"Nobody can take away your ruby shine when you're happy and healthy. And when you are in the positive space there is a cascade effect. You pay it forward by sharing your wellness tips."
That's exactly how I feel. I'm going to take my time with this book, absorbing every word carefully. I'll blog about each chapter and try to inspire as many people as possible to join me on the wellness journey I was thinking of setting a date to start this new lifestyle, but how can I when I'm still reading and learning? I'm not going to rush or stress myself because that won't help at all. I also know going completely vegan overnight isn't realistic for me since I've been a lifelong meat eater. Baby steps are the way go. Personally, I think eating meat from animals raised on a vegetarian diet isn't as bad as the usual supermarket meat. These are choices I'll figure out once I've finished the book.
I connected with this book and the author because her experience felt so real and unplanned. She didn't feel well one day and visited her doctor due to severe abdominal pain and trouble breathing. An ultrasound revealed tumors on her lungs and liver. Can you imagine? One doctor suggested transplanting all three organs, while another gave her ten years to live. I hate when doctors do this. it’s their job, but taking away someone's hope doesn’t help. She listened to that inner voice saying, “No, there’s a better way! I do not accept this.” She searched tirelessly for a doctor who would work with her, not against her. Thankfully, she found an oncologist who truly understood her and had the sensitivity so many doctors lack today. He explained that her cancer was slow-moving and she had time if she changed her lifestyle and diet. He suggested calling it an imbalance instead of cancer. And so, her journey began...
Her next stop was Whole Foods, which she said had become her pharmacy. She began meditating, practicing yoga, and exercising regularly. Meditation is amazing for people like me who struggle with anxiety disorders—it's all in my head. I relate to her when she says it calms the wild animals in her mind. That’s me, the ultimate overthinker. Overthinking leads to stress, and studies have shown stress can contribute to cancer. She details her lifestyle in her book before her diagnosis and it wasn’t very different from mine. I’m paying attention, Kris Carr... full attention..
She did something incredibly smart—she went back to school for nutrition. How can you heal your body if you don’t understand it? Genius, right? She swapped her rage for prayer and her cocktails for organic green drinks and a vegan diet. In this chapter, she asks: What is your cancer? For me, let’s see, mild anxiety, mild depression. Nothing too severe, but enough to hinder many aspects of my life. She encourages us to let these things be our Guru instead of our jailer. Interesting concept. So, instead of letting them rule over me, I can let them teach me about myself. Back off, anxiety and depression, I see you for what you are, and I’m going to fix this. My anxiety disorder only showed up this past year, and the mild depression has probably always been there but stays dormant until something triggers it. Now, they’re my Gurus, and I’ve got to learn from them.
I need to identify my triggers and learn how to manage them so they don't interfere with my life. First step: Remove all negative people from my life. Next, clear out unhealthy food from my kitchen.
"Change now. Love now.. Live now. Don't wait for people to give you permission to live because they won't. That's permission is your birthright Grab it!"
I think we all recognize our triggers, and many of hesitate to make big changes in our lives because we fear the consequences. Fear isn’t our ally; it just stirs things up and reveals truths about ourselves. Why was I afraid to cut ties with that toxic friend for so long? Why do I keep forgiving people who talk behind my back and justify their own dysfunction?
"Change is frightening to those who find safety in routine"
I feel safe with these people around because I’m used to them and understand their quirks. If I let them go, I lose that familiarity and the comfort that a long-time friend brings to my ego. This also ties to my health and lifestyle, I feel safe in my bad eating habits because they’re easy. Being healthy is hard work, and my ego doesn’t like that. The ego is afraid of change, especially failure. It’s like a scared kid, and I need to pop a pacifier in its mouth to quiet it down. I’m in charge now, and it needs to work for me. When it says I can’t, I ask, “Why not?” When it says, “What if you fail?” I respond, “Why think so far ahead? I’m only on Chapter 1. Let’s move on to Chapter 2 and learn a little more—one sentence, one word at a time. No need to get all worked up about it.”
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