The Indigo Connection

As you may know from some of my earlier blog posts, I am pursuing exceptional health for the first 10 weeks of 2009.  My intention is to release 10 pounds and to attain a 0.7 waist hip ratio.  I started the year really strong and focussed.  I released 5 pounds during the first 10 days and I was elated. 

Then reality snuck in and fouled me up.  I intentionally went off the wagon for a few days when I escaped to my annual Garden Symposium at The Inn at Honey Run  with my gardening girlfriends.  A few glasses of wine and those dinners  that included home baked breads and treats added 2 pounds back on before I knew it.   As much as I had limited my carbs and chosen the fish and leaner options for my meals, I quickly learned that my body doesn’t do well with even modest indulgences.   

I have forgiven myself for the gain and I am again focussing on my multi-dimensional approach to get those remaining pounds and inches off.  My plan includes adding more Isagenix shakes as meal replacements, getting at least 8 hours sleep per night and  integrating more strength training into my exercise regimen.

On Tuesday night I discovered a new and unexpected element to help with my success – a new gym and group strength classes.  Holy cow! 

This class was filled with slender, firm people in their 20′s.  There were a sprinkling of older folks, but clearly I was probably the oldest in the room.    The workout was non-stop and intense.  It was satisfying to discover that I could keep up.  The best part was the added level of difficulty  provides the push that I need to get out of my fitness rut.   I didn’t even realize how much I needed this until I was in the middle of class. 

Looking around the room at all the fit people made me think positively about how my body will improve in a few weeks.  This class will build my muscles and burn more calories without a doubt.  I had no idea what I had been missing and felt wonderful about my decision to try something new.  I am motivated in a new way.

Think about how you might find some new motivation toward important goals you have made.  Maybe it lies in joining a new group, pursuing more training, paying somebody to help you or just reading more.  What matters is broadening your horizon for a bigger picture of the solutions available. 

Instead of imagining the possibilities, actually put yourself into an environment to experience them.

If you have not yet seen this film, please make a point to put it on your calendar.

It is a beautifully told story of persistence, determination and the power of focus.  Even though it is fictional, the message is one of truth, faith and hope.  

The movie follows the life of Jamal, a young man who is one question away from winning a million dollars in the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.   We witness Jamal being beaten and interrogated because the police suspect he has cheated in the contest. 

We are then treated to Jamal’s amazing life story, explaining in glorious detail how he was able to answer each question correctly. 

The movie has suspense, mystery, moral dilemmas, great cinematography and romance too.  There’s even an incredibly uplifting ballywood-style musical number at the end of the movie to leave your heart singing as you exit the theater.

This film has my vote for Best Picture at Oscar time.  Don’t wait for video – go now!

Believe it or not, I had a rampage of negative thoughts on Friday afternoon.  I was feeling sorry for myself, unappreciated and disrespected.   Leading up to this: my Wednesday Abundance Group only had 3 people show this week, then another class was cancelled because of low enrollment.  I had also been giving people breaks on my rates and providing free help to some struggling friends.  My acts of generousity appeared to be ignored or somehow not enough.   I was not feeling much abundance returning to me and gloom and doom from the radio and media wasn’t helping either.  

These negative thoughts continued in my dreams all night long on Friday night and were still bugging me as I awakened on Saturday morning.  This was very annoying. I seemed to be stuck in a negative loop. 

At least I was noticing it!  Did I tap on it?  NO.   I don’t have a good reason why, but I guess I was too busy having a pity party.

I decided to drag myself out in the -3 degree chill to Jazzercise class anyway.  Once I got moving, everything finally shifted up!  I remember the instructor commenting on the lyrics to one of our songs –  asking the class if we remembered those days when we were  “Young , Wild and Free”. 

I immediately thought to myself – I am that way TODAY.   I was dancing in complete bliss, without pain, I was comfortable working out at a very high intensity and my mind was clear.  I also realized in that moment that I am free in so many ways that I take for granted.  It was like all those negative thoughts melted away the minute I chose to recognize the positives I had in my world.  I can write, teach, read, speak, share, dance, sing and just be.  I am who I am – I am fine!

After I was back home, I treated myself with EFT for those negative, pity party thoughts because they are part of my reality too.  What’s good about a pity party is that it lets this stuff rise to the surface for processing and release.  That is how to end the pity party once and for all. 

So throw yourself a pity party, but make sure you CLEAN IT UP with tapping or your favority treatment modality after the party’s over.  

I am reminded today about the power of deliberate steering.  I’m talking about life, not the road, although driving is a great metaphore.  If we’re fully alert on the road with both hands on the wheel, and a good sense of  where we are heading, chances are that we will get there.  On the other hand, if you start the car, get on the road without a plan, then allow billboards, ads and signs to distract you,  or worse yet allow yourself to nod off, chances are you won’t be going too far.

Over the years I have continued to be surprised by how well things go when I get deliberate about them.  

For example, I decided to clean up my diet with the New Year and made a commitment to working out and sleeping more.  Within just a few days I was able to release five pounds. 

Another example happened this week.  I had spent a great deal of time online searching for some sort of short vacation to a warm place with my husband in February, but didn’t want to spend much.  I was getting discouraged because our dates never seemed to match the bargains.   Then voila – Marriott calls us and offers us an amazing deal on 5 day resort villa in Orlando on the exact days we had hoped to vacation.  When I checked airfares, I was delighted to find cheap non-stop flights to match our dates too.  So we are set for a Valentine’s getaway.

I am reminding you all to be deliberate and specific about what you want to have, be, do or learn too and don’t settle for less.  Expect the best, then reel it in.  Hold yourself to some form of accountability to help cement the energy.  You must stick with your thoughts and desires so that the signals have time for response.   That is the power of persistence I speak so often about.

So now I have even greater motivation to stay on track with my healthy intentions for the new year because I will be wearing my shorts and swim suit this February.  By the way, I was a good girl over the weekend, eating healthy at the restaurant and allowing myself just one sliver of the birthday cake I made for my husband.  

I’ll be keeping my hands on the wheel during the week ahead.

If you have been following my blog, you are probably wondering if I gave in to the Entemann’s crumb cake.  The answer is NO.  There’s still about 1/4 of it getting all crusty in the box and I don’t even care.  But I am surprised by this example of how a treatment sequence can conquer stuff I’m not 100% sure about. 

Something very important that I am doing to keep on track is taking measurements and weighing myself every 3 days.  I have been exceptionally good this week on my exercise, sleep and food choices.  As a consequence my weight is down 5 pounds and I have lost several inches from my waist and abdomen (but not anything from my chest – which is good).

 Another way I check in is to journal about how I feel.  I have been feeling really good, sleeping well, getting alot done and not stressing about things.  That is good feedback on my changes.  If it weren’t good, I would address the discomforts with EFT tapping or another favorite EP modality.  That’s my advice to you too.  Don’t allow yourself to suffer once you feel something uncomfortable – accept it and treat it!

Now for the challenge – tonight I will dine at a great restaurant to celebrate my husband’s birthday with my parents.   The place specializes in seafood, so I can probably make some healthy choices.  My challenges are the bread basket and dessert so I am setting the intention now that I will either skip it or keep my servings very small.  If I share dessert with my husband, he usually eats faster than I ever do and it saves me from getting much. 

I am ahead of my weight release plan at this point, so a little bit of a setback is okay.  There may also be a birthday cake in the weekend ahead and I will tackle that challenge when it arrives.

Till then, wish me well with my challenges.  If you would like to nominate something for my next EFT treatment audio or video, just submit a comment or email and I’ll be happy to create something.

Among the many goals and dreams I choose for 2009, I have decided to put my health and fitness at the top of my list for the next 3 months.  Maybe you decided something similar.  Lots of people go on diets in January.  Studies show that less than half of them have anything to show for it 6 months later.  I intend to be among the successful minority, but I know it is hard.

Oprah spoke very candidly on her Jan. 5 show about how she really let her life get out of balance and I can truly relate.  Balance is one of those things that would be easy if life never changed, but unfortunately change is constant.  Just getting older makes it harder to succeed. 

I agree wholeheartedly with Oprah – being fit and at a healthy weight requires deliberate self-love and self care (sometimes to the point of being selfish).  It also requires a specific plan which includes changes.  Oprah also talked alot about loving and accepting her body right now, exactly the way it is.  I like that idea too and it fits with the way I use EFT in my life and with clients.  We still live in the present moment and accepting what is is part of building positive energy.

A recent New York Times article suggested that we get the best odds for succss by making BIG changes because we see the results more immediately.  I think that is true although I have been an advocate for small changes too.  I know I have already made some big changes this week, just to get my momentum going.

I’ll be blogging about the changes I make in my life over the next few weeks.  I know I will have ups and downs.  It will be good to hear from others of you who are trying to do the same.  As a coach for others, I also need support from caring friends.

So here’s my plan so far.  I am today embarking on Day 2 of cleansing.  I am using the Isagenix program that has worked well for me before, but honestly I usually only do one cleanse day at a time.  Doing 2 consecutive days is a big change and also helps me be mindful of my cravings.  The first day went well and I slept like a rock last night so I am gearing up for another good day.  The hardest part has been smelling the delicious foods my son makes for himself all day long while he’s home for his college break.  He’s here one more week and I will just have to deal with it.  I love having him home so that’s a small price to pay.

In specific terms this means that I intend to lose 10 pounds in about 10 weeks, to trim my waistline to about 26 inches so I get a 0.7 waist/hip ratio, to exercise at least 6 days a week for 30 minutes or more and to get about 20 minutes more sleep per night than I did in 2008.   Notice how I am being very specific here.  This is an important tip for YOU too!  I have a little book with my measurements and weight in it and I will check in with myself 2 times a week.  I am also doing my morning journal to keep track of my feelings.

I am planning to get closer to my personal goals before teaching my EFT Waist Management seminar series later this month.   I’m sure I’ll learn something along the way that will be helpful to my students.  Stay tuned for my next update.

I have just finished reading The Shack, the bestselling novel by William P. Young.  It’s a book that I would add to my list of recommendations for every person I meet.  

The Shack is the story of a father who’s youngest daughter Missy was abducted during a family camping trip.  Evidence of a brutal murder is found in an abandaned shack, although her body was never recovered.  Four years later the father finds a mysterious note, supposedly written by God in his mailbox inviting him to spend a weekend at The Shack.   The book shares an amazing story about what happens next.

 It is both magnificent and moving.  It is one of those special books that brought me to tears so many times I frequently had to pause from reading to allow my vision to clear.   Reading heart-felt truth will do that to you more easily than you ever imagined.   Don’t even bother to apply makeup on the day you decide to read this book!

The story takes the reader on a journey from darkness and depression to a transformation of healing through intense love, devotion, forgiveness, trust and relationship.  The characters provide exquisite stories and examples of pure, unconditional love to help us as humans settle into a more comfortable relationship with the holy trinity.

Although the book is described as a work of fiction, William Young has crafted a book filled with truth leaving the reader free to sample a buffet of beautiful images, ideas, metaphores and acts of love.  The story speaks for all of mankind and the consequences of our fears and limitations as humans in the physical world.

The God in this book is the God I have always chosen  to believe in and the one that I strive to share with others.  The beauty of this story will remain in my heart forever.  It is my sincere desire to lead a group further in discussion of this powerful literary work.

To learn more, visit www.theshackbook.com.  I plan to host a book discussion group soon and will purchase copies at wholesale if there is enough interest.  If you are interested in being part of the discussion, please send an email to me at betsy@theindigoconnection.com