Have you ever heard the saying "March blows in like a lion and out like a lamb"?
March is truly the month of transition from winter to spring, with the vernal equinox occurring on March 20th (this year, sometimes March 21st) which means, in the Northern Hemisphere, the true beginning of Spring. The vernal equinox is when day and night are of equal length. The science-y definition is:
1. The point at which the ecliptic intersects the celestial equator, the sun having a northerly motion.
2. The moment at which the sun passes through the vernal equinox, about March 21, marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
What we really care about though is that the days will continue to get longer, and warmer.
Spring is on its way!
The question then: What are you most looking forward to this Spring?
Me: getting out into my garden, sunshine (!!!!), the end of my schooling, and a vacation! Whooohoo!
Happy March!
“The alchemist was dazed and dumbfounded, as the true meaning of the magic was revealed: *The dead will rise from glade to glen and ancient will be young again*. The dead had, after all, risen. From dead and dry things there was growth, and new life everywhere. And the endlessly long winter had at last turned to spring. From life to death and back again to life. It was indeed the greatest magic in the world.” ― Lauren Oliver
"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." -- Henry James, American Writer
Part of the internet world I follow is all abuzz today, which has prompted me to address something that has been on my mind for a long time: labeling how we eat.
A well-known vegan author released an open letter yesterday to inform her followers that she has decided to return to eating meat. She lists a variety of reasons for her decision.
And then...
She was bombarded by vicious, hurtful and malicious attacks against her person and character, all from the comfy confines of people hidden behind their computer screens.
This woman, who yes, made a name for herself in the vegan world (vegans do not eat animal products of any kind and often avoid products made with animal hides as well) made a decision and decided to be honest and share this with the world. She could have likely hidden it, but she didn't.
Much of the vegan community continuously surprises me with the vehemence they use to tell the world that they are RIGHT and the rest of us (omnivores) are WRONG. And the vehemence with which they attack and shame and humiliate those who choose to consume animals or animal products.
There is a difference between trying to educate others about the reasons behind ones choice to eat only plants and attacking them for not believing/eating the way you do.
In my experience, for many vegans there is no middle ground. There is no grey area, there is no place for a slip up, an accident or even a once in a while choice. And there certainly isn't room for someone to simply change their mind.
If someone chooses to label themselves as a vegan and then eats something outside of what vegans consider acceptable (which some can't even decide on...honey or no honey? what about the bees?) other vegans are the first to take a virtual swing at them. I find this behavior sad and curious.
Let me make a few things really clear:
1-I eat meat.
2-I don't hate people that don't eat meat.
3-I believe that eating a more plant based diet is better for people, many animals, and the environment.
4-I believe in doing the best I can.
5-I do not believe in perfection.
6-I do not believe in labeling myself.
7-I do not believe in viciously attacking others for their choices.
8-I do not believe the way one chooses to eat is any ones business.
9-I do not believe in hiding behind the internet to say things I would NEVER say to someone if they were sitting right next to me.
10-I BELIEVE IN KINDNESS.
Yes, this author promoted herself as a vegan and so one might argue that "she had it coming" but really...who are we to judge another? She is the one living her life, living in her body, living with her conscience. The vile attacks against her are, to me, in complete opposition to the ideas behind being vegan...to care for ALL the living beings on the planet.
I wonder if those attacking her today have never changed their mind about something? I wonder if they have never had to sacrifice something for convenience? I wonder if they really believe all the things they are saying or if they are just caught up in their righteous indignation? I wonder if they are pretending that we live in a perfect world where choices are always easy and happy? I wonder if they are always really as perfect in their eating as they promote themselves to be?
I'm sure those that followed her are feeling personally affronted; I'm sure it is similar to how many felt after Lance Armstrong admitted to doping for years and lying to us all. We felt let down, betrayed, sad, misled and disappointed. I get it.
But ultimately, her choice is HER choice. How other people feel about it is THEIR choice. But it doesn't give them the right to assault her via the protection of the internet.
BE upset. BE sad. BE disappointed. But don't forget that we are all human beings and each and every one of us deserves kindness. If vegans believe in not eating animal products as an act of caring and kindness to themselves, the animals and the planet, why is it okay to emotionally assault this woman via the web?
That is not an act of loving kindness.
My advice to the people who care to take it: avoid labeling yourself. Avoid labeling your eating type. Just eat. Eat whatever it is that YOU are morally, socially, physically, and emotionally comfortable eating. Do your best.
That is all any of us can really do. Our best. On any given day.
And before you hit submit on that comment or post ask yourself...would I say this if this person was sitting right next to me, across my kitchen table? If my best friend said this to me how would I respond? Would I say this? If I was looking right into their eyes...would I say this unkindness?
If not...maybe use the backspace button and keep from adding unnecessary hatred and negativity to the world.
There was no real reason for it, but I just woke up and immediately felt...not my best.
My neck is still causing my grief (I say my neck but according to the chiro and massage therapist it is more my right trapezoid, pecs and something in my shoulder blade) which makes doing darn near anything minimally uncomfortable to down right painful.
I weighed myself (bad idea bad idea...I was already in a cranky mood) and felt really disgusted with myself. (My clothes are still fitting just fine, so it is possible that I am creating some muscle with some of the exercise) . But lets be real: the point is to lose some weight not gain weight, so any number on a scale that is bigger than the last number on the scale can play lots of mental mind games.
Then I looked for a job.
Mill worker, granite fabricator, maintenance technician, sales, CNA, retail, and RANCH Worker, Animal and Hay. This is just a snip of the unemployment department's job listing, but all the other job listing sites offer us a similar mix of truck driver, medical field, sales and industrial. This was extra disheartening to me yesterday, because, I was already in a negative mindset.
I debated going to the gym. Monday is yoga day, and I thought I could probably do that without causing more injury to my neck/shoulder, but I didn't really want to and what if I did hurt it more? Every little movement hurts as it is!
I thought long and hard about going, or not going. And I pulled from my memory banks sayings like the ones above. You will never regret a workout. You know you always feel better after a workout, always. Just two weeks ago your yoga class changed your whole day. JUST GO.
So before I could change my mind or talk myself out of it, I threw my clothes on and got out the door. Because it's true: getting out the door is always the hardest part.
Yoga was pretty good. It wasn't earth shattering, but I went, I was careful with the poses and didn't push myself too hard. I got a nice compliment from my instructor on warrior two pose.
There is always thing to work on in yoga, to focus on. Keeping the front shin/calf straight and leaning into that front hip, keeping the hips aligned are all part of what the focus of warrior two is (among other things).
After yoga, I headed home for a quick shower and then to the chiro for another massage and adjustment. I had a new massage therapist. She had really great energy for me yesterday. She is also a yogi, so we were able to incorporate some of the common language of yoga to help discuss stretches I should do, breathing I should do to help with the massage, and she also has a similar mindset to my typical mindset. She was half counselor/half massage therapist. It was really helpful for me to hear someone else saying to me the things that I often say to myself and to others.
See, the universe really does know what we need, even when we aren't necessarily in the right frame of mind.
My chiropractor also gave me a little pep talk and told me to quit being so damn hard on myself. I love that about her.
I often suffer from an all or nothing mentality, and this neck/shoulder pain thing is, well painful, but that pain can also cause stress (stress can make the pain worse, too), but also it is a mental thing because I am trying so hard to stay motivated to keep my activity up, to focus on being active to be healthy and to lose weight, that this pain issue makes me so frustrated! I feel like a big roadblock has been thrown up in my path and that just as I am mentally in a good place to be active and start doing it, then BOOM, physical issues that want to stop me.
Did the rest of my day turn around and become amazing? No. Not really. But I was no longer in a mental fight with myself. I DID go to yoga, I did take care of myself, I did eat healthy.
Today, I am still in pain and I have a day of homework ahead of me.
But I am not in the same place I was yesterday, mentally. Some days we just have those days and it is so helpful to have friends and care providers that can give us a virtual slap and tell us to snap out of it.
I'm not sure if this post made any sense, but I guess the bottom line is that we all have days like "those" despite our best efforts to be positive and to think positive, and that it is okay to have those days. It is also really great that the people I have in my life understand me and have a similar belief system and are able to tell me the things I already know, because sometimes it helps to have someone else say it.
Thankfully, today is a new day and I am going to let go of yesterday.
"Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve, there is a series of obstacles, and the bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles. Your decision to be, have and do something out of the ordinary entails facing difficulties and challenges that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else."
~Brian Tracy
There have been several reminders in my life lately to Never Give Up.
If you read here regularly, you know that one of my goals and aspirations is to weigh less and be more fit and healthy. You may also know that one of my frustrations with this aspiration is that the steps I need to take to achieve this goal are neverending.
I will never reach a point where I can say: DONE! Goal achieved.
Why?
Because health, body weight, fitness, those things are not achieved and then finished. It is not the same as having a goal to write a book, or to learn the tango. If you have a goal to write a book, once the book is written the goal is accomplished.
Being healthy, weighing less, those goals are more indefinite. Sure, I can lose 10 pounds and say I have achieved that goal, but I then have to maintain that goal. I cannot give up on that goal. I cannot then walk away.
Even now, weighing both less and more than I have in the past, I can say that I have achieved this goal in some ways, but I have not fulfilled it. It is an ongoing process. One that I must put attention toward fulfilling every day.
I can never give up on my goal of being healthy and fit. I must chose to stay focused, to take the actions and steps necessary to continue me on the path toward fulfilling the goal.
For if I ever were to give up, ALL of my efforts would be lost. ALL of my intentions would fall to the wayside. ALL of my learning would be forgotten.
I have worked much too hard to get here to let it all go. I do not like the path that I must go down if I ever were to give up. It is dark, cold and sad down that path. The light is missing. There is no energy. There is only sadness and guilt.
I do not want darkness, sadness, and guilt in my life. That is part of my journey, to alleviate darkness, sadness and guilt from my life, to inspire my own light to shine and light the path to my most lived life!
The stepping stones that light my path say to never give up!
Never give up. Never stop trying. Never stop working. Never quit. Failure only occurs at the point after which you quit. Everything before that point is progress and effort to achieve.
You can do it! Keep placing one foot in front of the other! Use your light to show you the way!
This quote in particular is one that speaks to me. I remembered it while I was attempting to sleep last night.
It ties in so nicely with what Inspire the Light is all about.
Don't wait.
The time is never right.
If you can dream it you can do it.
You are your own inspiration.
You have the light within you to create a magical life.
We are often our own worst critics.
Women, especially, are incredibly hard on themselves.
We believe that we are imperfect.
We believe that others have achieved perfection.
This is a lie.
Perfection does not exist.
There is no such thing.
And in any case, perfection is unimportant.
The truly important thing is to BE.
Be what you dream of.
Be who you dream of.
Be the inspiration in your life.
Be the person that you want to be.
Start by living the life right now, this second, that you dream of having.
Do you know what I mean by that?
If you want to be an artist, start creating art.
If you want to be a dancer, then start dancing.
Don't wait for the "perfect" non-existant time!
What is it that you want your life to be?
Start creating it today.
Start living today the life you want to have.
Whatever you dream .... you can have it!
But make sure it is your dream, not the dream you think you should have.
The dream is yours.
Be yourself. Be who YOU are.
Do what makes YOU happy, not what you think *should* make you happy.
Inspire your own dream
Become the amazing, beautiful, powerful creature that you are capable of becoming.
“If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that.”
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
You already are what you are capable of becoming...you just need to let that light shine out!
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
