Don’t Ever Eat anything that you do not like or truly enjoy!

Don’t waste calories by eating something think you “should” eat, or feel guilty because you think you ate something you “shouldn’t”.  Make the healthiest choice from the most nutritious and highest quality foods, but you can skip the diet substitutes, artificial sweeteners, and any other food that you do not like, that does not genuinely satisfy you, or that you do not enjoy. We have so many delicious food options and so long and you make your choices from high quality foods, and keep your nutrient ratios and portions in line you should never “have to” eat anything you do not enjoy.

Real Food is Always Better than Fake Food!

”Real Food is Always Better than Fake Food!” This has become my signature statement for choosing healthful and nutritious foods.  Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she created our food supply!  The closer you can get your food to the way Mother Nature created it, the more nourishing and healthier it will be for your body.  This means whole grains, locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables in season; foods that come without packaging or barcodes, and only have one ingredient in them.  Refined, processed and packaged foods, foods that have ingredients that you don’t recognize and can’t pronounce, foods that have additives and preservatives, or have been genetically altered or irradiated are not the best choices.  Going by this statement will also eliminate the need for substitute foods, such as diet sodas, low-fat dressings, processed cheese food (not real cheese).  Generally they have taken something out and replaced it with something even less healthy.  So, whenever you have a question about the healthiest choice, or the latest fad, just remember: “Real Food is Always Better than Fake Food”, and ask yourself how close to the way Mother Nature created it that food really is.

“But you are supposed to be so spiritual!”  I HATE it when someone says that to me!  I’ve only heard it in the heat of an argument.  Seriously, this is a real ‘button pusher’ for me!  The implication is that people on a spiritual path aren’t supposed to get angry, or are supposed to be more perfect than those who are not as devoted to spiritual ideas.  I’m clearing this up once and for all.

First, we are ALL spiritual.  Second, just because I meditate, do Yoga, and devote a part of my life to the study of spiritual ideas I am no more or less spiritual or perfect than anyone else walking on this Earth.  I think character, integrity, and values are important and I try to live by high standards, but I know I’ve made my share of mistakes – some of them big ones!  By my age I’d wager there’s not a person alive who can honestly say they haven’t done something significantly wrong in their past.  I doubt there are many (or ANY) who can honestly say they have never told a lie, slept with someone you shouldn’t have – possibly even committed adultery, drank too much, used drugs, stolen something, cheated on your taxes, yelled at your children or significant other when they didn’t deserve it, broken the law, or committed some other sin.  Those folks who are willing to take a good hard, honest look at themselves will be humbled and less judgmental toward others.  None of us are perfect—not one of us—we are all human.

We all made mistakes and hopefully we learn from them.  I use to tell my children if they did something wrong they had better run home as fast as they could to tell me about it. I was going to find out about it anyway – moms always do – and it was going to go a whole lot easier on them if they told me themselves rather than waiting for me to find out from someone else.  The lesson I was trying to teach them was to be accountable for their mistakes.  I wanted them to learn the best way to handle a situation when you have done something wrong is to face it, be accountable, and do what you can to make amends.  I hope they got that lesson.  We all make mistakes.  How we handle them is another matter.

Now to dispel the idea that “spiritual people” aren’t supposed to get angry.  Haven’t we all heard of the wrath of God?  Haven’t you ever seen the results of some serious turbulence in Nature after a natural disaster or storm?  I don’t care how much you pray, keep a positive mental attitude, live a life of balance and harmony and so on, it will never make you completely immune to getting angry.    A whole lot more harm has come from “spiritual people” trying to pretend they are not angry when they are.  Granted, as I’ve evolved I do get angry a lot less often, especially over trivial things.  Now I seem to save my anger for special people.  Generally, it is only the ones I love that can make me angry, or those who hurt someone I love.  This is because in general those who I love are the only ones who hold the power to hurt or disappoint me in a significant way.  And as for hurting someone I care about – you don’t want to tangle with a mama lion or a mama bear nor me – if you threaten someone I love.

Enough said.  “Spiritual people” are neither perfect, nor do they necessarily always exude love and light.  We are all on a spiritual path, and we all are at a different place in our journey.  We do well to honor each other and hold that space for them, without an expectation for perfection, and without judging.  Ultimately we are all looking for the same thing.  It is my hope and intention that I can leave each place or person a little bit better for having crossed their path. If occasionally I fall short of that, I hope I can be forgiven for my humanness and imperfection – and I hope I will always have the humility and compassion to forgive others.

Step 1: A lifestyle of Travel & Adventure and Living Your Dreams …

One of my good friends has been telling me for months:  “It’s your time.”  It’s OUR time.  Changes are coming.  Big changes.  They have been brewing for a while and I can see that my past experiences have been preparing me and leading me to this for quite some time.

Last week I stored what belongings I could in a 8’x8’x20’ Pod or Container, sent the rest to the consignment store, and friends and family hauled the rest away.  Monday morning they drove away with my “Pod” of belongings.  I now have about half my clothes and my computer in my car.  Next week I will book my ticket to South America and I’ll be taking only what I can fit in a couple of suitcases and a carry on bag.  I don’t know exactly what lies ahead, but this is what and where I feel drawn to.

The past few weeks have been hectic, filled with uncertainty and chaos, and have been more than a little uncomfortable.  I’m looking forward to finding a place to land and regroup for a few days or weeks before I head to Peru to start a new phase in my life. This phase of my adventure is definitely not for the week or the faint of heart.  At times I am very excited about what lies ahead, but there have been moments that I have felt unsettled, unsure, and apprehensive.  Circumstances and plans seemed to change hourly over the last week, and every other door but this one seem to have closed, almost forcing me into action.  I keep bolstering up my attitude and reminding myself of experiences in the past which have prepared me for this. I’ve picked up and left places before.  I’ve lost all of my belongings in the past.   I am strong and resilient, and I know that to have what I want I must get comfortable being uncomfortable, because what I want is just outside my current comfort zone.

The lifestyle I am embarking upon will be something between that in the books, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss.  On Tuesday I have a meeting, hopefully to finalize a contract on a project which will provide me with income while I am abroad.  I can work virtually from anywhere, and this is just such an arrangement.  I’ll be staying as a resident guest at Paz y Luz, a Healing and Conference Center in Peru’s sacred valley.  From there I will visit all the sacred and spiritual sites of the Andean Spiritual and Healing Traditions, and I will learn as much about these traditions as possible.  I’ll be comparing and contrasting the Andean Traditions to those of the Eastern Traditions of Ayurveda which I have studied extensively.

To my yoga students and friends who have been asking about my plans, I hope you will stay in touch.  Although I may be in Peru I will not be hard to find.  I’ll be writing, blogging and posting and I definitely want to stay in touch with you all.  If there is sufficient interest (and that is my intention), I will bring a group down to Peru before I come home.

“Intent is a force that exists in the Universe. When sorcerer’s (those who live of the Source) beckon intent, it comes to them and sets up the path for attainment, which means that sorcerers always accomplish what they set out to do.” ~Carlos Castaneda~

“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi~

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” ~Mahatma Gandhi~

Courage comes from wanting to do it well.
Security comes from knowing you can do it well.
Confidence comes from having done it well.  Unknown

“Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it … that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.” ~Dale Carnegie~

“Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one’s ideas, to take a calculated risk – and to act.” ~Maxwell Maltz, Author of Psycho-Cybernetics

“A person who exhibits both positive and negative qualities, strengths and weaknesses, is not flawed but complete.” ~Deepak Chopra~

“Do you REALLY want to look back on your life and see how wonderful it could have been had you not been afraid to live it?”  ~Carolyn Myss~

Faith, Surrender to the Wisdom of Uncertainty, Adventure, Travel, Transition – all of these things are buzzing around in my head.  I’ve been asked if I am afraid, or if I am really stressed.  I have a lot to do, so I am staying focused on the task at hand looking for what is ahead to unfold as I have faith that it will.

Here I sit in the midst of boxes, packing material, and all of my belongings either packed or ready to pack.  I have to be out of this home, where I’ve acted as Home Manager for a year, in 12 days.  I’ve been asked more than once how I can be so calm with so much uncertainty.  True, I don’t know where my belongings and I are headed after 12 days.  For today, one thing is for certain.  Everything in this house has to be packed and somewhere else in less than two weeks.

Really, I do know where I am headed.  I’m headed to South America, to a little healing and conference center called Paz y Luz near Pisec in the Sacred Valley of Peru.  From there I will visit the sacred places in Peru, study and learn the ancient Andean Spiritual Traditions.  I am on my own Spiritual Journey, and I also am on a journey to step into my purpose of sharing and guiding others along their journey.  I know these teachings and traditions fit hand in hand with the other Spiritual & Healing Traditions that I’ve learned from the Eastern Philosophies.  This is a spiritual journey – not a religious journey – and I am not only exploring spirituality, but also the healing traditions – which really go hand in hand.

I may bounce around the US for a few days or weeks before I go – there are opportunities in the air which may land.  So the next weeks are all about Faith, and Surrender to the Wisdom of Uncertainty.  I’ve been asked if I am afraid, or really stressed about all of this uncertainty.  No, I am not afraid.  I could choose that, but instead I am ready for whatever transition is to come, ready to embrace it with a spirit of adventure.

I’ve been challenged to write a report on the 101 Best Tips for Losing Weight.  I’m well on my way, in fact I have AT LEAST 101 tips, but I thought I’d share two of them with you this week.  “Real food is always better than fake food!” has practically become my signature statement.  If when choosing your foods, you would always default back to that statement and ask yourself, “Did Mother Nature create this, and it it as close as possible to the way she made it and intended it to be consumed?” This question will serve you well.  This question will guide you through the food industry fads and confusing information and statements we get from other “reliable” sources that have been known to be mistaken in the past.  If this were not true, we would not have been encouraged to over consume refined carbohydrates these past few decades.  And don’t get me started on the Industrialized Food Industry, processed foods, and all the confusing information in the media.  I mean really, “processed cheese food” – it doesn’t need refrigeration and never goes bad – how can that possibly add to our health in a positive way.  For how many decades was the public encouraged to use margarine made from unhealthy Trans-Fats as a substitute for real butter?  I could go on – but I won’t. Instead of a “fruit roll-up” ask your kids to try a fruit “roll-down” – a banana!

1. Real Food is Always Better than Fake Food!
   This has become my signature statement for choosing healthful and nutritious foods.  Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she created our food supply!  The closer you can get your food to the way Mother Nature created it, the more nourishing and healthier it will be for your body.  This means whole grains, locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables in season; foods that come without packaging or bar codes, and only have one ingredient qualify.  Processed and packaged foods, foods that have ingredients that you don’t recognize and can’t pronounce, foods that have additives and preservatives, or have been genetically altered are not the best choices.  This will also eliminate the need for substitute foods, such as diet sodas, low-fat dressings, processed cheese food (not real cheese).  Generally they have taken something out and replaced it with something even less healthy.  So, whenever you have a question about the healthiest choice, or the latest fad, remember that “Real Food is Always Better than Fake Food”, and ask yourself how close to the way Mother Nature created it that food really is.

2. Don’t Ever Eat anything that you do not like or truly enjoy!
   Don’t waste calories by eating something think you “should” eat, or feel guilty because you think you ate something you “shouldn’t”.  Make the healthiest choice from the most nutritious and highest quality foods, but you can skip the diet substitutes, artificial sweeteners, and any other food that you do not like, that does not genuinely satisfy you, or that you do not enjoy. We have so many delicious food options and so long and you make your choices from high quality foods, and keep your nutrient ratios and portion in line you should never “have to” eat anything you do not enjoy.

Posted on my new site, Everythingisaninside Job.com.

The Science of Miracles and the Power of Thought

After working all day on a project I decided to take the last hour of my day to watch some videos. I looked for Tina Turner and found out that Tina does some pretty amazing Buddhist Chanting! As I allowed myself a trip down the rabbit hole I found myself listening to meditation videos, then Einstein’s explanation of the 11 dimensions (yes there are ELEVEN!). Then I came across some Gregg Braden Videos.

I have read Gregg’s materiel, and I’ve been to one of his lectures. He has traveled the earth exploring the spiritual places and traditions of our earth, both past and present. Being a mathematician and having worked with computers, Gregg has a rather left-brained and scientific approach to his studies of spirituality. Sometimes it is a little beyond my understanding, but I like hearing about these things from his perspective.

For a long time I have known about the Power of Thought, the Law of Attraction, and that there are Universal Laws behind these things that science just doesn’t understand yet. Remember in our history class when people thought the world was flat? Remember how much trouble Newton got into for talking about the Law of Gravity? The physicist and philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, is known for saying, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

I like what Gregg says about bringing our thoughts into our reality. He says that until science can explain these phenomena they are called miracles. Once science can explain them, they will then be considered technology. Really, we are coming to once again realize what the sages and seers of ancient times already knew to be true. The most sophisticated, advance and powerful technology on the planet is within us. We have the ability to create our own reality. Many thought leaders say we do this through our Minds, but Gregg brings in a second essential component to the equation, our hearts. Our heart energy is very powerful. Our reality is created by our thoughts, fueled by our emotions and desires, and our belief in the reality we create.

We are not just physical beings. We are powerful, creating, spiritual beings and we are all connected. Einstein had a theory of the grid, which says everything is connected. In his video, Gregg talks about another study which brings our awareness to our inter-connectedness.

I hope you will take time to watch this incredible video. Greg has a demonstration of a healing without medicine in which a 3 inch malignant tumor is dissolved within minutes using these technologies of hearts and mind and the belief that we can create the reality choose.

Promote Your Passion is coming to Atlanta March 15th

Promote Your Passion

Join Casey Eberhart, Lee Goff, Miranda Larson and Scott Schilling to jump start your business with topics including Sales, Web Marketing, Presentation, Networking and more. In addition, I will be on their expert speakers panel to talk about how I Promote my Passion.  Our promise is to give you rich real-world ideas and know how that will help you take your business to the next level.  This is going to be an awesome event and I look forward to seeing you there.
Click here to register

Good News!

You can still get my new E-book on Losing Weight Fast & Forever for FREE!  So if you would like a copy go enter your name and email address so you can get it right NOW!

Bad News …

This E-book got such great reviews when I took it in for a review of my peers they all told me to take it off my website as a FREE Give-Away and get it published or make it a part of a bigger product (in the works)!  Therefore, this E-book will only be available as a free download for a few more days.

More Good News!

The free E-book will soon be replaced on my website with a Free-Report on my very best tips and strategies for losing weight successfully.  I’ve already begun working on it, and it turns out I have more tips than I even realized!  So watch for that!

Also, I’ll be doing another Webinar!  I’ll be partnering with someone on this one, so stay tuned.  I’m going to make a very special offer to those who would like to join me on a program and take their health to a new level, get some personalized support, and achieve their goals of losing excess fat forever!  We are in the planning stage and will set the date soon – so watch for that!

Even MORE Good News!

Promote Your Passion

Promote Your Passion is coming to Atlanta on March 15th. Join Casey Eberhart, Lee Goff, Miranda Larson and Scott Schilling to jump start your business with topics including Sales, Web Marketing, Presentation, Networking and more. In addition, I will be on the expert speakers panel to talk about how I Promote my Passion.  Our promise is to give you rich real-world ideas and know how that will help you take your business to the next level.  This is going to be an awesome event and I look forward to seeing you there.
Click here NOW to reserve your seat!