This healthy living is hard work. Not just physically hard work, but hard work staying on track. We humans like to indulge, and I am guilty of that.
Still, it is the thought that counts, and I can say my intentions are always there.
This month is my NaNoWriMo challenge month. Last year I achieved the 50,000 words, but the muse has escaped me this month. I am about 7,000 words into my sequel to the novel I wrote last year. But the characters are no longer talking. It is hard with full-time work, but I was intent on doing it again. My mind however was elsewhere, and I chose to just go with what I felt I needed to do for myself.
It has been a full year and the usual end-of-year tiredness had set in. A personal family issue has been bothering me for the last three months. Enough to seek professional help, and it was the best I could have done for myself. The problem had left me empty, well at least not as creative as I could have been. But on the up side seeking help assisted me in maintaining a healthy mind.
So what are the main things I have learned that is helping me grow and move forward?
1. Even if you do not understand why or even agree, learn to listen and validate the feelings of others. They are real to the other person. 2. Another person’s decision and actions are not a mirror of you. It is their journey, not yours. 3. Self blame zaps your energy. You cannot change past decisions and actions. You only can affect future actions , so put your energy into them. 4. Learn to accept our roles in life are ever changing 5. Accept that we enter this world on our own and we only ever have ourselves. 6. Find peace in yourself and FOLLOW YOUR PASSIONS
I have walked a lot with the warmer weather approaching, and right now I am sitting in a park after an hour-long walk. Being outdoors is peaceful and clears any cobwebs. It is invigorating, and as your mind is part of your body, moving it improves your overall well being. Plus it awakens those creative juices.
I will continue my feeble attempt at healthy living, and looking forward to getting stuck into editing my novel in December. November for me was more National Me Month. Maybe I am onto something, NaMeMo. How has your months been?
‘When the student is ready, the teacher will appear’
An old saying apparently linked to Buddha’s teachings.
In my case it was ‘when the student is ready, the book will appear’
In fact, this book is partly responsible for my new lease on life, and to my plans for this blog. My extra time to reflect while on holidays and when I was sick also helped. Holidays recommended, but not the sickness part.
You are probably curious about the book that inspired me.
To me wanting to live my life indulging in my passions ,and to improve my health by eating nourishing good food, be mindful of my thinking and include as much movement into my daily routine.
Nothing new really. I have always been interested in healthy living, but sometimes life takes over, and your priorities shift you away from what is really important.
For a while I have been “looking” for something. Not sure what or where I wanted to go now that I am in the ‘mature’ part of my life. A number of changes and challenges along the way these last couple of years somehow made me feel a bit lost. Not particularly happy about heading into my 60th, but accepting that there was nothing I could do to change it. I knew I wanted my passion of writing and photography to continue to be part of my life, but to what extent. I also wanted to find the joy in maturing. I knew without joy my life would just become a downward slide. I knew that was not what I wanted. I am by nature a positive person, but like everyone have my doubts and my bad days. But I wanted to make sure my good days from now on far outweighed my bad.
I have been reviewing books for Booktasters.com for a little while now, and when I saw this book, I somehow knew I had to read it.
So here I am. Looking forward to a healthier and exciting future. I feel a strong need to document this in my blog, my successes, my failures, my favourite recipes, in the hope it will inspire even just one person. Or at least make some of you smile. I hope you will come along and share it with me.
So what have I done so far?
Natural Foods
When I visited my daughter in the US, the availability of healthy organic food at a reasonable cost impressed me. We ate a lot of vegetarian food as her partner is vegetarian, and I felt so much better.
Since returning I have cut back on my meat consumption. If fact I have only had fish once and no other meat. I feel less bloated and lethargic.
I have also signed up for a newsletter with an Australian organic food store called Flannerys Wholefoods Organic Market, and yesterday I visited our local store. I can’t guarantee I will only eat organic as it is so much more expensive in Australia, but I look forward to at least include it in my diet whenever possible.
Reducing Waste
These amazing food wraps are made from beeswax and also made it into my shopping basket at Flannerys. Reusable and such a great concept. Anything to minimise our footprint.
Movement
It’s been a slow start due to being sick, but I have started my morning yoga sessions again. I love this session on UTUBE ‘ Easy Yoga For Beginners – Full Body Gentle Flow’ by Boho Beautiful
Now that spring is here the days will be longer and I plan to make walking a regular feature in my week.
Passions
Booked myself into two writing workshops/courses.
Next weekend I am heading to Katoomba for an afternoon workshop at Varuna Writers House, The Art of the Sentence run by Michelle Kretser. I am catching the train and staying the night in an old guesthouse. Looking forward to my weekend away and to some intense writing.
Later this month I am booked into a weekend course on Creative Writing at the Australian Writers Centre. Hoping to improve my craft and come out blazing and ready for NaNoWriMo.
Healthy Mind
My Daily Positive Thoughts will continue as I strongly believe in the benefits of finding positives in our everyday. But I have also realised that at times in life we all need extra help to get our thoughts sorted. We forget how to love ourselves and unless we relearn how to, we cannot love others. So I have booked in for some regular counselling to improve the health of my mind. Our thoughts affect our overall health in such a huge way, and unless we keep it healthy we can eat the right food and exercise till the cows come home, but our mind will let us down. Accepting we need help is the first step in improving.
So fasten your seatbelt and come along on what might be a bumpy ride as I learn, but hopefully an enjoyable ride. I look forward to sharing it with you.
Please leave any comments and share your own stories.
This healthy living is hard work. Not just physically hard work, but hard work staying on track. We humans like to indulge, and I am guilty of that.
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