here's the thing. i have been trying for years to adopt a better lifestyle, much of which surrounds eating better and being more active. and in the past few months numerous thoughts, let's call them profound, have entered my mind and i think with them has come serious tools for change. these thoughts include: i love chocolate and all things desserty but i love my life more. just because i say "no" today, does not mean that i cannot say "yes" tomorrow. we live in a country that is so wealthy that most people, myself included, really do not comprehend the concept of a "treat" because wealth, industry, and BOGO sales have made it possible for us to get what we want when we want it and to get "it" in mass quantity (this thought came to mind when reading Anne of Green Gables, and Anne was going to get to have ice cream for the very first time - she was twelve years old!). to really make a change i need to start with a few drastic measures that really believe in.
the foremost profound thought, however, that has popped in to my mind is this: it's all about self care.
two weeks ago when i was driving to the airport i was listing off in my mind all the things i had left undone on my "things to-do before i leave" list. these things included (but not limited to), doing my nails, giving myself a pedicure, getting my eyebrows done, cleaning out my car, cleaning and organizing my house so i could return to a welcoming space, taking timeout to relax before a full day of travelling, get my butt to the gym (yada, yada, yada)... as i continued to think about these to-do list items, i started to realize that these are the things i never get done. and then the thought broaden to, most of the things that i put off doing throughout the day/week involve caring for myself (like going to the gym, reading my Bible, praying and journaling). there is always something more pressing, or something i would rather do, or something that should do instead (okay, well in terms of going to the gym it's always "i'd rather do something else!"). some things, such as getting regular haircuts and the occasional professional pedicure can be luxury items, but setting money aside for these things shows that you value yourself and your body - that you are as much a priority as everything and everyone else that consumes your daily thoughts and activities! what i realized that all the things that i wanted to make changes to in my life (eating, exercise, consumer consumption and time management habits) were all connected to self care.
by self care i am not talking about being selfish. i am taking about doing the things that make us happier, healthier and better situated to love and care for others! when i am eating well, exercising, maintaining an organized home, have my nails done, etc i am happier and more flexible - two things that make it so much easier to love and help others!
this is not my wisdom. this golden thought has been uttered throughout history. which Church Father was it that wrote about the four degrees of love? where the fourth degree, and most hardest to reach, was to love yourself for God's sake, or in my words, to do some "self care" in order to love and care for others well, which is the loudest message of the gospel - love others! when i have accomplished all the things that make me feel healthy (inside and out) my mind is at ease, i have few worries that detract from giving my all to others.
am i making sense? i guess what i am trying to say, is that the things on my to-do list that regularly go undone - the self care things - are the things that will make all the other items in my life more enjoyable and less arduous. moreover, the tough bits, such as disappointments or questions of self worth, less world-collapsing and easier to move past. when i am taking care of myself, i question less the purpose of my life; my mind, soul, and body are in a much healthier place and this makes life a lot easier! so, in the ever-going quest to be healthier i have decided to take some important measures towards better caring for myself and some people's responses have been "you're doing what?"
i feel so much better when i am consuming a good deal of vegetables - something that there is a plethora of during the summer and fall months! so, i have decided to embrace an almost vegetarian diet (will still eat some fish) in order to learn more about which vegetables are best (ie: which veg has which vitamins/minerals) and to increase the amount of vegetables in my daily diet. giving up meat will force me to research which vegetables and meat alternatives have the highest source of protein so that if and when i decide to incorporate meat back into my diet i can limit my consumption and afford meat that has been produced ethically (so not keen on the mainstream meat industry use of hormones/antibiotics, and their treatment of animals), and continue to derive the majority of protein my body needs from alternative and healthy sources . i have also decided that to limit anything dessert and to give up chocolate all together save for special occasions. i want to learn what it means to have a treat and to savour the good stuff! i am hoping that new choices develop into lifelong practices... but i am human and will stumble along the way (hopefully not too much though! 80/20 rule!!).
there are so many more ways i want to become better at caring for myself. choosing a regular day each week to do my nails and to sit down with a good book.... or make sure i am drinking enough water... or drag myself aways from the computer and go to the gym (even if its only for 10 mins!!). self care looks different for everyone.. and it can take years to realize what you need in order to feel good and healthy!! i am still figuring out what these things are!! what i do know is that eating well, becoming active, taking time to pamper myself, and to seek God on a daily basis are some of the most important ways that i can care for myself and in turn care for those around me!
speaking of self care: my mom and i treated ourselves to afternoon tea at the fairmont empress hotel in victoria while i was visiting bc. we each had only one of the sweet things on the plate in the photograph below and we had the rest packaged and them gave them to the lovely ladies at the irish linen store on government street in victoria!!
raspberry cheesecake - delish!
love & sunshine,
shannon-may
No comments:
Post a Comment