I’m writing you from inside our Magic Golden Bullet – Gracie. She’s our beautiful spaceship like camper that’s taken us in the past few months from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, England, France, and Spain – and now back to Italy again. Soon we’ll park her, and return to Bali business for a short time, then NYC to study music and work with clients, then back on the road again in Europe where Anthony and I will tour with our new body of work.
Our part-time home on wheels allows us to see the world from different perspectives… tracking down Europe’s raw and detox places, sitting on a remote secluded beach, to landing high in the clouds on a cliff or mountain top.
How’s your 2016 shaping for seeing life from different views? Do you have a self-care commitment for this year? From the perspective that feels most honoring, and realistic for you, how’s taking-care-of-you going so far this year?
Though I’ve been committed to self-care for over half my life, I’m honestly still challenged at times to take the best of care… especially while traveling,and outside of my comfort zone at times because my love and I have different eating habits. I must admit, I better understand why people struggle much more than when I was single.
So, what causes us to “deviate” and potentially “compromise” our health choices?
Maybe what we compromise has less to do with our life circumstances, and more to do with our perspective? In one view, I’m ok with me, and the choices I make in a day. From this place, I feel much more self-acceptance and understanding, less pressure, and it all goes a bit lighter and more loving. And I learn more.
From another – deeply conditioned view – I put expectations and pressure on myself that only lead to feeling very low on self-worth. Whew, do I feel addictive in this place – chocolate (its raw though, right?) and matcha green tea throw me right out of balance. Is my self-worth about what I eat and drink in a day, and how much I get done?
If I wake up with puffy eyes, a bloated belly, not as energetic, or feeling flabby – I can either will power myself “back on track”… or, I can simply be very honest with myself. How do I feel? Why am I making certain choices? It usually comes down to wanting to share with another – food and drink contingent – avoid something I don’t want to feel, seeking stress relief externally, and looking for comfort.
Am I willing to slow down, fully feel all my feelings, and take 100% full responsibility for my choices, and how they affect me? Seeing how well-being is an inside job, I know blaming my life circumstances, my mate, or anything else outside of myself will surely just create more stress and strife.
Returning within, I take all pressure off, inquire into my choices, understand and accept myself that much more, learn, and choose to love myself NO MATTER WHAT. From this view, I tend to make healthier choices based on what I truly want, rather than pressuring myself into it. Whew, alleviating the unconscious pressure cooker that feeds the inner self-critic opens me to another view on health I’ve had little perspective of.
I now understand why some may never want to see a salad again, and cringe at the thought of green juice. Maybe it’s pressure and expectations some are refusing; with the green stuff just symbolizing what otherwise may be difficult to put a finger on.
If your self-care commitment for 2016 isn’t going as you’d like, how about revising it? Here are some suggestions:
- write your revision as if you were a very old you, talking to a younger you. How do you reach the part of you seeking wisdom, while acknowledging the part that’s challenged?
- give yourself permission just to be. Ask yourself, “am I good enough me just being me?”
- take the pressure off. Give yourself permission to drink in a healthy dose of self-acceptance, self-allowance, and 100% self-responsibility. May cause and effect + ease and self-love – rather than pressure and expectations – be your guide.
- become aware of what motivates you. Does stress, expectations, pressure, etc., unconsciously instigate certain choices that may lead to self-sabotage and rebelling? Removing “I have to,” “I don’t have a choice,” “I can’t,” etc., what motivates you based on “I choose to,” “What I really what is,” “I can”?
- love yourself, no matter what, and decide again what you really want, based on you just being you, stress/”have to”/pressure free. What do your choices look like from this place?
I’m greatly relieved and much more relaxed to release myself from the “have to” pressure cooker. From the birds’ eye view, I find it easy to embrace, “I am good enough, right here, right now, as I am.” Period. I understand pressure may have been my only known resource at one time to feel worthy and purposeful, though it no longer serves me now.
By simplifying and lots of letting go, there’s not much (pressure) to rebel against. “Have to’” has become “I choose to.” The inner stress is dissipating, and I really can just be. Me. All of me. Granted, it’s taking some getting used to after a lifetime of will powering. I’m still on, yet from a different place within, that’s a lot easier on me.
Thank you for sharing the journey. We may personally know each other, or not… either way, I appreciate the opportunity to connect in depth with you, to open that much more, and to bare my soul…. in the bigger picture we share.
