Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The Most Important Thing

As the years of study build, the information mounts, research advances, so the confusion tends to increase. Surveying the terrain of my nutritional path, I am reminded of the feeling of being overwhelmed with the level of change I wanted to implement, of how big the hills seemed. I'll let you in on a secret: like the little Russian dolls, or the spiral moving ever inward, the opportunities for improvement do not end, they simply fine tune.

Lest we get discouraged, step back! I am often asked, "What is the most important thing I can do right now?" If you were going to make just one change, one that you could be satisfied with, one that would constitute the proverbial good place to start, what should it be?

To add some perspective to things, I will come clean now and tell you that once upon a time I was a huge fan of the "fourth meal." Late night, drive-thru, cheesy and salty was my thing. Diet soda, chips: bring on the meal of champions! In fact, I am convinced that years passed in my youth when ne'er a sip of water passed my lips! Ah, the miracle of the human body.

I should add to this that I never really felt good about myself, and this intensified to near mortification as I learned what was going on inside, and, perhaps more importantly, what was not going on, as a result of the foods I was keen to. No wonder I felt unhealthy, no wonder my complexion was upset, no wonder...

But here it is, the number one thing I would share. It is the work you can begin before ever stepping foot into my office or cleaning out the cupboards and restocking your kitchen:

Accept yourself as you are, right here, right now.
Period.

This is the sentence I wish had been at the beginning of the very first natural health book I read rather than at the end. The most profound changes I have experienced on the outside have immediately followed a shift on the inside.

If you are able to let go of the negative loop running in your head that highlights all of your imperfections, including shame, frustration and disappointment, the odds for success increase, I would say, exponentially. A simple change in perspective. "Treat" rather than "Cheat", et cetera, et cetera.

To create a healthier internal and external environment out of a motivation of love for yourself rather than a desire to run from who you currently are is to work as a partner to your Self versus an adversary.

Practice this. Science shows us that when we interrupt our thought pattern and replace the thought with a new one, new neural networks are formed in the brain, and soon after the chemical processes within follow. You may be surprised at the healing power of positive thinking.

To accept yourself and be at peace in the vessel that will carry you through all of your years yields true happiness on your journey. May we all strive for this!

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