Here's to Your Success

Do you feel successful?

To answer that we need to know what success means to our individual life.

Off the top of my head, my answer is: I'd like to know I follow the plans God has for me and that I'm pleasing Him along the way. I'd like to use fiction writing and my interest in natural things to generate income. I'd like to earn enough money so that my husband and I could travel and visit family on a regular basis. I'd also like to be involved in our local community.

What does success look like to you?

Discovering your deepest, most valued goals takes time, time to think, ponder and pray. Here's where we Americans lock ourselves in a "no-success" closet. We rush through our day trying to check off as many things from our to-do list as possible. We rush through our meals, wishing food could be faster, then run to our evening activities. Finally we plop into bed and set the alarm to begin again.

If we don't schedule quiet time for prayer, meditation and just plain thinking, we'll never discover our real goals. Without this quiet time, we can't create either. It takes time to develop new ideas.

Try this exercise: Find a quiet place in the house where you won't be disturbed for at least 20 minutes. Sit comfortably. Breath slowly, allowing your breath to go deep into your abdomen. Think about the sounds around you for a moment. Now block out those sounds and think about your breath, slow and deep. Next focus your thoughts on an aspect of God's character, or on an idea you'd like to develop. Ask God to bless your thoughts and give you insight. Don't push your mind to hurry and come up with all the answers. Just relax. Breath. Ponder.

Once you decide what you really want, then you must make judgements about every opportunity that comes your way. This means saying "No." That one little word will enable your success more than any other single word or act. Read the last two sentences again. . . Ponder that!

You have to say "No" to everything that does not directly or indirectly feed your goals.

Another thing that increases creativity and productivity is allowing time for the basic necessities of life. We need to schedule time in our day to brush our teeth, bathe, clean house, organize our papers, pay the bills, check our emails, etc. (Be careful not to get sucked into Google search-land while on the computer. #1 Time-waster). These are the things that can bog us down and halt our creativity and thought life if we let them get out of control. And please don't forget sleep, water, and proper nutrition. Without these our brain doesn't function at optimal capacity.

It really is okay to take care of yourself.

So, to sum up:
1. Schedule time to pray and think. Use breathing exercises to help you relax and focus.
2. Decide on your goals
3. Say "No" to those things that don't fit in with your goals.
4. Keep up on the basics: neatness, cleanliness, exercise, drinking water, eating healthy food and sleeping.

Success isn't the biggest house with the most/best stuff in it. Success ins't working 60+ hours a week or even having the most prestigious title at the company. Success is accomplishing your own personal goals, while maintaining good relationships with those you love (first of all God), and enjoying good health along the way.

Tasty, Nutritious & Leftover

I enjoy cooking and I enjoy hosting, especially during the holidays. Those celebrations, coupled with attending various other dinners and lunch parties, can make a body feel bloated and lazy. Plus there are leftovers to keep us in the same comfort-food trap for weeks to come. I like to get creative and see how many nutrients I can add to leftovers. If you mix the fatty food with lots of vegetables or in a salad, you end up with a light and healthy way to use leftovers.

Here are a few ideas:

Make a pasta and mix in leftover veggies from one of your dinners. Veggies such as asparagus or brussel sprouts, even green beans work well with pasta. Drizzle some olive oil over it and add a tablespoon of grated cheese such as Gruyère,  Bemster, or swiss, and a splash of herbed salt. Now you have a light, healthy meal in one dish.

How about Burritos or Enchiladas?

Burritos: Put pieces of leftover turkey in a large frying pan and a little water. Add a can of drained black beans, chopped green chills, and chopped onions. Cook until warm and the onions are softened. Place a large spoonful in a whole grain tortilla and top with your choice of shredded cheddar, sour cream, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, or whatever you enjoy on your burritos.

Enchiladas: Mix shredded or chopped leftover turkey in a bowl with light cream cheese or soft tofu. When combined add a can of drained black beans, and green chills. You can spice it up with a dash of chili powder and/or tabasco sauce. Put a large spoonful in a whole grain tortilla, wrap tightly and place in a backing dish. Top with shredded cheese and some black olives or jalapeños. Smother with green chili enchilada sauce or another enchilada sauce. Be sure to choose an all natural or organic brand.

Soups and salads are great for using up leftovers and providing nutrition. Use the turkey carcass for a great turkey soup. Refrigerate after cooking, then scrape off the fat the next day. Reheat and add vegetables of your choice and wild rice or barley. Of course you can throw anything you have over torn lettuce and you have a meal in a salad bowl. Pieces of turkey meat add protein to the salad. You can also throw on some leftover veggies. Even if they've been cooked, cold vegetables such as green beans and carrots can be chopped up and added to a salad.

One more idea for today. If you've made a healthy pumpkin pie, why not eat it for breakfast? My kids always enjoyed this during the holidays. After all you've got eggs, squash, milk or tofu, spices and a little sweetness to make breakfast a treat. 

Enjoy your holidays without the feeling that you can't get off the couch. 

Healthy Eating Basics

Recently I've gotten a number of questions about how to eat healthy, or how to transition into a more healthy diet. I'd like to address some of those questions here. If you have more specific questions about diet, nutrition or alternative healing, you may post a comment here or email me here.

My first and most basic rules for diet come from Rex Russell, M.D. in his book, What the Bible Says About Healthy Living. I read his book years ago and always come back to his three principles. It makes choices so simple, though not always easy. Those principles are:

1. Eat only substances God created for food.
2. As much as possible, eat foods as they were created.
3. Avoid food addictions.

We'll explore each of these in more depth in the coming days.

After-Holiday Blues?

I've been feeling sluggish, unmotivated and can't seem to shake the five pounds I picked up since the holidays. My body is crying out for a detox plan. Today as I arrive home from work I open the mail box to discover my "Whole Living" magazine with a 28-day Detox plan.

At this moment I might be persuaded to believe that the "Law of Attraction" theory is correct. My body cried out for something and the universe provided it. (Though I much prefer to think of God as the One who provided. He's much more personal and we have history). Anyway, I discovered this great plan for detoxifying your life including: Diet, Exercise, and Mental Focus. And it's not too difficult.

I came to the 28-Day Challenge late since I just renewed my old subscription. They started the plan at the beginning of January but it can be useful at any time. I think Spring would be a good time too--coming out of hibernation and into the sunlight. A great time to start fresh.

They've included a plan for each of four weeks with recipes and exercises (mental as well as physical). I'll let you check it out here. Let me know what you think.