14 Days to Freedom: Day 6

Day 6:                                                                                                                                                                                

Sigh.   I’m hungry!   AND sleepy!  I wake up with my usual energy, but by 3pm, I’m spent.  The only thing that changed from my routine was my decision to begin thinking about my vacation coming to a close and I felt quite a rush of sadness and physical weakness come over me.  The idea of leaving the peaceful haven of my home and taking this cleansing process outside of my sacred walls saddens me.  This is such a personal process and I’d hate to be among others while doing it.  I fear perhaps, I won’t hear the Divine as clearly, but that notion is quickly reversed by a clear message that the Divine will see me through this process and doing this outside of my home allows me to be an example to others as my Light shines more brightly during this time.  I’m relieved, though still, I felt exhausted, and I needed to rest.  So, I took a midday nap, and woke up in time to make dinner for the littles.  I felt much better after the nap and resumed my thoughts of gratitude and Love, and engaged in my writing.  Something I noticed when I was feeling sad earlier was my immediate reflex to reach for food when I felt sad.  That was a definite eye-opener.  Yes, I was hungry, but I clearly see, that the “hunger” was emotionally-motivated because after my talk with God (and that much-needed nap), the hunger was gone.  I wondered, "How many times have I reached for food to resolve an emotional issue?"  I couldn’t answer that question, but my guess is more than many.  I’m more conscious now, and I intend to resolve my emotional challenges by going immediately to God rather than the pantry.  I may even put a note reflecting this epiphany on my fridge and pantry doors.

"Look upward and inward to solve your problems.  The solution is NOT in here!"

I’ve noticed a few pimples debuting on my cheeks and chin.  The cellulite cycle is continuing, though ironically, I am noticing more definition in my face, shoulders, arms and legs and my tummy is less and less jiggly by the second.  I can only imagine what I’ll look like in 8 days.  I’m feeling more and more grateful for all that is going well in my life, but I’m simultaneously feeling an urging---no, that’s too subtle of a term; it’s more like an alarmingly aggressive shove---to fulfill my life’s purpose.  I’m asking how and waiting patiently for answers from the Divine.  I know the answers will come.  I’m happy.  I’m hungry again, but hunger never felt so good.  Each time I feel a hunger pang, I pray, sip some tea, water or broth and breathe deeply.  I feel peaceful.  I’ve planned out all that I intend to eat for the next month or more after the fast ends next week.  I’m much more conscious of what I intend to ingest.  I feel an obligation to maintain this free and clear feeling that I have and I know that pizza, cakes and cookies aren’t going to bring this sensation on.  Although such treats are quite tasty (and they bring me loads of joy—albeit temporary), this feeling is surreal and I am loving it!!!  I feel a sense of clarity and connectedness with the Divine that I have not felt in a very long time.  I can’t express in words the degree to which I am grateful for this feeling, so I am electing to express my gratitude through my work, my service.  This brings me far greater joy.   This is pretty awesome!

My Salad was SOOOOO Freakin' Good Today!

Yeah, what the title says.  OMG!  That salad was delicious!  I had to do a little work beforehand to prep some of the ingredients (I pickled some red onions and boiled and pickled some beets---BTW, I pickle without sugar.), but the rest you can easily grab at local grocery stores.  All of the ingredients were squeaky clean and perfect for anyone trying to steer clear of animal products.  So, here's how you put together your very own Purple People Pleaser (Yes, I name my food.):

A few handfuls (or more) of spring mix salad
A handful (or 3) of shredded red cabbage
A handful of grape tomatoes, halved
One 1/2 Haas avocado, sliced lengthwise
Two heaping spoonfuls of pickled beets (I used a slotted spoon to avoid getting too much liquid in my salad)
Two heaping forkfuls of pickled onions
A pinch of blanched, slivered almonds
10-12 Trader Joe's Sesame Sticks

I made a dressing with freshly squeezed lemon juice and Bragg's Liquid Aminos.  Distribute the dressing evenly on your veggies and dig in! 

Freakin' delicious!!!!!  I'm having another one for lunch tomorrow!

If you try it and like it, let me know!

J*

14 Days to Freedom: Day 5

Day 5:                                                                                                                                                                                

I think my cellulite must have studied with David Copperfield.  Gone again!   Is this some sort of wicked curse?  I’m feeling a little Disney princess-esque, but at least the pattern is consistent and considering the temperature and wind-chill factor, no one will bear witness to the cursed ripples adorning my belly.  Not much is different today.  My energy level is fab, I’m sleeping very well and I’m looking better and better by the minute.   I’m getting messages and direction more and more clearly and I feel love and peace expanding within me.  It’s such a surreal experience.  I often feel like I’m dreaming!  Many of the things that mattered to be before I started this process no longer seem significant.  My mind won’t even allow me to focus on trivial things.  This is what detachment is.  Freedom.  Saying that I’m loving this is an understatement.

14 Days to Freedom: Day 4

Day 4:                                                                                                                                                                                

As soon as I wake up, you know what I’m checking for!  It’s gone!  O…..M……G!!!!!!  The cellulite is GONE!  I mean, I have a tiny bit that I’ve had on my thighs since having the kids, but the rest of it is gone and my mid-section looks like someone put a vacuum to it overnight!  It’s SO much flatter!  No more bloating!  Yay!  I think everything I drank the day before sweated out of my pores overnight because I woke up with my  pajamas drenched as though I sleep-walked into the shower the night before.  I dry off, dry brush and hit the shower.  I’m feeling energized, yet extremely peaceful.  I think I’ve awakened my inner Mahatma Ghandi.  I’m going to the potty every five minutes, but after having two kids, and surviving the 9-months pregnant potty parties, this doesn’t bother me at all.  I am a little concerned that I haven’t gone #2 in a couple of days, but I’m sure my body is just adjusting to this new routine.  I’m not worried.  The pee-pee schedule is keeping me busy enough anyhow.  I know that was TMI (too much information), but it’s quite relevant.  

I’ve gotten clear messages today on how to begin some major projects that I’ve been contemplating over the last year, and I’ve actually gotten a major start on them.   I’m more productive than I’ve been in a very long time!  I’m impressed and proud.  In the words of the illustrious Ice Cube, “Today was a good day.”  Speaking of music, by the end of the day, the DJ must’ve started playing because the cellulite party started again.  Here’s to a repeat of its vanishing act tomorrow morning.

 

Bite for Your Life!!!

Consistently ingesting a high vibrational diet (HVD) rich in living and whole foods (fruits, veggies, beans, seeds and nuts) is HIGHLY beneficial in keeping the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies balanced and in harmony. As I am an avid promoter of holistic health and fitness, I'd be remiss not to include some nutritional info on my blog.  So, lucky for you, periodically I'll be sharing some of my favorite HVD recipes and their health benefits so that you guys can begin to see and feel remarkable changes from the inside out! I'm SO excited about the changes we'll see in 2014! Stay tuned!

Please note, I am not a licensed Nutritionist nor do I aspire to become one.  I am just really passionate about creating a healthier world.  Maybe we can do this together one bite at a time.  Feel free to share your favorite recipes in the comments section.  I'm always open to trying something new!

Twinkle and Beam, Starlights!  

Muah!

J* 

My Banana Soy Milkshake Brings All the Boys to the Yard

Mmmmmm.....my absolute favorite Summer (or Winter...or Spring...or, even Fall) treat is a tall, cold, refreshing banana milkshake from Johnny Rockets or any old-school diner or restaurant that specializes in shakes and malts.  They're just....GOOD!  Trouble is, they're not good for you.  So, last year, when I embarked upon my squeaky clean eating journey, I HAD to figure out a healthy adaptation of this yummy delight. 

Here's my far healthier version of the banana milkshake:

Original Silk Soymilk frozen into cubes (use 2-4 for one shake)
Original Silk Soymilk (4-6oz.)
1-2 frozen banana(s), sliced in half
Vanilla extract to taste
Blend until smooth.

Pour in your favorite cup, sip and enjoy!  Heavenly!

NOTE:  I've since replaced the soy milk with unsweetened almond milk and this recipe is even better!

Perfectly Imperfect

In my experience as a Psychotherapist and Life Coach, I have heard essentially the same desire coming from the mouth of every client. After each individual or couple plops down on the couch or chair and purges their story, each and every time, the final statement they make before expecting me to chime in, solve their every problem and make the 45 minutes they spend with me feel worth the $150 they just paid is, “Janell, I just want to be happy.” Afterward, I immediately ask them to describe what that entails. After staring at me with a look that says, “Aren’t I paying you to tell me that?” they rattle off a response that generally involves an expectation for others to adapt to them, accepting them as they are without criticism or objection and to meet their needs whether they’ve effectively communicated those needs or not. Now, I’m not sure that most members of our society are soothsayers who can just know what it is that everyone needs in every moment, nor am I certain that everyone even wants to put forth their personal efforts to ensure the needs of others are met first.
Well…maybe there are some martyring soothsayers out there, but I’d bet the most recent Powerball winnings that if they’re out there, they are very few and even farther between. The thing is, it is difficult to expect others to fully accept us when we have not yet done so ourselves, but learning to love and accept oneself is easier than you think.

Ask Yourself

Identifying one’s idea of happiness is the first thing that must be done in effort to move toward being truly happy. The goal is to define happiness for yourself (sans Merriam Webster’s influence) and ask yourself the question: “What do I really want?” With all of my knowledge, personal and professional experience and years of (seemingly never-ending) education in the fields of Psychology, Social Work, Sociology and Metaphysics, I find that what we are constantly striving for is perfection whether we call it that or not. We’re either seeking to achieve perfection in our own eyes or in the eyes of others. I’m wondering why it took me all those years of schooling and work to arrive at that, but nevertheless, it is what I have deduced. The issue is that nobody’s perfect in the eyes of others, so if your pursuit of happiness involves pleasing anyone else, you’re creating a world of disappointment for yourself. Perfection itself is an imperfect term because each individuals’ idea of perfection is different, unique and ever-changing.  No one could possibly live up to everyone’s idea of perfection. Therefore, the constant striving to achieve it for someone else’s stamp of approval is futile. Constantly burdening oneself to reach the ideals of others is a fight that is impossible to win. Rather, it is more beneficial to identify what makes you happy– independent of any external people, places or things.

Who Are YOU?

Get to know you. Introduce yourself to yourself. Separate your likes and dislikes from those of others in your life. Ensure that your thoughts are purely your own, and if they were influenced by others, that you truly are in full agreement with those notions. Refuse to compete with or compare yourself to others.  You are uniquely you and no one else can do what you are meant to do. You are your only competition. Figure out what it is that you really love. Not what your best friend or your parents or your siblings or your boss or your kids or your significant other loves, but what YOU really LOVE. List those things and begin to highlight them by making time and space for those things in your life. This is perfection:

Knowing what you like, love, approve of, care about, etc., valuing those things whether others do or not, and demonstrating how you value those things on a regular basis and experiencing the joy they bring to your life all without bringing any hurt, harm or danger to anyone else in the process. Perfection is fully accepting your true inner being for who it is, highlighting its most glorious qualities and adoring them because they are the true essence of what makes you perfect.

As long as you’re striving to fit into the restraints of others’ expectations, as long as you try to force yourself into society’s idea of what you are or should be based on color, class or financial status, weight, sexual preference, profession or appearance, you will remain perfectly imperfect. You must make the decision to blaze your trail to happiness in your very own way, the way that satisfies you. Only you can define perfection and only you can become your own idea of perfection, so placing the burden of meeting your expectations on others when it conflicts with their desires is unfair to say the least.  Place your focus on putting forth the effort to reach your goals, dedicating time to those things that you love and expecting results from only YOU.  By doing so, you’ll find yourself feeling more and more perfect in every moment and before long, you’ll be adding the words “except me” to the end of the old adage, “Nobody’s perfect.”