
I feel like I am really just beginning this whole process, even though it has been several months. I love learning about myself and digging deeper into my soul. I feel like it enables me to be more free and reach higher. Thank you all so much for your support and love! <3
I feel like I am really just beginning this whole process, even though it has been several months. I love learning about myself and digging deeper into my soul. I feel like it enables me to be more free and reach higher. Thank you all so much for your support and love! <3
Friday, February 8, 2013
Weekly Weigh-in and Taking my own Advice
I gained a pound back this week. And I learned some stuff.
I went to one of my many doctors this week. This one happened to be my gastroenterologist. And while I talked to her, I began to see things a little bit differently. Because I have been having quite a bit of trouble with pain at the spot of my previous colon resect, I have been thinking along the lines of having the resect done again to see if getting rid of that scar tissue might alleviate the pain. So this would mean having a surgery in which I had another portion of my colon removed (it was only a couple of inches last time), and having my hernia repaired, hopefully for the last time. Now, one thing I do know is that the pain can also be controlled through my diet. When I eat small amounts, avoid heavy and fatty foods such as cheese and large chunks of meat, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and drink a lot of water, I have little or no problems with pain. That sounds like a pretty healthy plan, doesn't it? Interestingly, it didn't occur to me until Wednesday that I could simply choose to adopt this eating habit permanently instead of having the second colon surgery. Well, I'm sure it has occurred to me, but never felt like a viable option. Eating healthy is not something I'm good at. That's how I got here in the first place. The idea of changing my ways permanently is really quite mortifying for me. But at that moment in her office, I thought to myself, why not? It's certainly a good idea to be healthy, and a good idea to NOT have this surgery. Plenty of people live their whole lives eating that way. And Heaven knows I've already eaten more than my fair share of junk in my life.
It also occurred to me that I have been sharing all kinds of good advice about making positive changes, but I haven't actually taken my own advice. So despite the fact that it is rather frightening, I am once again resolving to take my own advice and actually make changes in my life, instead of just talking about making changes. I do feel good about what I've done so far. At the very least, through this whole process, I have created a good foothold for myself to make real changes. I remind myself of the quote that is posted at the right of this blog post, that in order to become the person I want to be, I have to consistently be the person I want to become. An addition to that is that in order to be that person, I have to DO something. That person has lots to do today, and so I'll say goodbye, and have a great day. Thanks for your support. :)
I went to one of my many doctors this week. This one happened to be my gastroenterologist. And while I talked to her, I began to see things a little bit differently. Because I have been having quite a bit of trouble with pain at the spot of my previous colon resect, I have been thinking along the lines of having the resect done again to see if getting rid of that scar tissue might alleviate the pain. So this would mean having a surgery in which I had another portion of my colon removed (it was only a couple of inches last time), and having my hernia repaired, hopefully for the last time. Now, one thing I do know is that the pain can also be controlled through my diet. When I eat small amounts, avoid heavy and fatty foods such as cheese and large chunks of meat, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and drink a lot of water, I have little or no problems with pain. That sounds like a pretty healthy plan, doesn't it? Interestingly, it didn't occur to me until Wednesday that I could simply choose to adopt this eating habit permanently instead of having the second colon surgery. Well, I'm sure it has occurred to me, but never felt like a viable option. Eating healthy is not something I'm good at. That's how I got here in the first place. The idea of changing my ways permanently is really quite mortifying for me. But at that moment in her office, I thought to myself, why not? It's certainly a good idea to be healthy, and a good idea to NOT have this surgery. Plenty of people live their whole lives eating that way. And Heaven knows I've already eaten more than my fair share of junk in my life.
It also occurred to me that I have been sharing all kinds of good advice about making positive changes, but I haven't actually taken my own advice. So despite the fact that it is rather frightening, I am once again resolving to take my own advice and actually make changes in my life, instead of just talking about making changes. I do feel good about what I've done so far. At the very least, through this whole process, I have created a good foothold for myself to make real changes. I remind myself of the quote that is posted at the right of this blog post, that in order to become the person I want to be, I have to consistently be the person I want to become. An addition to that is that in order to be that person, I have to DO something. That person has lots to do today, and so I'll say goodbye, and have a great day. Thanks for your support. :)
Friday, February 1, 2013
Weekly Weigh-in, and Doing the Impossible
I weigh in and posted measurements today. Feel free to check the Success Log if you like. I am recommitting to posting my weight and measurements weekly, not that things are slowing down a little.
Often I go to bed feeling a little discouraged that I didn't accomplish more. I know that's negative--still working on that. It might be good for me to review what I did get done, so I have some sense of accomplishment instead of feeling discouraged. That being said, every day I wake up feeling hopeful and excited for a new day. And I have to say that this is a feeling that I thank God for every day.
I recently heard a new idea. It was that if you only set achievable goals, you won't grow. This is an important idea for me because it helps me understand that if I am not always reaching my goals, that is a good sign that I have set good ones. It also reminds me of the obvious, which is that if I really do want to grow (which is the whole point of this blog and everything I'm trying to do), then I need to accept that there will be times when I fall short of my goals.
Every day is a chance for me to reevaluate my goals and renew my commitment to strive for more. I have a firm belief that personal progress is really the purpose of our lives. If we are not making strides to improve ourselves, we are missing out on precious opportunities for growth and for increased joy in our lives.
There's a story from many years ago that I really like. It's called "The Countess and the Impossible," and it was published in Reader's Digest. You can find the text here. I hope you will take the time to read it. It's only a few pages long. I'd like to hear what you think of it.
Have a great day, everyone! :)
Often I go to bed feeling a little discouraged that I didn't accomplish more. I know that's negative--still working on that. It might be good for me to review what I did get done, so I have some sense of accomplishment instead of feeling discouraged. That being said, every day I wake up feeling hopeful and excited for a new day. And I have to say that this is a feeling that I thank God for every day.
I recently heard a new idea. It was that if you only set achievable goals, you won't grow. This is an important idea for me because it helps me understand that if I am not always reaching my goals, that is a good sign that I have set good ones. It also reminds me of the obvious, which is that if I really do want to grow (which is the whole point of this blog and everything I'm trying to do), then I need to accept that there will be times when I fall short of my goals.
Every day is a chance for me to reevaluate my goals and renew my commitment to strive for more. I have a firm belief that personal progress is really the purpose of our lives. If we are not making strides to improve ourselves, we are missing out on precious opportunities for growth and for increased joy in our lives.
There's a story from many years ago that I really like. It's called "The Countess and the Impossible," and it was published in Reader's Digest. You can find the text here. I hope you will take the time to read it. It's only a few pages long. I'd like to hear what you think of it.
Have a great day, everyone! :)
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Taking Responsibility and Gaining Power
I haven't posted in so long because I've been overwhelmingly busy, and I didn't feel like I had anything great to say. But I need to post, because I am committed to this process. I haven't weighed in for a long time. Last Friday, I was at 215.5. I've been pretty stagnant for like three months. Not what I had in mind. I realize that I can't expect external forces like shame and guilt to motivate me. I don't feel ashamed, because all of my friends are so supportive. My transformation has to come from within myself, in my heart.
I'm reading a book called Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers. Anyone ever read it? It's got some interesting insights for those who live in fear. My guess is that anyone and everyone could find something in it that applies to themselves. A lot of you expressed the fact that you thought I was brave to create this blog. I wondered why that was so. It implies that sharing what I do is something scary--that it involves fear. The point of Jeffers' book is that everyone has fear in his or her life, but it doesn't need to play a deciding role in your life. There is no rule that says you can't do scary things. She claims that we can handle it. People do scary things every day. You can do scary things. What are you afraid of? Being alone? Being judged? Losing a loved one? You can handle it. If you have to, you will.
One concept she introduces is the idea that we often don't take responsibility for things in our lives that are ours to own. We can't control all of our circumstances, but we can control our reaction to them. If we lose our job, we can decide what our next move is. Are we going to sit on the couch and feel sorry for ourselves, or are we going to go out and get whatever training we need to succeed? Regardless of what influences I have experienced in my life, be they positive or negative, each day, when I wake up, I have choices to make. I get to decide where I'm going. I think I've said this before. I must believe it. :)
I'll give you an example from my life. The other day, Troy came home and started to clean in the kitchen area, which he often does. Because of my insecurities as a homemaker, I have feelings of guilt and shame when he needs to help clean as soon as he gets home. The next morning, as I lay in bed pondering things (as I always do in the early hours), I thought to myself, what can I do about this situation? Then I thought, whose mess is it? And I realized that most of it was mine. It's papers and things that I haven't put away that are really mine to take care of. Interestingly, this thought brought me quite a bit of relief, and a sense of control. It's my mess, and if I want to free myself from the guilt and shame, I can simply clean it up. No need to lose my temper with kids or my husband, or fret about it. I can just clean it up and the problem will be gone. It sounds so simple. Actually, in this case, it is simple.
Taking responsibility is empowering. Blaming others for your situation is giving away your power. Now that I am more aware of this idea, I can gain more power in my life as I look for ways to take more responsibility where I can. Have a beautiful day, everyone.
I'm reading a book called Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers. Anyone ever read it? It's got some interesting insights for those who live in fear. My guess is that anyone and everyone could find something in it that applies to themselves. A lot of you expressed the fact that you thought I was brave to create this blog. I wondered why that was so. It implies that sharing what I do is something scary--that it involves fear. The point of Jeffers' book is that everyone has fear in his or her life, but it doesn't need to play a deciding role in your life. There is no rule that says you can't do scary things. She claims that we can handle it. People do scary things every day. You can do scary things. What are you afraid of? Being alone? Being judged? Losing a loved one? You can handle it. If you have to, you will.
One concept she introduces is the idea that we often don't take responsibility for things in our lives that are ours to own. We can't control all of our circumstances, but we can control our reaction to them. If we lose our job, we can decide what our next move is. Are we going to sit on the couch and feel sorry for ourselves, or are we going to go out and get whatever training we need to succeed? Regardless of what influences I have experienced in my life, be they positive or negative, each day, when I wake up, I have choices to make. I get to decide where I'm going. I think I've said this before. I must believe it. :)
I'll give you an example from my life. The other day, Troy came home and started to clean in the kitchen area, which he often does. Because of my insecurities as a homemaker, I have feelings of guilt and shame when he needs to help clean as soon as he gets home. The next morning, as I lay in bed pondering things (as I always do in the early hours), I thought to myself, what can I do about this situation? Then I thought, whose mess is it? And I realized that most of it was mine. It's papers and things that I haven't put away that are really mine to take care of. Interestingly, this thought brought me quite a bit of relief, and a sense of control. It's my mess, and if I want to free myself from the guilt and shame, I can simply clean it up. No need to lose my temper with kids or my husband, or fret about it. I can just clean it up and the problem will be gone. It sounds so simple. Actually, in this case, it is simple.
Taking responsibility is empowering. Blaming others for your situation is giving away your power. Now that I am more aware of this idea, I can gain more power in my life as I look for ways to take more responsibility where I can. Have a beautiful day, everyone.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
What's in your tool belt?
A friend of mine made a thought-provoking comment to me about my blog a couple of weeks ago. Here's what she said:
I think being grateful is profoundly important - but I have a sneaking suspicion that behind the curtain of gratitude is a little pesky thought nibbling at the edges of that "good" in the form of "with all these blessings, why aren't I satisfied with myself" wrinkle. Maybe if there's a thought of "I've done good enough for today, and will have another chance tomorrow' could alleviate some of that guilt. I'd like to hear you think about the things in which you are successful: I would start your success list with having raised caring, loving children and loving and being loved by a great companion. What other parts of your life do you consider successful? (Being realistically proud of yourself is just as meritorious as being realistically critical... and a lot more fun!)
I've been thinking about this quite a bit. She's right in a lot of ways. Staying positive and not expecting too much of myself is one of my greatest struggles. One of my first thoughts was that the purpose of my blog is to discuss the things I am working on to improve myself, and so therefore it may come across as negative. But I also acknowledged the fact that having a positive attitude is a very important part of being successful in anything we are attempting to do. Additionally, I thought of the phrase, "fake it till you make it." In my case, this would mean that I express gratitude and do my best to run through my list of positive things when I am struggling, even if I am not feeling those things deep down inside. Also, because I consider all areas of my life as something I am still working on, the concept of calling myself successful feels weird, because it implies completion of something. My perfectionism sneaks in and says, "You're not there yet!" But I think it's good to say that I've been successful so far, and I'm learning to accept "less than perfect" and "good enough" in my life. Progress is success in itself.
So as I lay in bed this morning, thinking about these things and trying to figure out how to write about them, an idea came to my head. The talents and skills we have, whether they are physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, are like tools in a tool belt that we can wear while we work on the areas we are trying to improve. I am really good at visualizing my struggles in terms of a journey or a mountain to climb. But this idea of having a tool belt full of gifts and talents to help me along the way is new for me. So, to answer my friend's question about the things in which I am successful, I will tell you what's in my tool belt. And although it may be challenging, I will try to keep it as positive as I can, and not be self-deprecating or demeaning.
~I am a people person. I love talking to people, and I consider myself a good listener.
~I think I'm a pretty smart person. I have managed to hold onto a lot of information that has passed through my head.
~I can remember numbers really well. Phone numbers, birthdays, etc.
~I'm a good mom in a lot of ways. My kids don't fight with each other and they are pretty much obedient, happy, cooperative, loving people.
~I'm a pretty good wife. I try not to nag my husband, and we don't fight.
~I volunteer to do a lot of things. I am helpful.
~My determination to never give up on things is a quality I am proud of.
~I am a thoughtful person, and I like to think deeply about things, especially spiritual things.
~Most of the time, I am a pretty patient person.
~I try to look for the good in others.
~I can do lots of things--I can cook, sew, dance, sing, play the flute, speak in front of people, draw, lead a choir, and lots of other things.
~I work well with kids, especially teens. I can learn so much from them.
~I think I'm a pretty good writer.
I think that's long enough. I am excited about contemplating the ways that I can use these "tools" to help me as I strive to improve myself. And I now recognize the importance of carefully negotiating the narrow path between self-improvement and self-deprecation. Although I believe that I should always be striving to improve myself, always focusing on what needs to be improved without looking at what is already good can leave me in a negative frame of mind, which will not help my efforts. By acknowledging my gifts, talents and successes today, I have given myself a reminder of what I have in my tool belt to help me along the way, and the path looks less treacherous.
I would love to hear about your successes as well. Please feel free to comment or send me a private message and tell me about what's going on with you.
Happy New Year! I love you all! Have a great day. :)
P.S. Here's some recommended reading for the day--"Of Regrets and Resolutions" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf from the LDS General Conference in October 2012.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng&query=regrets+resolutions
I think being grateful is profoundly important - but I have a sneaking suspicion that behind the curtain of gratitude is a little pesky thought nibbling at the edges of that "good" in the form of "with all these blessings, why aren't I satisfied with myself" wrinkle. Maybe if there's a thought of "I've done good enough for today, and will have another chance tomorrow' could alleviate some of that guilt. I'd like to hear you think about the things in which you are successful: I would start your success list with having raised caring, loving children and loving and being loved by a great companion. What other parts of your life do you consider successful? (Being realistically proud of yourself is just as meritorious as being realistically critical... and a lot more fun!)
I've been thinking about this quite a bit. She's right in a lot of ways. Staying positive and not expecting too much of myself is one of my greatest struggles. One of my first thoughts was that the purpose of my blog is to discuss the things I am working on to improve myself, and so therefore it may come across as negative. But I also acknowledged the fact that having a positive attitude is a very important part of being successful in anything we are attempting to do. Additionally, I thought of the phrase, "fake it till you make it." In my case, this would mean that I express gratitude and do my best to run through my list of positive things when I am struggling, even if I am not feeling those things deep down inside. Also, because I consider all areas of my life as something I am still working on, the concept of calling myself successful feels weird, because it implies completion of something. My perfectionism sneaks in and says, "You're not there yet!" But I think it's good to say that I've been successful so far, and I'm learning to accept "less than perfect" and "good enough" in my life. Progress is success in itself.
So as I lay in bed this morning, thinking about these things and trying to figure out how to write about them, an idea came to my head. The talents and skills we have, whether they are physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, are like tools in a tool belt that we can wear while we work on the areas we are trying to improve. I am really good at visualizing my struggles in terms of a journey or a mountain to climb. But this idea of having a tool belt full of gifts and talents to help me along the way is new for me. So, to answer my friend's question about the things in which I am successful, I will tell you what's in my tool belt. And although it may be challenging, I will try to keep it as positive as I can, and not be self-deprecating or demeaning.
~I am a people person. I love talking to people, and I consider myself a good listener.
~I think I'm a pretty smart person. I have managed to hold onto a lot of information that has passed through my head.
~I can remember numbers really well. Phone numbers, birthdays, etc.
~I'm a good mom in a lot of ways. My kids don't fight with each other and they are pretty much obedient, happy, cooperative, loving people.
~I'm a pretty good wife. I try not to nag my husband, and we don't fight.
~I volunteer to do a lot of things. I am helpful.
~My determination to never give up on things is a quality I am proud of.
~I am a thoughtful person, and I like to think deeply about things, especially spiritual things.
~Most of the time, I am a pretty patient person.
~I try to look for the good in others.
~I can do lots of things--I can cook, sew, dance, sing, play the flute, speak in front of people, draw, lead a choir, and lots of other things.
~I work well with kids, especially teens. I can learn so much from them.
~I think I'm a pretty good writer.
I think that's long enough. I am excited about contemplating the ways that I can use these "tools" to help me as I strive to improve myself. And I now recognize the importance of carefully negotiating the narrow path between self-improvement and self-deprecation. Although I believe that I should always be striving to improve myself, always focusing on what needs to be improved without looking at what is already good can leave me in a negative frame of mind, which will not help my efforts. By acknowledging my gifts, talents and successes today, I have given myself a reminder of what I have in my tool belt to help me along the way, and the path looks less treacherous.
I would love to hear about your successes as well. Please feel free to comment or send me a private message and tell me about what's going on with you.
Happy New Year! I love you all! Have a great day. :)
P.S. Here's some recommended reading for the day--"Of Regrets and Resolutions" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf from the LDS General Conference in October 2012.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng&query=regrets+resolutions
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