Wednesday, October 30, 2019

October 30th, 2019 Into Reality

October 30th, 2019 Into Reality

Since our last edition, I've maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I've remained refined sugar-free, I've met or exceeded my daily water goal, and I've stayed well connected with exceptional support.

Mom was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon. The transition back to the nursing home with different medications and new care directives has been challenging for her. The breathing treatments create shakiness. She's having some memory issues as well. She isn't used to waiting for help to get up and around, but she's needing to do that right now. She'll get stronger. Having a conversation with her is a positive sign. The staff at the nursing home have been exceptional. They're determined to make sure the care plan is followed as written. Mom is also benefitting from additional rehab therapy services.

I'll keep this edition relatively short, however--I did want to share this ten-year-old memory that popped up on Facebook for me.



















I'll never forget the rush of excitement and emotion at that moment. Experiencing things like this for the first time--things that most take for granted, become some of the most beautiful moments along this road. It was thirteen and a half months into this experience and firsts like this were happening quite often. Wearing a seatbelt, boarding a plane without the slightest hint of anxiety over the space, enjoying an amusement park with my kids for the first time...and so many more...all incredible blessings worthy of the most intense gratitude. I believe in the power of positive visualizations and all of these examples are of those transforming from visualizations into reality.

The past several days have been stressful and long. Especially during times like these, I must make the daily actions of my practice important. I also must give myself the space and grace I need to be okay when getting everything done I want to do, isn't realistic. What is true and what can I do? Those are two questions that help me connect with my daily practice and with what's reasonable/doable considering the circumstances at the moment. "At the moment" is an important thing for me to always remember, because thankfully, things change. This too shall pass, right? 
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Do you own an "I'm Choosing Change" wristband? Here's the deal, I'm not a very good salesman. I haven't offered these consistently on this blog--yet, I have them available! I wear mine daily as a constant reminder of why my daily practice of things is important. I'm not alone, either. This powerful message is worn on the wrists of people in a dozen states, maybe more, I haven't counted--but it's up there!! From New York to California and from Canada all the way to Scotland, they're out there! For me, it's simply a daily reminder to be open, willing, mindful, to pause, and to be intentional. If I'm not those things, I get stuck at the line of least resistance and back there is where the old patterns and behaviors thrive. Your order includes priority shipping so you'll get it quickly! Here's the link to order yours right now: https://imchoosingchange.com/product/wristband/
Mermaid is Choosing Change!




















Social Media Accountability Postings:







My website shares a phone number with my podcast, Transformation Planet, and it's always available for you! Have a question? Want to share your story? Leave a voicemail or Text me! 580-491-2228 I'll text you back!

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Practice, peace, and calm,
Sean

My website: www.imchoosingchange.com

If you're interested in connecting via social media:
I accept friend requests on MyFitnessPal. My daily food logging diary is set to public.
MFP Username: SeanAAnderson
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
Also--I'd love you to subscribe to my podcast Transformation Planet! You can find it in Apple Podcasts, in the Google Play store for Android, and listed wherever you find your favorite podcasts! If you haven't listened before, you'll find 20 episodes waiting for you!

Questions or comments? Send an email! transformation.road@gmail.com

Monday, October 28, 2019

October 28th, 2019 Dramatic Ways

October 28th, 2019 Dramatic Ways

Since our last edition, I've maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I've remained refined sugar-free, I've met or exceeded my daily water goal, I completed a 5K walk in the park yesterday evening, and I've stayed well connected with exceptional support.

Mom continues to respond well to treatment. The care and attention she's receiving in the critical care unit are top-notch, as the name suggests. I've had some really good conversations with her nurses and doctors and the insights they've offered have helped me wrap my brain around understanding mom's condition, and also why this seems to be a reoccurring thing. Respiratory failure takes a combination of things to happen. Shallow breathing, the fluid that pools because of congestive heart failure, the increased c02 levels, the decreased oxygen levels, her difficulty in consistently wearing her cpap--all of these things, not necessarily in that order, contribute to things turning into this critical care situation. Her care team is aggressively preparing her post-hospital care plan and that'll be passed along to the nursing home. I'm relieved for the certainty her exceptional care is providing and I'm immensely grateful she's getting this level of care.
Yesterday at dinner time


















Some of our favorite pics together




















Knowing she's being cared for frees up enough mental, emotional, and physical energy for me to continue my daily practice of personal care. Last evening's 5K walk is the longest I've completed in quite a while. It felt great! My 80's pop playlist kept churning out the hits of my youth--and that kept me enthusiastically making my way around that walking trail. It's the same trail I started walking on the evening of Day 1 at 505 pounds, so of course, there's always an extra special feeling when I'm back on that ground.

The added focus on gratitude during my morning foundation routine continues to make an exceptional positive difference. Feeling and expressing gratitude has always had its place along this road, but in a way where I would make and take an occasional pause for gratitude, usually, these were in the moment type acknowledgments. Giving gratitude reflection its own "time slot" in my personal morning routine, first thing upon waking is different--and much better for me.

The willingness to do things differently is sometimes a hard thing to find. It is, in my opinion, because I have a strong tendency to get set in my ways. I must be mindful of this dynamic. The roots of this setting seem to be firmly grounded in my deeply ingrained, yet counterproductive desire to go it alone--or figure it out--or the thoughts of, I know what to do, I just got to do it. These mental settings are all about the need to control. Letting go of this desire for control isn't and never has been easy for me. At the same time--when I have let go; closed my mouth and opened my eyes and ears, what I've received has helped shape and change things in dramatic ways.

In the areas of my life that have undergone a dramatic and positive transformation, it's almost exclusively a product of what I've learned from others who have what I want. Still, in other areas, I continue to hold the reigns tightly. Isn't that an interesting dynamic? It is for me.

These patterns and grooves of our lives are not easy to give up. The grooves are created early and made stronger with each passing year and decade. Like many of us, it started young for me. What's true is this: The patterns can be interrupted. Things can change for the better as a result. And what once seemed impossible can become not just possible, but our reality.

Pardon me for going straight into a sales pitch. But...Do you own an "I'm Choosing Change" wristband? Here's the deal, I'm not a very good salesman. I haven't offered these in a while on this blog--yet, I have them available! I wear mine daily as a constant reminder of why my daily practice of things is important. I'm not alone, either. This powerful message is worn on the wrists of people in a dozen states, maybe more, I haven't counted--but it's up there!! From New York to California and from Canada all the way to Scotland, they're out there! For me, it's simply a daily reminder to be open, willing, mindful, to pause, and to be intentional. If I'm not those things, I get stuck at the line of least resistance and back there is where the old patterns and behaviors thrive. Your order includes priority shipping so you'll get it quickly! Here's the link to order yours right now: https://imchoosingchange.com/product/wristband/
Join the tens of people who already have one! :)





















Social Media Accountability Postings:






View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sean Anderson (@seanaanderson) on


My website shares a phone number with my podcast, Transformation Planet, and it's always available for you! Have a question? Text me! 580-491-2228 I'll text you back!

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Practice, peace, and calm,
Sean

My website: www.imchoosingchange.com

If you're interested in connecting via social media:
I accept friend requests on MyFitnessPal. My daily food logging diary is set to public.
MFP Username: SeanAAnderson
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
Also--I'd love you to subscribe to my podcast Transformation Planet! You can find it in Apple Podcasts, in the Google Play store for Android, and listed wherever you find your favorite podcasts! If you haven't listened before, you'll find 20 episodes waiting for you!

Questions or comments? Send an email! transformation.road@gmail.com