Mark 12:31
'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no commandment greater than these
All this encouragement about getting healthy and having true wellness means nothing to those who hear it until they are "ready" to really listen.
He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith...
Revelations 2:17
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| Can you hear me N O W ? |
I know, I know....I really am like the preacher on who takes to the road to spread the "good word".
Why, because I have not only have seen but have experienced what it "feels" like to live a healthier life.
My testimony:
Last year I had a wake up call... I really, really had enough....
I wanted an answer.
Why couldn't I lose the extra 20 pounds that I had put on over a 10 year period. (wow, 2 pounds a year.... just crept up on me). I tried the lemon water detox diet, I tried the powder drinks, the low carb diets.... starvation. Always tried these diets when I had a function or vacation that I wanted to "look good" for. But, seldom a significant success and it was down right unpleasant, painful at times and riddled with guilt. I really, really struggled with the exercise thing. Always an excuse why I didn't exercise. I bought machines, had Gym Memberships... I got disgusted that I'd practically starve and not lose weight. It was my metabolism, maybe a thyroid problem... menopause...
I always found excuses why I couldn't lose weight.
I recognized the level of my health was going down hill (I did say I was aging, yep)
Waking up with aches and pains (ya know how your feet feel stiff and tingling when you get out of bed in the morning), I had mood swings of sadness, depression type symptoms; restlessness, insomnia. I developed symptoms dizziness, nausea... muscle aches. Ok, as a nurse I had the list of diagnosis ready to go; menopause, fibromyalgia, depression... maybe ..... well, dare I go into the sundry list of medical diagnosis that my symptoms could indicate.
Again, excuses why I didn't feel well.
This was MY trigger: Being only 50 something I still had about 40 years left (my grandparents and Aunts and Uncles and parents all lived or are living well in their 80's).
I was in NO WAY going to live the next 40 years feeling like I was 90 years old.
I was filled with guilt when counseling my patients on health issues like the importance of " eating healthy and exercise".
Being overweight was not enough of a motivator to eat healthy and exercise.
It was the quality of my life that was my motivator.
Something in me said.... there was something deeper that I needed to take hold of and accept. Something deeper that contributed to me being overweight. Something deeper that robbed me of my joy and wellness. Something much deeper that impacted my overall health. Something deeper inside me that STOPPED me FROM taking care of me.
Stopped me from loving myself enough to get well, lose weight and be happy.
I have discovered through my blogging that the
"imbalance"
of my Physical, Mental, and Spiritual being
was the deeper problem.
I discovered why in the past decade I ran and hid from looking deep inside me for me.
I thought I did, but obviously the symptoms I had said "I didn't and I hadn't done a good job over the years". "It" crept up on me as it does to everyone.
Exposing that which we hide inside our souls
places a great responsibility
not only to accept
what we find
but to act on it.
My analogy:
I would be (and has been) like opening up that closet door (or garage for some people) that you just throw stuff into that you
don't know what to do with or
don't want to deal with or
don't have the time and energy to deal with.
Each time you walk past or need to throw something in to this room you... just shake your head and say "ahhhh, what a big mess" and slam it back closed.
It makes you sick to think you have all that junk that has accumulated and needs to be dealt with.
So, you make an excuse and say... ahhhh I do it another time when I have the time and energy. This room is inside our your home that you live in.... it's taking up room.... it's impacting your whole house.
I believe this is the reality of why as people grow older they emotionally, spiritually and physically get
"out of whack", out of B A L A N C E. It's the closet in their soul that's needs attention.
They (me too) have develop all sorts of reasons and excuses to have un-forgiveness in their hearts
hang on to bitterness, become critical, "stuck in their ways". A closest in their soul full of this ... Crap!
These emotional cancers spread to their physical beings as illness, migraines, backaches, diseases IBS, Ulcers... ETC.
Then they develop symptoms of depression.... like irritability, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, burst of anger... Their eating habits and lifestyle choices reflect this also: smoking, drinking... over indulging on foods.
Imbalance of the
physical, mental and spiritual being
is what causes
all these ailments, symptoms and lack of wellness and health.
The scripture I used here is about loving our neighbors as ourself. The truth is that God calls us to LOVE OURSELVES. Not a sick, self serving, selfish type love.
It's a love that says we are a child of a Living God. The God who created all things for HIS pleasure. He created us - HIS TEMPLE- to dwell in. He asked us to LOVE WHAT HE CREATED and care for it, nurture it....strive to be the best and use what he gave us to honor HIM.
When we don't take care of ourselves.
When we allow our souls to be like a closet or garage full of stuff and junk.... we dishonor ourselves.
Our weight (over weight) is a SYMPTOM of an un-balanced life.
It truly is a sign that we have NO love for ourselves.
Hard to say out loud but soooo very, very true.
My Prayer for 2011
- Is the passion to say... I want to be healthy... full of life, joy and love... and take action!
- Is to wake up in the morning with a smile on my face and a song in my heart feeling GREAT!
- Is to face each day knowing I can tackle any challenge that comes my way.
- Is to end each day in victory.... putting my head on the pillow and hearing in my heart ......
"Well done, good and faithful servant! Matthew 14:21
The new year starts tomorrow
Won't you join me in 2011
In this journey for Health and Wellness
thru balancing ourselves
Physically, Mentally and Spiritually?
Ciao and Happy New Year
PS
As a nurse I can't help but look at everyone as if I'm Assessing them for health issues. No judgement just a part of the culture of being a Nurse
