- I was reminded by Linda Spangle in her books (100 days of weightless, Life is Hard, Food is Easy) that Motivation is a choice. And that reminded me of something Sarah Taylor said which is, motivation doesn't just come to you, you have to make it happen, every day. So think "I'm going to do this!" not, "I'll give it a try." Of course, whatever it is you are planning, make sure it's realistic: e.g., I'm going to ride my exercise bike 1 minute per day. Hey, you gotta start somewhere! And by the way, I think these Linda Spangler books are great. I'm going through them with my good friend. We are really enjoying connecting with each other through this venue. We started just after Thanksgiving and it really helped me get through the holidays. Even though I don't have much if any weight to lose, I have some emotional eating issues, for example in how I handle social situations and celebrations. What I'm realizing is that I really do prefer my own food, so that makes those feelings of deprivation and being different fade away more and more. This is a very positive development for me.
- In my meditation class, we watched a video by Mingyur Rinpoche, and one of his lines struck me in a lovely way: "You can be happy anytime, anywhere, no matter what your circumstances." That just makes me feel good--it's like he's giving me permission I didn't give myself! And that got me thinking, don't wait until you reach your goals to be happy! Because if you do, you might now know how to be happy then! Not only that, if you can be happy now, it might make it easier to reach your goals! So start learning now how to be happy.
- From listening to my Buddhism lectures, I learned about the religious beliefs at the time of the Buddha and how reincarnation was not viewed as a good thing like we westerners might view it (regardless of if you believe it or not). The end of suffering is the end of this cycle. It gave me just a little more insight into the point of Buddhism and meditation. I am a total newbie, but I can glimpse how letting go of both your past failures and accomplishments can be freeing. I have to admit, it gives me stress to attach to either of those too strongly. I see glimpses of how letting go of "I" could be a good thing. I only have glimpses here and there but it's enough to keep me wanting to find out more.
- I worked hard this week at my job, one of my goals for this year. So I'm off to a good start. I think it's a good idea to have a passion other than your eating/exercise plan, a passion that really engages you. It could be work or a hobby. For me, when I first became vegan and nutritarian, that was my passion--there was so much to learn and I was loving all of it. Now that I have learned it, it's time for me to find another passion. Food/health/exercise is now a vehicle that allows me to perform my other passions. Also, if you are wondering how to be happy (previous bullet), having something you really sink your teeth into is a great start.
- I'm listening to Rob Lowe's autobiography on audiobooks. I listen to audiobooks while preparing food or exercising and saw this was highly rated, and thought it would be fun light listening. Well, I see why it was highly rated as it is very interesting and entertaining, even while jogging on the treadmill, which is saying a lot (ha). This week, I was inspired by his approach to his alcohol rehab. He approached it with the same ambition and competitiveness that he previously approached his acting career, his partying, his friendships and conquests. That is, he was going to be the best abstainer you've ever seen. I like his hutzpah.
What motivated or inspired you this week? If the answer is not much, well, there's always next week!
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