Day 127 of Gratefulness: Crushes

I love crushes because they are plain fun to have and something delightful to share with friends.  I recently had a major crush on this adorable guy.  You know the type of crush that made you lose your words when you were around him and just get giddy about the type of cologne he wore.  Those crushes when you think of the person your heart starts to sing and you end up walking into your closet looking for the toilet.  Yes, I did that.  I was headed to the bathroom only to discover I had walked into my closet because I was so giddy over this guy.  I felt like a teenager all over again and it was just truly fun.  Crushes are admiration for someone, they are exciting and just fill you with joy.  They are harmless and if the other person should ever find out they should be honored that you admire and think highly of them.  They should be honored that when you think of them you feel joy.  Crushes are jsut great and I am so glad they exist.

Day 126 of Gratefulness: A Sense of Awareness

I have been meaning to write this one for the past few days but I got in my own way to make it happen.  I am truly grateful for my sense of awareness and how every day it grows. I recently heard a statistic that said we have about 95,000 thoughts a day and 80% of them are negative.  Being more aware of our thoughts and feelings will help us in changing this statistic particularly when it comes to ourselves.  Just think how drastically our lives would change if only 50% of those thoughts were negative or 25% of those thoughts.  In order to achieve that we need to be more aware, more mindful or our thoughts and feelings.  It is not necessarily easy to do but the first time you got on a bike it was easy to ride either.  As you continue on the bike it got easier and easier.  Being mindful works the exactly the same way. As you practice anything in life you will begin to form a habit and eventually you will just do it so naturally.  I am forming that habit of awareness and I can feel myself getting better and better at it.  Once I am aware of how I think and feel I can change what I want to change.  I refrain from judging myself for the mistakes I make along the way but use them as a way to learn and grow.

Day 125 of Gratefulness: Becoming a more loving person

Tonight I attended a vegan potluck with those that are living a plant-based diet.  I thought it would be a great way to meet other people on this path and find new recipes.  I also was hoping to find new people that lived in a higher state of love and surround myself with more of these typed of people.   I was very surprised at what I found. 

There were quite a few animal activists within the group and they were very vocal.  I have nothing against folks who love animals because I love animals.  I struggle being around those who have a lot of hate in them and use the word frequently.  Often times I run away from an environment like this but instead I sat patiently and listened.  I realized deep down their intentions are good and loving.  I do not agree with their actions though.  I will love them for having the passion to do something to make a difference and hope they will find a way to show their love for their passions in a healthier manner.  I truly believe in being for something rather than being against something.   I know this is something I am working on within myself and need to not judge others or myself for this.  I appreciate this discovery and look forward to changing this within me.

Day 124 of Gratefulness: My Happiness

So many amazing things have happened today and I 100% believe it has to do with how happy I am, how much love fills my being.  Nothing outside of me happened to make me feel this happiness, this bliss.  It was a choice I made inside of me.  I decided to wake up in a great mood, I decided to just let things be how they are suppose to be throughout my day, I decided to not get upset when my poor dog pooped in the backseat of my car.  My heart went out to her as she was giving me all the signs but those signs are the same signs for when she gets super excited and is ready to play.  Granted this time she was trying to climb out of the window, which I just thought she was overly excited.  Poor girl just did not want to poop in the car.  I still love her, no matter what. Anyway….

I have been working hard to increase my happiness everyday and to choose to be happy instead of waiting for something outside of me to be happy about.  What is interesting is how crazy things are unfolding in my life and in a way that I truly want them too.  I am so grateful for this and for my happiness.  I know I still have more work to do but I am excited about the journey and excited to see how things unfold.  I know the universe has great things in store for me yet.

Day 123 of Gratefulness: My Commitment to My Health

I am about 2. 5 weeks into living a plant-based diet and I have had no cravings.  Don’t get me wrong I have thought about buffalo chicken wings, crab cheese wontons and even Thanksgiving dinner.  I have not craved them though but have just realized that I wont have them anyone, not even just one last taste.  I have even thought if it would be okay to just have it on one special occasion a year and my instinct is no.  The idea of meat, dairy, eggs and sugar mortifies me now and to be honest I am getting close to eliminating oils since they are not sitting well with my stomach.  I feel like these foods are the most toxic thing ever and in many ways these foods are toxic, even if most of western civilization does not agree.  I have evolved as a person and I proud of my commitments. 

As the clock hit midnight and 2013 began I had no faith that I would be able to kick the cravings I had for the rich foods I loved but I knew I wanted to get into my cute black and white dress.  I knew something would need to be done but I just did not know what that something was.  I had put together several actions steps to start moving forward in the direction of this commitment to my health.  Yes, I wanted to add plant-based foods to my diet as there was barely any in it.  Yes, I wanted to start running again.  Yes, I wanted to do a 10-day cleanse to help kick-start everything and yes I was going to do one-month of yoga. 

The switch that made my current path so visible to me was three things- the emotion and excitement I felt as I imagined myself in that dress.  The norovirus I got that empty my stomach out and made me appreciate good food and the fact that eating one piece of meat had me in pain for over 6 hours.  The last piece that tied this all together was the documentary, Forks over Knives.  I am not saying that everything in that movie was 100% truth as it is one perspective on health that had a lot of scientific evidence but than again the complete opposite probably has the same amount of evidence.  The big message of the movie just resonated with me and I knew that I wanted to be on a plant-based diet.  I think once you shift from needing something to wanting something your commitment towards it totally changes.

I am truly grateful for the commitment I have towards my health and the changes that I truly want to make and enjoy making. 

Day 122 of Gratefulness: Jamie Van Leeuwen

This one is a long time coming but today it really hit me how much I really appreciate Jamie.  I have not given him the credit he deserves for the work he has done in the community and around the world.  I do not know how he finds the time and the energy to do all the things he does but he is so passionate about making a different and he is so tapped in to many great things happening in this community.  I truly appreciate the passionate he has and the service he provides to others and to making a better community.  I feel fortunate to have worked with Jamie even when we did not see eye to eye and I feel lucky to still call him a friend.  I could learn a lot from him and I am excited too.  

Day 121 of Gratefulness: Supportive Friends

You do not realize how much you appreciate your supportive friends until you need them.  Recently I decided to live on a plant-based diet and I have shared this with many friends through many avenues.  What has been surprising is the ridicule that I sometimes receive for making this decision.  I had no idea being a vegetarian would draw so much negative energy.  My honest opinion is that these folks need to say something to validate their own belief systems and chooses.  Those friends that support me, even if they are living the lifestyle I choose to live, are amazing and I so appreciate them in my life.  These are the friends who have learned to accept people for who they are and respect the decisions you have made. They are open to hear new ideas and they will not judge.  They are open to share their ideas and know you will not judge them.  You feel completely free to be who you are when you are in the presence of friends like these.  I appreciate those that are supportive of me, those that let me be who I am, those that help me create a space to be free.