Did you find yourself sweeter and kinder after Whole30 reintro?

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

It's Christmas Eve and normally, I sing in a choir.  But another blizzard has blown in and the snow is stacking UP.  It's actually the most snow ever recorded in such a short period of time.  

I like singing very much. It makes me happy. 

I wish all'y'alls a Merry Christmas. 

 

 

[Stegner]

And a very merry Christmas to you, Meadowlily.. 

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

On a related note, I finally had the courage to end it with all of my exercise equipment that I've been using for clothes hangers. My excuse the last few years for not mounting another gym comeback is my Achilles heels.

I want to release endorphins but I know myself.  I was gentle but a tad evasive when I said, "It's not you; it's me."

One must move on though. No so long ago I was lifting weights with the intent of having a physique of a Greek Goddess. I'm not likin' this much, and I'm told the worst is yet to come.  You can't quit. 

The exercise equipment is now in assisted living. I can visit it anytime I like and I know it means alot.  But please, don't tell it that I'm happy without it.

 

  http://straighthealth.com/pages/five/gymsucks.html

 

[MeadowLily]

[MeadowLily]

Anyone can give up. That's the easiest thing in the world to do.

But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's the measure of strength and courage to carry on.

Addiction is a driver.  Mindless eating. Compulsive Eating. 

That's the mind in the driver's seat taking you back to what feels like home.

 

[MeadowLily]

You're somewhere in the future and you feel much better than you do right now.

What is coming is better than what is gone.

What you did months or years ago is over. You can't rest or hang your hat on yesterday's laurels.   

The day that you take even the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life.

Take the step.  Today is the day.  Joy comes with Christmas morning and every morning.  

[higs]

Merry Christmas MeadowLily!  Here's to a wonderful holiday and a new year filled with health and joy!

[MeadowLily]

4 hours ago, higs said:

Merry Christmas MeadowLily!  Here's to a wonderful holiday and a new year filled with health and joy!

Much obliged and right back at you, Higs.

[MeadowLily]

The moon is swallowed by darkness but it pushes onward, little by little, day by day, until it is Whole again. 

 

 

[MeadowLily]

The body is the battleground for the mind.

And this  is where the rubber meets the road. Don't be afraid to take the road less traveled.  

[MeadowLily]

Addiction is living in the unconcious mode.  Food addiction, mindless eating and mindless exercise  = running your life on remote control.

Recovery is reinventing yourself.  

[MeadowLily]

Remote control is an action you can run from any device or app. But there's no app for your spirit.

Without the spiritual component you are running your life on remote control in the unconcious mode. Smartphones are not a replacement for your spirit. 

Your spirit is the fire in your belly.  The power under your hood. Shiny, new spark plugs allow your  vehicle to run on all cylinders. 

Worn and damaged spark plugs will cause an engine to misfire and run really rough when it's cold.  It's shake, rattle and roll until the engine warms up and starts to smooth out but your spark plugs need to be replaced. All of them.  

Don't poor boy it.

Take the bull by the horns and replace all of the spark plugs at one time. One bad spark plug can kill 25% of your engine power. 

You want to be UP and running on all cylinders and utilize every bit of horse power that's available to you.   It's a gift and it's free.

 

[MeadowLily]

Don't poor boy it.

We say that in the wild, wild west.  It's taking the cheaper route that leads to disgust and kicking yourself in the hiney.  Bite the bit and do it right the first time around.  

Paw taught me that and still says it.  If you buy all of the correct parts the first time around you'll save yourself the headache of taking the engine apart.  Over and over and over again.

I'm not starting over.  If you do it right, you only need to do one with a proper reintro. I will not be starting over.

So what is this?  

This is the shop where I have stood with my head under the hood replacing my spark plugs, changing the oil and filters, renewing my mind and getting in touch with the spiritual component that runs my life.  

 

 

 

[MeadowLily]

We all know about the three things we should not be shoving down anyone else's gullet.  Religion, politics and food/health talk.

Food addiction is shoving all of your emotions down with food. Doing that will eat your voice.  It smothers out your joy.

 

[MeadowLily]

We have to assess ourselves as an individual rather than a diet and exercise routine. 

Mindless eating and mindless exercise.  Has it changed everything for you then?

[MeadowLily]

Ima this and Ima that.  We'll be the judge of that Ima.

Show us what you've got.

Blathering and foaming at the mouth won't get the job done. Take the bull by the horns.  You can flip the switch in a day's time.  One day.

This could be the day you make the decision to stop doing that self-destructive thing that you do and have been doing for years.

It only takes one day and one decision. You can mean it with everything within your being to get the job done. 

Putting an engine back together takes time with meticulous attention to detail.  You can't leave a bunch of the parts out and simply throw them into the bin.  Walking away with your arms and hands in the air and call it done. 

That's pulling the wool over your own eyes now.  That engine isn't even going to take you to the end of the driveway.

If you listen closely to your spirit, you can hear massive rationalization and excuses coming out of your mouth. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth really is speaking.   

[MeadowLily]

Do you know about that portion of joy that comes with the morning?  It's your spirit.   A renewal of spirit every single morning.

The spiritual component.  We all have one and it's completely free.  It sets the caged bird free.   

The parakeet is no longer stuck on its' perch having to constantly kiss itself in the mirror all day long because it's got nothing better to do.  

Caged birds will pluck all of their feathers out. Critters and birds were not meant to caged and cooped up.  Neither are we.  

Get yourself free from the captivity that's smothered out your voice and feelings.  Go back to the deep roots of addiction or binge and thrill eating and pull every single one of them out.

If you can't do it by yourself, you will  have to find help. Sit down with someone...Face-to-Face.  Pride comes before the fall.  Set all of your pride aside and get in touch with the spiritual component that runs your life.

Your spirit is greater than the sum total of your body and mind. When your spirit runs the show....the sky is not the limit and it never was.

 

 

[MeadowLily]

The morning joy is your daily portion that will see you through waaay into the future.

It's waay beyond self-will and determination and true grit.  It's the daily rocket booster that will take you into eternity.

You can't let anyone take your joy.  It's your daily alloted portion. Protect it. Preserve it.

Momentum is a gift.  You can try to work it UP with your mind but that will only carry you so far. That self-will is a spark plug that needs to be replaced constantly.

It's like Tiger Blood.  You cannot work that UP with your mind. You've either got it or you don't.  It may come and go in greater degrees but it's always running in the background. 

Tiger Blood is physical.   It Starts With Food and it ends with food, too.  But then it catapults you into getting in touch with your spirit.

Good food is the first part of the journey and it carries you through until you've got one foot on a banana peel and one foot stepping into eternity. Straddling the fence of the great divide.

Until then, let's give it all we've got.  Body.  Mind. Spirit.

Much love.  Felicias. 

 

 

 

  

 

[MeadowLily]

Recovery is setting yourself free from the master controllers in your life.

People are always creating new religions with rules.  They may not call it a religion but it is.  You must do things their way or it's the highway.  They will throw a ring-tailed baby fit. Pout and come undone.  Angry and mad because you won't comply with their point of view.

Felicias.  Get yourself free from master controllers. 

We all speak from our own bias.  We filter everything through experiences.  Sad or tragic, positive or UPlifting.    Master controllers are filled to the brim with ego and when you don't do what they want you to do....good gracious sakes alive, it's an affront to their super ego.

They will steal your thunder.  Run as fast as your legs can carry you.  Don't look back over your shoulder.  They take your voice and crush your spirit. 

The bizarre thing about master controllers.  They can't control any area of their life so they want to control yours.  If you looked under the hood you will find worn out spark plugs and crossed wires.  Disorganized thinking and fruitcake nutty ideas how you should roll with it... in every different direction.  Confusion.

When you're in touch with your own spirit with spiritual discernment, you won't follow master controllers down their road to ruin. 

Nooo.  Felicias.  

We can think for ourselves.  Stand on our own two feet.  

Master controllers are filled with fear.  Fear of losing control over you.   They are afraid you'll figure out that their misguided thinking is nuttier than a fruitcake. 

Our spirits are not confused.  That's why learning to listen to our spirit is sooooo worth it.   It sets the captive free.  

That is all.  

 

 

[MeadowLily]

There are those of us who've lost loved ones, near and dear to us...

When it's our time to get our ticket punched the spirit is fearless.

The body is filled with fear but your spirit is not. The body will shake with fear but your spirit does not.

If you're stuck in fear that's living within the confines of the body only.  The spiritual component has not been engaged or you threw your spark plugs away.

When we all get where we're going, every tag that's on your wrist saying  Ima this or Ima that. Those are first things that are clipped off.   All are welcome.  The welcome mat is out. 

Come on in because the water is fine.  There will be swimming, hiking and catching UP on everything we've been doing.  There will be milling around and shooting the breeze with the Universe or all of your folkaronies. 

Everything you hold dear here fades away.  Fancy cars and watches. Diamond rings, snazzy clothes and haircuts.  Actually, all of the things are forgotten immediately when you're straddling the fence.  Things and smartphones are the last thing you could possibly care about.

You want your loved ones all around you,  holding and hugging one another...helping the loved one have a good trip.   They'll be waiting for us but until then we have got to live each and every day here to the fullest.  

Culture is just another word for your Maw's good homecooking. Enjoy that, too.   

Create your happy place while you're creating your own positive food management plan.   

Gotta run. There's always another streetcar coming around the corner.