Oh, Here we go. I was initially appauled at Suze Orman's suggestion that women should learn to take care of themselves better. I thought, "Oh, that's just her generation beating their fists on the hip, liberated woman like me and you who run our life already!" I discounted the entire idea....UNTIL....WHOA! The heart wrenching episode of Oprah with women who lost it all.
Then, I got to thinking...I'm protected, right? I mean, I've made my fair share of mistakes (and still maneuvering a few of them). But I have insurance...I've recently even organized all of my bills!
I found myself silently (and embarrassingly) judging these women in relationships with men that control the money. There it goes! The BIG FAT YELLOW FLAG! My self-imposed "check yourself, girl!" that rings in my ear when I start to judge others. Anytime a judgment creeps in, I stop, I look at my life, And I learn....
So, I started reading Suze Orman's Women and Money. And, I'm shocked! I'm nowhere near the "save yourself" status! But I will be in 5 months! starting July, For those that want to join, just zip me an email, and I'll send you the summary of what we are doing each month.
No matter what age, or status: single, married, divorced, broke, wealthy, let's go for it!
Money is a part of our life, Let's get it out of the closet, Let's get taking! WITHOUT JUDGMENT ! and let's learn to depend 100% on ourselves! then all that extra support will just soar us to our dreams!
PS. the SUPER liberal side of me says, hey, if the men want to join in feel a need to save themselves, I'm sure some men would relate to these stories...And I don't discriminate :)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Stop Dieting and Be Your Perfect Size, Today!
That's it! I'm done with dieting! Just the thought of another "lose 10 lbs. in a month" advertisement makes me sick. There is always some great testimonial out there. Some thinner man or women, in a bathing suit or holding out there old oversized pants. These images haunt me. This is actually the stuff that pops in my head as I humbly try to embrace healthy habits!
These "overnight" transformations are anything but. Does weight watchers work, YES! Does Jenny Craig work, YES....Does anything work that you just put your mind to? YES!
But, personally, I'm done!
Instead, I prefer another image. An image of my body...exactly as it is now. I prefer to say yes to health...to healthy habits...Yoga, Walking, Pilates, Biking....Eating fruits, veggies, whole grains. Limiting Alcohol, Caffeine, and Sugars.
Is all that SO hard? Why not focus on the GOOD images. The image of a healthy body, walking; the thump of my heartbeat thanking me for giving it a little workout or a nice long and relaxing stretch after working out.
For years, I have seen models in magazines and tried to visualize MY body as magazine worthy. I have been inspired by friends that constantly maintain trim physiques. And, even more, those rare few that REALLY "rock" the confidence...This confidence from a place that doesn't care if the thighs are a wee bit larger this month.
Now, I wake up in the morning...and that voice in my head starts, "what will you look like in a size 8, or 6?" and I just shut her down! No more comparisons! No more day dreams of a perfect body! No more saving money for size 6 Couture!
Instead, I pause with graditude and commit to a healthy lifestyle today. And knowing, with confidence, that I embrace healthy choices and healthy additudes. I acknowledge my stress with compassion. And I believe in all of my heart that my figure will find its way to its perfect size, that size is to be determined by me and the natural course my body takes.
These "overnight" transformations are anything but. Does weight watchers work, YES! Does Jenny Craig work, YES....Does anything work that you just put your mind to? YES!
But, personally, I'm done!
Instead, I prefer another image. An image of my body...exactly as it is now. I prefer to say yes to health...to healthy habits...Yoga, Walking, Pilates, Biking....Eating fruits, veggies, whole grains. Limiting Alcohol, Caffeine, and Sugars.
Is all that SO hard? Why not focus on the GOOD images. The image of a healthy body, walking; the thump of my heartbeat thanking me for giving it a little workout or a nice long and relaxing stretch after working out.
For years, I have seen models in magazines and tried to visualize MY body as magazine worthy. I have been inspired by friends that constantly maintain trim physiques. And, even more, those rare few that REALLY "rock" the confidence...This confidence from a place that doesn't care if the thighs are a wee bit larger this month.
Now, I wake up in the morning...and that voice in my head starts, "what will you look like in a size 8, or 6?" and I just shut her down! No more comparisons! No more day dreams of a perfect body! No more saving money for size 6 Couture!
Instead, I pause with graditude and commit to a healthy lifestyle today. And knowing, with confidence, that I embrace healthy choices and healthy additudes. I acknowledge my stress with compassion. And I believe in all of my heart that my figure will find its way to its perfect size, that size is to be determined by me and the natural course my body takes.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Spirituality: What does that have to do with me?
As we contemplate "spirituality," the vast array of options mixed with varying religious beliefs, Can leave some wondering WHY? or Where do I start? Freston, in the excerpt below, took the thoughts out of my mind, I am eager to share.
Chapter 2: The Eight Pillars of Wellness, from the book, Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston
Spiritual Practice. Regardless of our particular spiritual orientation or religious affiliation, in our self-work we often come around to thinking about our souls and our spirits and what we are (or aren’t) doing to nurture them. Spiritual practice reminds us of what’s important. Even those of us who would say we are not religious can recognize that we are connected to some sort of deep and unified source, or what I will henceforth refer to as Spirit.
According to Webster’s dictionary, the original meaning of worship is a “state of condition of worth.” When you embrace worship, then, your aim is to embrace your real worth: the divine perfection that resides within you. No single religion or faith has a patent on this, of course. Whatever spiritual orientation you have, just be sure to build in some time for practice.
In my own life and my work, I have noticed again and again that when we don’t have any kind of spiritual practice, the ego tends to take over and gets us to thinking of ourselves as separate from the world, disconnected. Spiritual practice brings us back to our identification with something larger. It increases our capacity to love and be kind, both to ourselves and others. At its best, it is directed both inward (learning to love ourselves) and outward (learning to love others). Through spiritual practice---be it regular attendance at a church or a self-styled course of intensive reading in a particular tradition or philosophy—you learn that the more you can transcend the narrow focus of “me and mine,” the wider your circle of consideration can become. Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddist monk and philosopher, says, “Without a spiritual dimension, we will not have the capacity to confront suffering, to transform suffering and to offer anything to life. A person without a spiritual path is a person walking in darkness. With a path, we are no longer afraid or worried.”
There are enough people who live and act in fear that our world is teetering on the brink of enormous change, and as I see it, the goal of any spiritual practice should be to shift the tide for each of us and the world from fear to love, from indifference to compassion. As we nurture the light within us, we can then shine it out onto the world.
As we grow in our faith, even if that just means acknowledging that there is more to life than meets the eye, we find ourselves more comfortable with our power and more directed in our purpose, and we are able to count on the support and guidance of a greater intelligence. Having a spiritual practice reminds us of life’s important truths: that we are all One, and that what we do to one person or being, we do to ourselves; that all of life is an expression of Spirit: and that at our truest, we are innocent and perfect. Sometimes you need to hear the truth a thousand times or in a thousand different ways before it begins to resonate, but it is still the truth. And putting ourselves in an atmosphere of constant coaching—through attending religious services or reading or praying alone or in a group—increases the velocity of our awakening.
If you do not currently have a spiritual practice, I have a couple of suggestions about choosing a teacher, a philosophy, or a place of worship:
1. Keep in mind the principles that you want to learn and embody
2. Steer clear of any school of thought that promotes distance, judgment, or ill will.
Many well-known and established religions have lost the mystical seed embraced by the great wisdom teachings: mercy, forgiveness, humility, benevolence, compassion, selflessness, and integrity. If you do not feel a genuine and widespread love for all people in a particular avenue of practice, consider going elsewhere. According to the system of spiritual development in “A Course in Miracles,” “A church that does not inspire love has a hidden altar that is not serving the purpose for which Spirit intended it”
Keep listening to your inner voice and decide if a teaching appeals to your core goodness or if it resonates with fear-based thinking. There is certainly no need to commit to and stay in one place only; nuggets of wisdom are everywhere you look, so feel free to explore different groups as you gather insights and inspirations.
Chapter 2: The Eight Pillars of Wellness, from the book, Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston
Spiritual Practice. Regardless of our particular spiritual orientation or religious affiliation, in our self-work we often come around to thinking about our souls and our spirits and what we are (or aren’t) doing to nurture them. Spiritual practice reminds us of what’s important. Even those of us who would say we are not religious can recognize that we are connected to some sort of deep and unified source, or what I will henceforth refer to as Spirit.
According to Webster’s dictionary, the original meaning of worship is a “state of condition of worth.” When you embrace worship, then, your aim is to embrace your real worth: the divine perfection that resides within you. No single religion or faith has a patent on this, of course. Whatever spiritual orientation you have, just be sure to build in some time for practice.
In my own life and my work, I have noticed again and again that when we don’t have any kind of spiritual practice, the ego tends to take over and gets us to thinking of ourselves as separate from the world, disconnected. Spiritual practice brings us back to our identification with something larger. It increases our capacity to love and be kind, both to ourselves and others. At its best, it is directed both inward (learning to love ourselves) and outward (learning to love others). Through spiritual practice---be it regular attendance at a church or a self-styled course of intensive reading in a particular tradition or philosophy—you learn that the more you can transcend the narrow focus of “me and mine,” the wider your circle of consideration can become. Thich Nhat Hanh, the Buddist monk and philosopher, says, “Without a spiritual dimension, we will not have the capacity to confront suffering, to transform suffering and to offer anything to life. A person without a spiritual path is a person walking in darkness. With a path, we are no longer afraid or worried.”
There are enough people who live and act in fear that our world is teetering on the brink of enormous change, and as I see it, the goal of any spiritual practice should be to shift the tide for each of us and the world from fear to love, from indifference to compassion. As we nurture the light within us, we can then shine it out onto the world.
As we grow in our faith, even if that just means acknowledging that there is more to life than meets the eye, we find ourselves more comfortable with our power and more directed in our purpose, and we are able to count on the support and guidance of a greater intelligence. Having a spiritual practice reminds us of life’s important truths: that we are all One, and that what we do to one person or being, we do to ourselves; that all of life is an expression of Spirit: and that at our truest, we are innocent and perfect. Sometimes you need to hear the truth a thousand times or in a thousand different ways before it begins to resonate, but it is still the truth. And putting ourselves in an atmosphere of constant coaching—through attending religious services or reading or praying alone or in a group—increases the velocity of our awakening.
If you do not currently have a spiritual practice, I have a couple of suggestions about choosing a teacher, a philosophy, or a place of worship:
1. Keep in mind the principles that you want to learn and embody
2. Steer clear of any school of thought that promotes distance, judgment, or ill will.
Many well-known and established religions have lost the mystical seed embraced by the great wisdom teachings: mercy, forgiveness, humility, benevolence, compassion, selflessness, and integrity. If you do not feel a genuine and widespread love for all people in a particular avenue of practice, consider going elsewhere. According to the system of spiritual development in “A Course in Miracles,” “A church that does not inspire love has a hidden altar that is not serving the purpose for which Spirit intended it”
Keep listening to your inner voice and decide if a teaching appeals to your core goodness or if it resonates with fear-based thinking. There is certainly no need to commit to and stay in one place only; nuggets of wisdom are everywhere you look, so feel free to explore different groups as you gather insights and inspirations.
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