Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.
Yesterday was challenging in a few different ways. I had a lot to get done at work--so I just zeroed in and focused on one thing at a time. The things I couldn't complete are waiting for me today. I enjoyed some good support communications and a couple of fantastic group support teleconference hours last night. I didn't manage my time in the best way I could have in the late afternoon, so that meant a late dinner--but, I can do better next time.
My morning routine is complete. I have my food planned and packed for breakfast and lunch--and a plan for dinner, later. I'm ready to make this a good Thursday. Before I get going, I'll share an archived excerpt...
November 2017:
I've been trying to identify and best articulate the most critical element transforming extreme struggle into harmonious consistency. Having experienced both, it's a fascinating study. Sure, it's a combination of elements, but what is the one, that without, all the others become ineffective? Is it acceptance where suddenly we embrace instead of reject?
That's fine, but how do we get to a place of acceptance? I keep coming back to perspective. The late Dr. Wayne Dyer said it so perfectly: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
The perspective we choose is paramount to our success, of course. Sometimes, finding the perspective that engages the gear you're looking for isn't as easy as someone saying, “change your perspective.”
In my opinion, we first must identify, one by one—the mind noise and clutter that keeps our current perspective in a locked position. It's mental work that's worth the effort. Because if we can get past these things and truly shift our perspective, suddenly what once seemed impossible becomes not only possible, it becomes our new everyday reality, a non-physical transformation where we can finally experience the seemingly elusive, harmonious consistency.
A good friend of mine (with nearly 30 years in recovery) added this:
Want. Want is first. If we don't want to change, nothing happens. Belief is second. If we don't believe we can change, nothing happens. Self-awareness comes third. If we don't become aware of the inner self, the baggage of the past, the self-conscious "facts" we already have in place that are working to defeat us and keep us locked into our old behavior, they will, eventually and assuredly derail any attempt to change and again, nothing happens.
Change, you see is a process and there is ALWAYS a most important element. We move from one most important to the next, and sometimes we must move back to the previous most important element, which brings me to one more "most important" element: Faith. If we don't have faith, we are sure to fail. Faith that I CAN change. Faith that the mistake I just made doesn't doom me. Faith that if I get on track, or get back on track, change will come. If we lose faith, none of the other elements will matter, because we won't believe they can work.
We, of course, could debate the order of these elements or which is the MOST important, but after years of struggle, growth, setbacks, and triumphs, I believe that is a pretty good BASE list of the "most critical elements" of transformation.
Oh, and let me add one more, lest I forget it and lose all of my progress: HUMILITY.
If I ever think "I've got this figured out" I will surely fail.
I must remain teachable, and the first element of being teachable is a realization that I do NOT already know all that I need to know.
So the list I have shared with you here is Want, Belief, Self-Awareness, Faith, and Humility.
Odd that I should have almost forgotten humility, and then placed it last on the list. As I sit here typing, the thought occurs to me that perhaps HUMILITY should be FIRST. Perhaps that I almost didn't even think of it is the real root of my problem?
Without humility, NONE of the other elements could exist.
I guess I don't know which is first. All I know is there are a LOT of elements to change and they are ALL the most critical.
Featured Tweets:
Time to make the tostadas. #whatsforlunch #simple #consistency #foodplan #dailypractice #whatilike pic.twitter.com/1sqwZvFEYY— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) March 6, 2019
And... viola! Two tostada flat shells with 164g fat free refined sugar-free refried beans, 2 tbs refined sugar-free salsa, 28g shredded cheddar-jack, 30g sour cream, and 48g lettuce. 108g red seedless grapes. 483 cal. #delicious #foodplan #dailypractice pic.twitter.com/9dg3qwOjtl— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) March 6, 2019
Featured Instagram:
Thank you for reading and your continued support,Practice, peace, and calm,
Sean
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Love all your posts! I've been thinking about your post on the 6th and the avocados. You are so dedicated to your food plan and remaining refined sugar free. It's inspiring because it had to be a very difficult choice to make for a lifetime. So, back to the avocados, it's my opinion, that even though you say you are a bargain shopper, you deserve avocados every day of your life even if they may be $5 each! Even if they were $5 each every day for the rest of your life!! I do not use the word "deserve" lightly, because it is a word I don't like very much. But in this case, I use it gladly!!
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