Essential oils like anything are not a one size fits all kind of process...the nutrients we need come from our foods & not all SNP's require supplementation. Supporting genetic defects w/ EO's is simple in the sense, less is more & it's not advisable to select them based on the plant. Certain constituents assist the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates & fats by stimulating cell communication. When we're talking about CBS & NOS, a more important factor is eliminating ammonia from the body that tends to build w/ a defect here. Walnuts are a super, more efficient way because they are a complete food & the body uses all the nutrients. To feed it incrementally w/ supplements creates challenges due to additives, etc. Because of this, bolstering the digestive system is imperative. The purpose for mentioning ammonia is because BH4 is used to scavenge ammonia. BH4 is also required for NOS. BH4 is produced via the transfer of hydrogen in the fermentation process. This can be assisted by including cinnamon into the diet. There is not a lot of oil in the powder; however, there is enough because less is more. As for including essential oils, it's not appropriate to say which ones to suggest because there are constituents that affect these cycles & understanding the individual genome is crucial. It's fair to say, some people see benefits, & some do not only because we're all different due to our diets, lifestyle, supplement choices, medications & genome. It is important to note, some constituents stimulate certain chemical reactions & some inhibit reactions. Two good examples are dopamine & BH4 ....There again, some SNP's are quiet, only to cause adverse reactions to certain chemicals & meds; therein, leading to yet another symptom or the feeling that something isn't working.. What I've found with my own disturbing health / SNP's as well as with my clients, is less is more. Genuine & authentic is the best way to go ... that & taking care of the digestive system along w/ 1 supplement. I happen to have well over 100 SNP's & with the assistance of a PhD in nutritional science who has been involved w/ genetic defects & the human genome for over 20 years & now a colleague of mine, I eat intentionally, use bio-individual oils & take my supplement, I am golden. I will say, I am confident in his abilities as he has developed a line of neutraceuticals & after reviewing my genome, he confirmed my approach. The effects do vary ... we see successes that last & we see some that appear to go backwards. This is when having someone to adjust the approach is beneficial. The body is a walking chemistry lab which means things change. There is a lot of information out there & having an outside professional perspective is a good idea. Essential oils are the reason we have medications. They are currently not regulated by the FDA because, for the most part, they are considered bath & body. What I can say is they do not heal the body. The body is the only thing that can heal itself. To make claims stating anything else is unfounded. Plant DNA repairs itself much like the human DNA; therefore, essential oils have the potential to modify gene expression that's all. Including them into your wellness plan assists the body to get the nutrition into the cells where it belongs & the more wholesome the nutrient source, the better the body responds.
Earlier today I was tagged in a discussion on a Facebook MTHFR page. It happened to be about the use of essential oils with specific defects, namely CBS and NOS. The following was my response. I'm sharing it here because I feel it is an important component to my position regarding the use of essential oils and how we've lost touch with their valuable nature....
Essential oils like anything are not a one size fits all kind of process...the nutrients we need come from our foods & not all SNP's require supplementation. Supporting genetic defects w/ EO's is simple in the sense, less is more & it's not advisable to select them based on the plant. Certain constituents assist the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates & fats by stimulating cell communication. When we're talking about CBS & NOS, a more important factor is eliminating ammonia from the body that tends to build w/ a defect here. Walnuts are a super, more efficient way because they are a complete food & the body uses all the nutrients. To feed it incrementally w/ supplements creates challenges due to additives, etc. Because of this, bolstering the digestive system is imperative. The purpose for mentioning ammonia is because BH4 is used to scavenge ammonia. BH4 is also required for NOS. BH4 is produced via the transfer of hydrogen in the fermentation process. This can be assisted by including cinnamon into the diet. There is not a lot of oil in the powder; however, there is enough because less is more. As for including essential oils, it's not appropriate to say which ones to suggest because there are constituents that affect these cycles & understanding the individual genome is crucial. It's fair to say, some people see benefits, & some do not only because we're all different due to our diets, lifestyle, supplement choices, medications & genome. It is important to note, some constituents stimulate certain chemical reactions & some inhibit reactions. Two good examples are dopamine & BH4 ....There again, some SNP's are quiet, only to cause adverse reactions to certain chemicals & meds; therein, leading to yet another symptom or the feeling that something isn't working.. What I've found with my own disturbing health / SNP's as well as with my clients, is less is more. Genuine & authentic is the best way to go ... that & taking care of the digestive system along w/ 1 supplement. I happen to have well over 100 SNP's & with the assistance of a PhD in nutritional science who has been involved w/ genetic defects & the human genome for over 20 years & now a colleague of mine, I eat intentionally, use bio-individual oils & take my supplement, I am golden. I will say, I am confident in his abilities as he has developed a line of neutraceuticals & after reviewing my genome, he confirmed my approach. The effects do vary ... we see successes that last & we see some that appear to go backwards. This is when having someone to adjust the approach is beneficial. The body is a walking chemistry lab which means things change. There is a lot of information out there & having an outside professional perspective is a good idea. Essential oils are the reason we have medications. They are currently not regulated by the FDA because, for the most part, they are considered bath & body. What I can say is they do not heal the body. The body is the only thing that can heal itself. To make claims stating anything else is unfounded. Plant DNA repairs itself much like the human DNA; therefore, essential oils have the potential to modify gene expression that's all. Including them into your wellness plan assists the body to get the nutrition into the cells where it belongs & the more wholesome the nutrient source, the better the body responds.
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Food: The Most Popular Pharmaceutical
Introduction I just read an article on ‘retiring the phrase ‘real women’’ which reminded me of a thought I have had for the last several weeks with regards to food. Every time I watch television (which is not all that often) I see grocery store commercials referring to food and natural food. Driving through cities I often see similar references letting the public know they actually have natural foods in addition to the artificial products on the shelf. My goodness, when did food become a synthesized habit rather than a natural requirement for sustaining our existence? When I was a child, we blessed our food; acknowledging the love that brought it to our table and the purpose it fueled. And for all I know, many people still do offer grace before eating; however, I cannot help but wonder if that has become just as much of a synthesized habit as the food being consumed because we are actually hoping and praying for ‘real food’. McChemicals Most of what we buy today is riddled with chemicals; additives, preservatives, artificial colors and flavorings, fillers, and the incremental secret ingredients NOT listed on the label because the FDA says it is okay. Oddly enough, there is a war on drugs; yet, we eat the most unnatural foods ever known to man. It used to be that food was simple; combining various ingredients to create different flavor experiences as well as compliment other dishes. Sadly due to difficult times, food needed to be ‘stretched’ so we developed ways to do just that in order to feed our hungry families. It did not take long for ‘man’ to discover the money making benefits to this thought process; hence, the birth of processed foods. While the intention was to be able to assure we did not go hungry, the result was the exact opposite. Today, we are a society of malnourished addicts fighting the wrong drug war. Drugs I believe it is time we start telling it like it is. We crave a lot of the junk foods because we are hooked on the chemicals used to fabricate them. I learned this first hand with Diet Coke. Many people claim to be addicted to sugar and / or caffeine. In fact, some have gone so far as to say this is why I ‘have to have a Diet Coke’; I need my caffeine fix. I beg to differ. My diet consists of some of the cleanest foods around with the exception of the occasional soft drink; so, why do I drink it? Because I am no different than any other human; I enjoy life and will intermittently partake in some things that taste good but are not exactly healthy. That being said, I am aware that when I go without a Diet Coke for a certain amount of time, I begin to feel ‘off’. I believe this has a lot to do with having such a healthy diet. So not soon after I enjoy a sip or two, I begin to sense a relief. I know for a fact when I drink a cup of coffee or caffeinated tea, I do NOT have the same result which is why I say I am hooked on the chemicals in Diet Coke and not the caffeine. And what is even stranger is the aspartame in Diet Coke depletes my body of the mineral magnesium which would make a person question why the body would desire more of something that is essentially causing it harm ….. hmmmm? My best educated guess is drugs! Defeating the Fog Drinks are not the only consumables laden with chemicals. However, until we have an appropriately equipped lab for identifying ALL of the harmful ingredients in the items we eat and drink, we will never truly know what we are ingesting that continues to ‘call our name’ when we are without it for any great length of time. In spite of this, there are things we can do to break the compulsions and ‘cleanup’; the first thing being to eliminate the phrases ‘organic, natural and / or real food’ and demand that junk food no longer be called food at all. Take a look at the following definitions: Food [ food ]
Now here is the word pharmakeia: Pharmakeia is the Greek word for pharmacy which literally means ‘to drug or poison’. Ancient Greeks used this word for their sorcerers who used drugs to produce altered states. When food is watered down with additives and chemicals, it is no longer nourishing the body; causing it to go into altered states which then craves more of the same stimulants and / or depressants. The more we allow this to go on, the hungrier we become. The best way to overcome what is happening to our food supply is to revert back to the ways of our ancestors and eat simply. It is time to delight in the cleansing and healing benefits of food and choose to occasionally consume foodstuff because it is fun or the ‘thing to do’; not the other way around. Natural, organic and real food is not a luxury; FOOD is a necessity. Junk is junk and I dream of the day when companies will have the courage to debunk the junk and restore spiritual wellness to our society by telling the truth. Conclusion We have reached the time in our society to rethink what we consume. Sadly this is challenging due to the poisons filling our bodies; however it is possible. Awareness of what is, is the first step; the second one is to make conscious choices that encourage our bodies and minds to heal. In doing so, we will rediscover our voices and continue making wiser choices. Life is our right and we have plenty of all that we need. By eating whole food we are sustaining the body, reducing the need to consume large amounts. Foodstuff manufacturers are no different than street drug dealers. They are cutting our food sources with additives which cause harmful addictions that perpetuate the hunger and buying cycle. We must not only wake up to what we want, we must wake up and call crap what it is. We are junkies with a narrow focus. It is time to start a drug war on the foodstuff companies and demand our lives back! Clean up your act .... well, I don't mean to say this in harsh way YET changing our habits is necessary for any degree of healing to take place! So if that’s the case then why are there so many of us waiting UNTIL we're sick and dying to even consider this concept?
All around the world, there are motivational speakers and writers encouraging us to be deliberate; to live with intent and live our purpose. Sounds great; yet I ask, what difference does manifesting your dream life or living a purpose driven life make if you're physically and mentally challenged with sickness? I must take into consideration that we each have our path and our lessons are ours to learn AND there is no mistaking we are meant to gain inner wisdom and grow through sickness and dis-ease. Notice I didn't say suffer? Suffering is where some people stop because ..... it's in the cards. And then, there are many who gain a perspective they wouldn't have gained otherwise. Some are able to apply it to their life now; others are gifted with the opportunity to impart their wisdom onto others, inspiring them to walk a different path, in essence, passing the torch. Needless to say, healing involves as much of a physical rebound as it does mental, emotional and spiritual. In fact, it's a good part of the reason we're here......to integrate our humanity with our divinity! Or, as I like to call it, Divine Alchemy. Healing is alchemy .... It's a process of improving our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, embracing our humanity, allowing our Divinity and feeling consistently better with time! Sadly we live during a time where we've been trained to expedite as much as possible and move at rapid speeds. This way of living is destroying us and sabotaging our dreams; why? Because it runs in the family? Restoring health requires patience and compassion, especially when dealing with physical dis-eases & dis-orders. Physical manifestations of unexpressed feelings and emotions, sickness and pain, didn't happen overnight, no matter how it appears. They crept in over time, slowly getting louder and more painful. Which means, they are not going to go away 'in the blink of an eye' ... even though the symptoms may lessen with the help of medications, the underlying cause remains. Nonetheless, many of us opt for the bandage approach by choosing to cover up the root of the problem in order to relieve the symptoms and nothing more. I currently have two clients with MS because that is the how the Universe rolls. Both women came into my life without a clue about what I do; yet, each lady insists on a much deeper relief than just killing the immediate pain, anxiety and fatigue. They're tired of being on cocktails of medications and seek to restore their wellness through a combination of nutrition and other whole body modalities. In other words, they are allowing Divine Alchemy. These women began their journey years ago with a 'diagnosis' of chronic fatigue. When speaking with them, it became painfully clear, they're both facing systemic reactions and breakdowns due to the multitude of food additives, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, and, and, and environmental toxins throughout the course of their lives. Mind you, the chemicals of our world do not just cause MS. They affect all of us in a variety of ways. It just so happens, my clients developed MS because of their physiology. Someone else's may become cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, or a combination of unrelated symptoms ..... how it manifests depends on the predisposition of the individual. The KEY? Pay attention to the body. Be aware of the signals it's sending! What are you feeding it ..... emotionally, spiritually as well as physically? Your path is as unique as the person sitting next to you. Each of us is here to experience the intricate nuances of life. We're here to honor and love our inner and outer worlds. These women have lived out of balance long enough and are choosing to do just that! They know it's possible to restore and rejuvenate the mind and body because their spirit inspires them to open their hearts and not to give up .... for as long as the body took to get to this point, it will take some time to turn 'things' around. The secret is deliberate, purposeful steps; just like you would do to create a dream outside of yourself, you must give equal intention to your inside world. One final note; as I sat in a coffee shop earlier today working on this piece, the woman sitting next to me engaged me in a conversation. Well, it was more of a, 'Hi how do you do, let me tell you about how I've managed my pain for the last 12 years.' I won't go into all the details of her story; however, I will bottom-line it. Remove as many toxins as possible from your body and surroundings, and clean up your act! You'll understand soon enough. Alzheimer’s is on the rise. Go ahead, Google it, and you’ll find the numbers are astounding!
In March of this year, the Connecticut Post reported that the costs of caring for those living with this horrific condition was expected to reach $200 billion dollars! However, I do not share this dollar amount with you because I’m concerned about the money. Not even close; I’m passionate about the quality of our lives and when something like Alzheimer’s is increasing,, that tells me something is very ‘wrong’ and with awareness, can be reduced and quite possibly prevented. My grandmother left this planet in 2006 with the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Her last lucid words to me were: ‘I refuse to live this way’; even though she couldn’t quite grasp what ‘this way’ was. She was angry, frightened, trapped, removed, and most importantly hungry for love which was rapidly slipping from her grasp. Oddly enough, her death certificate reflected the starvation factor claiming she died from complications due to anorexia. Hmmmmm…. Yet, my passion began revealing itself many years prior to the onset of her condition because she was not the first in her family. She was one of 13 faced with living in this manner. Some opted to stick it out; and some, like her, chose not too. Regardless of the road he or she took, I was, and remain, determined to reduce my chances, substantially! 1) I stopped using antiperspirants and started using essential oils as a deodorant. Jasmine, patchouli and sandalwood to be exact. It smells differently on every body; AND apparently pretty good on me because to this day, I am approached by perfect strangers and asked what perfume I’m wearing. The reason for this step is due to the aluminum in antiperspirants which is absorbed directly into the blood stream and has been linked to Alzheimer’s 2) I eat intentionally. I don’t eat so much of this and so much of that on a daily basis. I simply eat what my body is asking for; paying attention to how I feel and what’s driving my hunger. With that said, there are some basic guidelines: greens, whole grains, low glycemic, lean protein from vegetable sources, unprocessed, simple clean foods. To put it another way, I follow an anti-inflammatory, alkaline forming lifestyle. Studying holistic nutrition and FOLLOWING my own recommendations has proven to be truly effective. Not only is my mind as sharp as ever, I’m physically strong, I have no gray hair (confirmed by my hair dresser), few time lines, and my hormones are in check. PLUS, no signs of gum disease, cavities OR any indicators of early onset! 3) Identify your craving for sugar. My guess is you don’t really need or want the sugar; you’re actually craving a sweeter life and using sugar as a substitute. I digress … So yes, excess sugar intake (which is also on the rise due to all the Fat Free products out there and the subsequent flavor enhancers put in it’s place) leads to Type 2 Diabetes. What does this have to do with Alzheimer’s? Plenty, they’re linked. Those living with Type 2 Diabetes are at high risk for developing this difficult condition. So, whether you are predisposed to Diabetes or already have it, there are ways to not be a statistic, reverse those numbers, get it under control and reduce the chance of being another statistic. 4) Include quality fats into your diet. Studies have identified benefits of using coconut oil in place of canola, vegetable or safflower oil. I also recommend raw hemp seeds added to breakfast cereal, included into baked goods and so on. Hemp seed is considered a complete protein supplying fiber, omega 3′s and 6′s, vitamins B, A, D and E along with calcium and other nutrients. Making hemp seed a part of your regular diet not only offers optimal brain health, it protects your heart, reduces the risk of diabetes (isn’t nature fabulous?), cancer, enhances skin tone, promotes weight loss due to it’s anti-inflammatory effects (gotta love momma nature) and it keeps your digestive track clean! Not to be excluded is olive oil. A good friend recently pointed this out and she is correct; olive oil has a naturally occurring compound, oleocanthal, which has been found to alter the structure of neurotoxic proteins possibly linked to the progression of Alzheimer's. As it is with anything, information is subjective and no one has any definitive answers. What I do know, is prevention far outweighs reaction and a wholesome, intentional eating plan does wonders for our wellbeing. 5) Neurobics (my word) ~ keep your mind busy! Yes, physical activity is important, so, by all means keep moving; just change up the routine. We get bored with the same old thing, day in and day out. Even our bodies plateau with the same workouts; the same holds true for our minds. Avoid driving the same route to work, school or the store; mix it up. Try out different yoga practices; do puzzles, play board games, card games, the game of Twister; anything to keep the mind stimulated and creating new connections. And one more for good measure …..PLEASE touch people. The magic of our touch triggers so many good things in the body, keeping the mind active, in addition to keeping the heart happy! What better way to reduce the risk feeling poorly? In honor of good health and wellness ….here’s to you and your family! I was behind a woman in the coffee shop earlier this morning when I heard her faintly mutter, 'I guess I'll eat something healthy today.' I was astounded! Who was she trying to convince? Herself or those around her? And, for that matter, what was she trying to convince us of? That she knows better OR that she has joined the buzzword bandwagon?
From the second I heard her words, I was riddled with questions AND in awe of what this society has created! I'm sure I've heard this type of remark plenty of times in the past; yet, for some reason, it hit me between the eyes this morning. As a species, we have become spoiled by convenience. We've lost our ability to know what we need, when we need it and from where to get it. In other words, we've come to rely on our intelligence rather than our wisdom. As a matter of fact, this intelligence has become our greatest weapon of mass destruction and is rapidly taking the planet down. However, it's never too late! We may not be able to turn back the hands of time; yet, the possibility of stopping the progression of additional massive breakdowns is HUGE, which starts with reconnecting to our own basic needs. This level of internal and personal awareness gives rise to our innate ability to act in alignment with the needs of those around us as well as the planet; creating worldwide synergy. Now, how does one woman's comment on making a healthy food choice lead to this thought process? To me, she represented society's resistance to shifting our heady approach to life and actually trusting our body to know beyond a shadow of a doubt what it needs to be healthy and well. And since we are a microcosm of the macrocosm, there is no denying we ignore Mother Earth's little indicators as well because we think we know better. I'm not saying that we're oblivious to what would better serve us; not at all! There are scores of people around the world making every attempt to raise our awareness; we just happen to be addicted to some very damaging habits and until we redefine what healthy really is, it will forever be a buzzword for selling over processed chemical laden foods. Did you know that only 1% of a product has to be organic in order for it to have the word 'organic' on the label? And if this is the case for organic matter, imagine what's going into the 'nutritious' foods we see on the shelves (which is what this woman bought this morning ~ a 'healthy version of a nutrition snack bar). Up until 4 months ago, I ate something similar several times a day because 1) they were supposed to be healthy AND 2) they convenient ly fit into my very active life. Then, one morning, fruit sounded exceptionally good, so I rolled with it. In fact, I did this every day for weeks and slowly but surely, the bars vanished from my cupboards never to return. What else disppeared? About 7+ pounds; yet, I do not believe it had anything to do with calories. I eat as much if not more than I did before, it's just a different type of nutrition: clean, unadulterated AND simple; something my body could process efficiently. Interestingly enough, the more I followed these new eating habits, the clearer my thinking, the stronger I felt emotionally and physically and the healthier I was / am overall. How interesting! Rather than taking the word of something outside of me, I listened to my body and found the buzz to being healthy! A few days ago, I received an email newsletter. Now, this isn't anything new; I get them all the time. This one, however, was about marketing and truly defining why I do what I do. You know, it's been years since I first ventured out into the world of entrepreneurship, and I've spent plenty of time at networking events being asked to give my '30 second elevator speech' as well as an idea for 'who my best referral would be'. AND, every time, I struggled with that question. I can coach anybody! I mean, seriously, I can coach anybody. People need to eat; many want to shed a few pounds, some want to change their diets altogether, etc; so how could I ask to meet just one type of person. What I do supports ALL these situations. I fought this one for so long; occasionally breaking down and getting specific and then quickly retracting out of fear because if I became so precise on who I wanted to work with, I surely wouldn't see any business. The funny part is, not being specific seemed to provide the results I most feared. So, when I started reading this particular newsletter, for some reason, the wheels started turning from a much different angle ... an angle that finally clicked.
The first question posed was, 'What am I passionate about?' and the second was, 'What value does my passion bring to the world?' I read it; reread it and then proceeded to take the next couple of days to let it roll around trying to determine the value. Ha, you thought I was struggling with all of it! No, I've known for a very long time why I get up in the morning; I just never considered the gift in it. I realize if someone wants to lose weight, then the value is weight loss; however, the encouragement was to explore a deeper value from my perspective. You see, I'm passionate about men and women rediscovering and owning their power. Oddly enough, this doesn't do much for most people. They simply look at me with this puzzled expression as if to say, 'You want me to feel powerful. Why?' As I look back on this, my only response is, 'Why indeed!'; they're already feeling strong in their own right. No wonder I didn't see much business coming my way. Just because I'm passionate about something doesn't make someone else passionate about it (yet) or for that matter understand what I'm talking about .Most of us feel powerful from time to time; yet, the power we tend to exert fluctuates between ego and heart therefore, the service I'm 'selling' falls flat and why reading this article proved to REALLY put me in the consumer /client's position and identify the value to living and asserting our power from a place of love rather than ego. 'What happens when.......? How does me owning my power benefit the world?' When I feel empowered, I light up. I"m excited by life. I feel inspired to live without fear. I enjoy every moment and find myself celebrating every moment with the people around me and they in turn, favorably interact with me. In other words, I feel it and the world reflects it back to me! This is what I offer my clients; the opportunity to infect the world with love and light! Now, how cool is that? AND, what does this have to do with nutrition? Plenty ..... Discovering your power includes being in touch with your body. being connected to it and knowing what it needs to support you in the world. It's developing that relationship and feeding your body, mind and spirit with foods that energize. Food is energy; although, all food is not created equally. Interacting with the environment requires energy. Being connected to source takes high vibrational energy. Learning how to optimally nourish yourself to support these energies is vital to living with clarity and intent. So, I ask, what is your compelling 'why' for being on the planet? What does that 'why' offer your world? How long do you want to be here and what would you like to experience while here? Does quality of life entice you? What do you want to be doing through the years? Skiing at 85? These are the things I invite you to consider because your love and light is exactly the type of pandemic this world needs! You know what's interesting? I used to think saying, it is what it is, made sense and that everyone believed as I did. Oddly enough, to some degree, it absolutely hits the mark! It is what it is. Think about it; allow it to sizzle and you'll find there's very little room for argument with this statement; life is life and circumstances are what they are.
So what possessed me to embrace this philosophy? Because it completely removes the contexts of right / wrong and good / bad from life. It smooths the waters and implies that all is as it should be. In fact, it makes it incredibly easy to identify what works and what doesn't work when you're able to look at things for what they are and eliminate all judgment and blame. However, there was / is a gap. Even though things are as they should be, that doesn't mean circumstances can't be different or improved upon. It takes an ability to accept what's so along with a strong desire and commitment to expand beyond our perceived limitations, remove all desperation and need and generate our actions from a place of pure inspiration. Unfortunately, this is not a common approach. Many people can wrap their heads around, it is what it is, and then stop there because instead of looking up, they look down ... right down the rabbit hole where apathy resides and nothing can possibly make a difference, because ...... 'I have no money, my family is fat, cancer runs in my family, both my parents lost their teeth, my dad was a factory worker, women aren't supposed to .......; so why bother?' Why bother indeed...... here's what I know about apathy ...it's a killer AND it's reached epidemic proportions! It destroys inspiration, motivation, creativity, desire, vision, and passion leading to breakdowns, train wrecks, disasters, dis-eases and dis-orders of body, mind, and spirit as well as the world around us. Is it possible to break free of apathy's grip? Of course; however, and that is a big however, it takes a commitment to being committed to doing life differently. It means retraining yourself to think, speak and act in ways you are unaccustomed too. It requires support structures and accountability to powerfully generate yourself in new ways of being. And like any new workout, it takes effort that gets easier with practice. Are you done suffering from 'it is what it is' syndrome or are you committed to suffering? You see the choice is yours. Weight, medical conditions, dental conditions, sleep issues, aging, financial success (or lack there of) are results of living life a certain way AND with structured, intentional love and support, you can recover your energy, stamina, and passion; leading a life that consistently lights you up in ways you've always dreamed of! Think you've been left out? Not a chance. Each one of us was created with our very own ability to grasp exactly where we need to be, what we need to be doing and who we're to be doing 'it' with. Disagree? Let's put it this way, have you ever had a hunch and neglected to act upon it? That's what I'm talking about......Whether we like it or not, there is a plan and the end result is the same. It seems we ignore the inclinations and then struggle with the outcome.
In 1998, I met someone I 'knew' was someone I was meant to connect with; yet, not for long. However, the decision made was one that would challenge my integrity (personal truth) as well as conflict with society's expectations. What an appropriate test! And, I mean test.... you see, I firmly believe each one of us fundamentally knows what's best for us and we consistently make choices in order to challenge this knowing. Why? Look at it this way, why does a child do something you ask him or her not to do? To test what they're hearing as well as what they suspect to be true. Sadly, adults discount the inner wisdom of a child ultimately squelching the impulsive, free spirit. As we grow, we take on doubting ourselves. The interessting twist to this concept is even though we doubt, we never give up the test ... that is what I'm talking about. There are some schools of thought stating that self doubt is bad and harmful. What if it's not? What if it's our way of waking ourselves up? Let's face it, many of us love a good game. Maybe this is our way of keeping life interesting....hmmmm ... AND, if it's a wake up call, that means we are providing ourselves with a choice. In this moment of noticing the feelings of disappointment and let down, we are present and aware which lends itself to the choice of either perpetuating the awarenes or simply slipping back into 'life continuing to happen to you'.....the choice is clearly yours. However, for those of us who like to have some sense of what's going on (otherwise known as control freaks), we must practice paying attention to how we feel in any given moment about any given situation. Our feelings will guide us and even though we truly do not have a say about how things ultimately go, we are tapped into Source and going with the flow. We're aware of the next step, trusting the value of the process. According to Deepak Chopra, this is another way of saying, 'detached intention'. If you are as much of a control freak as I am, it'll take some time to peel your fingers from the steering wheel; however, I say go for it. Pretend life is a roller coaster ... raise your arms ... laugh AND cry ... let it all out. Emotions are the vehicle for releasing cellular memory. If you don't release, you'll never shift your experience in life. This is what I suspect to be the reason why many people do not take the risk of following their hunches / heart. They are afraid the emotions will never stop; that life will not be different; that they're destined to be heavy, unhappy, stuck in a rut; or they are such control freaks they need to know exactly how things are going to go (can you say fear?). Again, it's really ok if you don't want to take chances....I'm just attempting to stir the fires in those on the verge of going for it.... What was the result of that relationship? A divorce even though I struggled with the commitment I made as well as what the world would think. My realization was this: for many years, I was committed to challenge,growth, and self love. Staying in a situation I knew I didn't belong in was going against my commitment to myself and it became a question of which commitment was bigger. Each one of us faces similar levels of commitment and it takes courage as well as awareness to distinguish the differences and how to prioritize them. |