Tag: Spirit

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Spiritual Health

Living Principles of the Spiritually Strong

3 Principles of the Spiritually Strong

Would you classify yourself as a woman that is deeply principled?  
 
A principle is defined as, “A fundamental truth that serves as the foundation for a system or belief.”  
 
To me, rooting yourself to fundamental truths offers you the the greatest ability to live a disciplined and self-controlled life.  
 
I believe being highly principled is not just about what you WILL do, but more importantly, about what you’re UNWILLING to do.  
 
When I am living by my deeper principles, I am not controlled by the whims of my emotions.  I am controlled by my deeper desire to do what is RIGHT.  It’s the Spiritual connection to my actions and how I am to live Spiritually strong.  
 
In my health coaching practice, all of what I offer you and teach you comes from some basic Spiritual principles.  These have evolved as I have grown in both faith and intellect regarding our health.   They are vital to every fiber of my programs.  
 
Everything that you see in the her Health Lounge program all aligns with these 3 principles of True Health.   
 
I believe when you understand these principles and entrust them to your Spiritual practice, they will transform your health and give you the STRONGEST Spirit you will ever see.  
 
It will also give you a chance to see if these principles align with yours so you can determine if the h2L is the right program for you! 
 
 

The Principle of Identity:

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you may have seen me use this sequence of growth we see in our lives.  

 

KNOW —> BE —> DO

 
Your identity is the “BE” of this sequence— it is your BE-ing.    Everything that that you think everything that you speak and everything that you do comes from this conscious and subconscious identity. 
 
Too often, I find that women identify themselves more from their WEAKNESSES than their power.   We as humans very easily only focus on our flaws, don’t we?  We limit our actions to what we *think* we are capable of doing through these perceived limitations. 
 
BUT, GOD...
 
Our weaknesses do not limit God at all.  So it’s not in what YOU KNOW but rather WHO YOU KNOW.  
 
Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to HIM who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worth in us.”  (NKJV)
 
Knowing God makes your weakness rather irrelevant.  Know how much He loves you and accepts you just as you are give you a brand new identity and brand new power to SAY THINGS and DO THINGS beyond what you feel capable.  
 
Knowing God means that you know the POWER that is at work within.  You CAN do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens you. (Phi 4:13).  This is the true confidence that will transform your life and help you look BEYOND your “health goals” to a higher calling. 

 

The Principle of Vision: 

In the her Health Lounge we will spend the first couple of weeks together practicing what I call “Visualizing her.”    It is IMPERATIVE that you can clearly envision what you want to accomplish through the practice of taking care of your health.    This is what will help you make a PLAN.  Plans are powerful! 
 
However, I see women all over the world misunderstanding this concept of “visualizing her” success and it has them spinning wheels in endless cycles of exhaustion.  
 
The key of this principle of VISION is two fold--

 Are you VISUALIZING YOURSELF?  Or do you envision yourself living or being like someone else that you idolize?  Let’s be honest ladies, it is really easy to compare ourselves to what we see others doing.  This is not what God has designed you for.  You need to be able to VISUALIZE her— meaning this woman that God has created YOU to be.  With your body frame, your personality, your desires, your dreams, your experiences, your strengths and your weaknesses.   

 What are you going to DO WITH IT once you have your fit and healthy body?   Too often women fall short with this vision.  They focus on the end result as if getting to that “weight loss” or “size 6” is the destination.   No, your health is the ROAD to the destination.   

God is interested in your MISSION and your PURPOSE.  You need to get clear on what you are going to DO once you get more energy from eating healthy; once you have a leaner frame and stronger muscles; once you have a pep in your step that comes from self-care and love.  

What is the PURPOSE that your healthier body will enable you to DO BETTER?  This is a God given calling on your life.  You must be ready and willing for the MISSION of your life, which is not all about you or your vanity.  

God is not interested in giving you anything if your character is not ready to sustain it.  So you can bet that you won’t see changes AROUND you before you see them WITHIN you.  

 

The Principle of FOCUS & REPLACEMENT:

You will see this a lot of my coaching on health habit formation and ritualization practices to allow you to ENJOY THE PROCESS of health. 
 
You cannot focus on what you DO NOT WANT TO DO in your health, you must focus on what you DO WANT out of life. 
 
What you think about GROWS, literally.  
 
Neurosciences now prove that when we think a thought over and over again, it actually grows a physical entity in the form of neurons in our brain.  
 
It takes 21 days of neuron growth to form a true MEMORY.  It takes 63 days to then have the memory form a HABIT of something you do without having to think about it too much.  
 
Not only do you need to focus on new behaviors, but you also need to focus on God. 
 
There is a spiritual term used for God which is to “MAGNIFY Him.”  When you dwell on all that GOD IS and all the God can do, your problems and your faults and flaws naturally dissipate and become irrelevant.  What you think about GROWS!
 
This is why spending time daily with God and surrounding yourself with women who also encourage your spiritual growth is one of the BEST ways that you will stay focused on your journey!
 
It’s not going to be easy.  Growth never is.  Part of your journey is likely pulling out a lot of lies that serve as the weeds surrounding and choking the dreams of you health.  
 
But, in this program and through my coaching, I can assure you that these steps we take toward building UP your Spiritual muscles will give you LIVE beyond what you “could ask or imagine.”  
 
To get more information on the her Health Lounge program, please click HERE to take a look at the sales video and the page of details provided.   The program starts on Monday, September 12! 
 
This week, you can also a Discovery Call with me HERE!
 

There is still time to claim your spot.

Categories
Spiritual Health Uncategorized

New Series: Harvesting Our Health in 2016

Harvesting Our Health in 2016

Confession time.   I have NO green thumb.  I thought it was green for a while there, but apparently I was seeing things.  
Yes, I thought I had seens some shades of sage or even a nice evergreen color on my thumb when I planted some nice boxes of fresh herbs for all the cooking I was going to do...  
...and when I bought REAL house plants, instead of the fake ones, when I thought it wouldn't be that hard to water them.  
 
...and when I bought even those EASY succulents in that planter for my office, because who can mess up a plant you don't have to water all that often?
 
I can.  That's who.  
 
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
 
I guess I didn't really account for the fact that we travel for over 100 nights per year (although in my defense, I wasn't prepared for that).  Or just for the fact that I OFTEN forget to do MANY THINGS that are right in front of my face!
 
How many times I thought, "Oh I should water that plant!" But then thought, "Meh, I don't feel like it right now, I'll remember to later." Only, never to remember, obvi.
 
Those poor, pretty plants are all dead now NOT because of something horrible I did to them. 
I didn't water them with cyanide.  I didn't cut holes into their stems, cutting off their water system.  I didn't shut them out of the sunlight.  
 
No.
 
They're all dead because I never committed to doing the things I needed to do in order to keep them alive.    
It was my INACTIVITY, not my ACTIVITY that was their demise.  It wasn't the plant's fault, I just didn't take responsibility.  
 
Those living plants were in SURVIVAL MODE and I didn't give to them the nutrition and the care they needed to move into THRIVAL MODE and eventually, their resilience gave way and I was left with FAILURE.  
 

THIS ^^^^^ IS THE LAW OF THE HARVEST. 

 
Now, before I move forward with this principle, let's make sure we CLEAR UP what this law IS and what this law IS NOT.
 
WHAT IT IS:

In short, this is the "you reap what you sow" principle in life. 

 
However, there appears to be some common confusion and mixing of this principle with OTHER modern principles and beliefs.  For example:
 
  • The Law of the Harvest is NOT the same as Karma.  It doesn't simply mean the "what goes around comes back around" belief as taught in Hinduism and Buddhism (although, technically, these religions believe that a PAST LIFE actions determine the fate of our PRESENT LIFE).  
 
  • The Law of the Harvest is also NOT the same as "Newton's 3rd Law of Energy" either, which states that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
 
Again, these principles are SIMILAR, and I'm not saying that they don't necessarily exist (although I don't believe in the "past life" principles of Buddhism and Hinduism), I'm stating the obvious fact that MANY PEOPLE commonly confuse words like "Karma" with this Biblical principle and Law of the Harvest.
 
The Law of the Harvest is much, much better than Karma and the laws of physics because we're talking about GOD here.  
 
We are getting into the abundant, supernatural, all powerful kind of laws that reflect God's goodness and God' love for us.  
 
Of course, in real life, this law that was designed to be a GIFT quickly become our demise because the other side of the coin is the REALITY that we do a lot of things that result in far greater negative consequences than we signed up for.  
 
Many tend to BLAME God in these times where we are suffering the consequences not of our own actions, but of the actions of others who came before us.   So what God has created for our BLESSING feels like a PUNISHMENT because the fall of Man has broken this system. 
 

Here's What I See....

So, SO  many of us are in "Survival Mode" in our health and in our life.  And, like my poor plants, we are not giving ourselves a chance to grow from SURVIVING to THRIVING.   We are barely hangin on.  
But God did NOT create us to merely survive in life.  Or to settle of mediocrity.
 
Oh no.
 
He created us to THRIVE in life.  He created us for a "Promised Land" type of lifestyle and health.
 
And I know so many of us have full INTENTION of one day "Thriving" in our health, but just haven't committed to doing the things we need to do in order to allow for that transition to take place.
 

And here's the kicker, I think it's simply because we don't fully UNDERSTAND and APPLY the Law(s) of the Harvest, so we DO A LOT OF THINGS in a way that won't allow us to graduate from surviving to thriving.

 We go half-hearted in our health effort and we reap half-hearted results.
 
Much like when I didn't water my plants, we will stop and think, "Oh I should go work out," but instead of just going, we think, "Meh, I don't really feel like it right now, I'll do it later."  And of course, later never comes...
 
Or with our eating, we think, "Oh I'm full and I really don't need this dessert," but then we eat it anyway because, well, it's there and we think, "what just one dessert?"  But it usually doesn't stop at one dessert just one day, does it.
 
So, when we put in small efforts and get small results, we think the SYSTEM and blame our "slow metabolism.
 
...Or our CIRCUMSTANCES prevented it, blaming our "lack of time."
 
...Or even our GUILT gets in our way, thinking of our failures and not wanting to set ourselves up for defeat, yet again.
 
This is painful, hard stuff.
 

But, there IS HOPE. 

By learning the 7 Laws of the Harvest you will apply HOW you can plant seeds in FAITH that will make ALL the difference in your:
 
CHOICES
ACTIONS
VISION
EXPECTATIONS
RESILIENCY
PREPARATION
& CORE VALUES
 
Remember, THRIVING in our Health is SO WORTH IT.
 
  • Surviving Health = where you feel like you are punishing yourself when you eat vegetables or exercise.
  • Thriving Health = when you feel SO GOOD when you eat nutritiously and move often that choosing NOT to become not an option.
 
  • Surviving Health = every time you pass by the mirror, you experience that tinge of dismay. The results aren't coming fast enough or aren't going in the direction you want at all!
  • Thriving Health = when you forget to look in the mirror because you are off doing the things God created you to do.  And even when you do look in the mirror, you see with new eyes of love and compassion.  You see yourself the way God sees you.

 

  • Surviving Health = when you buy and rely on overly expensive programs, shakes, or meal plans to follow because you don't trust yourself to make decisions on your own.
  • Thriving Health = when you trust yourself and know your body.  You feed it when it's hungry and stop when it's full.  You know when to PUSH and when to REST.  You enjoy food but aren't constrained by it.
 

SO, this is "Big Girl" stuff for 2016.  Part of the #SURRENDher16 initiative!  This is digging deep and as my mentor Jill Coleman would say, "leveling up" in our life and in our health.

 
Stop SETTLING for a life that is barely SURVIVING.  It's time to THRIVE.
 

So, we are going to GROW SOME GREEN THUMBS and get to plowing!

 
And, don't worry, if you're like me and are NOT GREAT at planting, not to worry, the key to your success is not in YOUR ABILITY, but in God's ability THROUGH YOU.  All you have to do is commit and SHOW UP.
 
#PLANTINGINFAITH is a game-changer mindset for our health!
 
The 7-Laws of the Harvest will allow us to life our BEST LIFE.  And because we've already learned the imperative facts that:
 
1. it take 21-days to form a MEMORY in our brain & 
2.  63-days to form a HABIT.
 
We are not going to just slide right by some of these lessons.  We are going to dig deep and make sure we understand, learn and apply them to their fullest potential in our life!
 
See you free gift below to help you start this journey!   Here's to Happy Harvesting!
 

Join the Harvesting Series!

If you are interested in learning more about how to Harvest Your Health in 2016, then I'd love to welcome you to my email list!  I'll be giving away the BEST content to my inner tribe!     In fact, I have a FREE 7-Day devotional series I wrote for you on "Harvesting My Health" through the 7-Laws of the Harvest!  I think you'll really like it!

Just click the button below to grab your free copy and I'll look forward to connecting with you soon!

FREE 7-Day Devotional

Categories
Spiritual Health

HEADCASE: The Difference Between My “Spirit Talking” and My “Head Talking”

HEAD CASE

I am a HEAD CASE.

“You’re in your head a lot.”  This is what my friend Erin tells me all the time.  She quickly follows it up with, “Don’t get me wrong.  It takes one to know one!”

It’s true, I can get trapped in my “own head” a lot.  I love that I am able to critically think and analyze something until I fully comprehend what I should do or how I can teach it.   However, when it comes to “self-talk” and even my relationships with others, it can be my greatest downfall.

If I stay too long in my head, it prevents me from acting and doing the things I know God wants me to do. It delays me and distracts me from my Greater Purpose pathway and the peace that He can give me when I dwell with Him in the Spirit.

When it comes to our health, our MINDS make all the difference.  Our thoughts cannot be trusted to tell us the truth, but our Spirit can.  Our Spirit is our inner “knowing,” or divine intuition that leads us in the direction we should go, even when it doesn’t logically make sense.

When we are in tune with our Spirit, we can learn to trust it as our guide.

Paul encourages us in Ephesians 6:18 to, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.  Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers.”

The problem is, how can we tell, then, when we are in Our Spirit versus when we are in Our Head?  How can you understand your own intuition versus your regular thought life?

I don’t think I recognized my own Spiritual voice in my head until I was being tempted beyond my normal “head case” ways.

*******

I remember, I was angry with my husband for something.  I honestly  have no idea what it was for on this occasion, because,  let’s face it, husbands can do this to us ALL THE TIME, or at least mine does!

But my anger was manifesting itself in the worst ways— ways that I think we can all relate to.

I was playing the “worst case scenario”  in my head.   I was worrying and over-analyzing and OBSESSIVELY role playing what I was going to say to him when I saw him.  I overwhelmingly felt like I was the victim of some great marriage tragedy, which, since I CAN’T remember for the life of me what the issue was today, tells us all that this was NOT indeed the case.  Ha!

Nevertheless, I was miserable, unable to do any work and crying, A LOT (this is how I release a lot of emotion, unfortunately).

A deep part of me somehow knew I was overreacting in some way.  It naturally turned into my need to PRAY to God and frantically ask for help. (Sign #1)

All of a sudden, when I stopped “talking to myself” in my head and starting “talking to God” I would physically feel the angst in my chest lift and I would be able to relax, even if for just a moment. (Sign #2)

It was not easy, my prayers would last about 30 seconds at the most.  I could not concentrate on God very long before my mind would take over again and start spiraling.

But, again and again, I felt this tug to  turn back to God in prayer, and each time,  would relax a bit more. (Sign #3)

It was a tough day, and I was exhausted by the constant back and forth and inner turmoil, but in the end, I felt resilient.

More SURREND’hered.

******

As I reflect on this experience now,  I know that I won that battle against the temptation taking place in my head.  That’s right, when we feel the anxiety, worry, victim mentalities, that is the tell-tale sign that we are under an attack.

However, when I sought God and found my Spiritual self again,  I was then able to gather my thoughts and have a rational conversation with my husband to get to a resolution.  We were able to talk without it escalating and making it far worse, which, had I gone with my original conversation in my head, would have done just that.

What I learned was….

I would liken our “SPIRIT SELF” versus our “WORLDLY SELF”  as the inner *KNOWING* that is tugging at our heart and gut and biding us to share our burden.

The voice that I take on when I speak to God sounds different than when I talk to myself…and yet, it’s still me talking.

 As an aside, there was a time where I tried to sound really eloquent and “spiritual” in my prayers….now I just talk how I would talk to any of my closest friends and family members.  I remain authentic to my personality and communication because, well, God knows me anyway.  I can’t fake it with God and it makes my prayer life much easier.

Plus, when I speak to God versus when I speak to myself,  I will say things like, “God, I’m really angry right now and feel frustrated by x, y, z (and usually l, m, n, o, p!)….”  but then I start saying things in my prayers like, “BUT, I know that you will handle all of this.  BUT, I know that you want me to be (faithful, loving, kind, gentle etc etc). ” (Sign #4)

Those sentences, where I start to say, “I KNOW” is not my head talking to me.  My head is being attacked.  That is my divine intuition, my “inner knowing,” speaking through me that is the Holy Spirit guiding me back to the *me* that He created me to be—> the Spiritual Self.

 

The answer….

So, how do you find your “Spiritual Self Talk” and distinguish her from your “Worldly Self Talk?”

PRAYER.

How you truly start to recognize your “INTUITION” versus your “HEAD” is characterized by what happens as you PRAY versus what happens as your THINK.

The more you start to pay attention to what is going on in that PRAYER SPACE, the more you will be able to embody that space throughout the day.  Prayer doesn’t always have to be a secluded, quiet event.  It can be a inner dialogue just as your regular thoughts are.

That is how you can indeed, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion” as Paul so rightly recommends.  Those days where I can walk and talk with God all day long are my greatest days ever.

 

Categories
Health Coaching

#1 Way to Stay Consistent!

We have all heard the saying, when it comes to seeing success in a health plan, “Consistency is King.”

Is that ever true?! I’ve seen friends and clients lose weight on a wide variety of approaches: High carb and low carb diets; High fat and low fat; High cardio and no cardio; Heavy weight training and yoga; Paleo diet and Vegan diets, some have even lost weight through becoming very flexible via yoga and increasing their libido to burn extra calories.

How do they do it?! You think it’s “just genetics?”-WRONG. Reseach indicates that our genetics only account for about 5% of our metabolic rate (the rate of which we burn our calories for energy).

Well, studies now confirm that the best diet to lose weight, is simply the one you’ll stick to. That’s right! It’s CONSISTENCY.

From where I stand, I know that for TRUE HEALTH it is not just about being consistent in your diet and exercise (i.e. your BODY) to be healthy, you must also be consistently strengthening your MIND and SPIRIT too!

For example, we cannot “fix” all of our negative thoughts that lead to negative actions by just one good day of mindful and positive thinking. We need to CONSISTENTLY give to this practice and build this “mental” muscle up to garner true health in this area.

Also, our relationship with God and our Spiritual strength must be nourished and strengthened on a consistent basis to truly unlock our Spiritual Power. It is not enough to say a prayer one day, accepting God into our hearts, and then do NOTHING for the rest of our lives. Consistently building our relationship with God is the only way to become Spiritually Strong. Period. End of story.

Well, as we know full well, as humans we struggle with consistency. We grow impatient for results and we resort back to the old bad habits that offer immediate gratification but also weaken our body, minds and souls to the sin they may serve.

So, today, I wanted to offer you the somewhat obvious, but often overlooked, tool that will help you stay CONSISTENT the MOST!

The often overlooked valuable tool for staying CONSISTENT is:

—->ACCOUNTABILITY<-----

Accountability is that person, procedure, or tool that helps you build the habit of consistency.

I have implemented several effective tools that helped to hold me accountable to my goals and therefore stay CONSISTENT with them. Since I want to make sure I am finding my TRUE HEALTH, not just my body’s health, I have implemented effective strategies for my BODY, MIND and SOUL.

Here are my best ways that I hold my self ACCOUNTABLE to stay CONSISTENT in these areas!

1. Body:

  • -Food Logs (My Fitness Pal, Food Journal etc)
  • -Personal Trainers
  • -Workout Buddies (Group Fitness Friends)
  • -Nutritionists
  • -Goal Tracking Strategies

I have hired and used all of the above in some capacity for years and years. For exercise, I will say the most effective and motivating accountability components are those that involve a COMMUNITY. I love doing things with others. It makes me feel like I belong a little more, pushing me to be stronger, and allows me to give back to others by pushing them.

I also love when another person gives me a workout to do, this way I’m pushed to do more than if I were to try to do my own. It really works for me, even as a trainer myself.

For NUTRITION, which we know is a solid 75-80% of your weight loss success, this one is more self-reliant so I have to hold myself more accountable with some tracking tools. Now, I’ve gone through phases with tracking and counting calories.

Logging our food doesn’t always work to our benefits and can often cause psychological distress. But if I simultaneously implement strong MENTAL andSPIRITUAL practices to keep me grounded, I really value the feedback and accountability that tracking can offer.

MyFitnessPal is my go-to app, but I’ve also been a fan of implementing my own on Google Drive so that I can make notes on hunger, cravings, emotions and food feelings too. This gives me much more to analyze and see areas for progress.

2. MIND:

  • -Journaling
  • -Mentorship
  • -Classes/Education Courses
  • -Reading
  • -Counseling/Therapy

This year, for accountability in learning and gaining WISDOM for my health I have signed up for a course and mentorship. I am part of a 11-month group of women called the “Best of You” coaching club led by the Fitness and Mindset guru, Jill Coleman from Jillfit.com. She teaches and mentors about 50 of us women who have started or want to start a online business in Fitness industry.

Paying money for, and engaging in a learning “COMMUNITY” again is very powerful in its motivation and accountability! This program was pretty expensive but worth it. The fact that I have paid for this service also really makes me USE this service. Have you ever noticed that tendency?

In the same way, I have also sought years of therapy and counseling from Licensed Therapists that can help me tackle some of my mental blocks from my past and present that I can’t see myself. I book appointments to attend and pay money for people that can help me think better. There should be absolutely no shame EVER for seeking greater understanding of your mind and hiring those people that can help you do that!

3. SOUL

  • -Findinga a Home Church
  • -Bible Study/Small Group
  • -Prayer Partner
  • -Online Prayer Support Groups

This year, I went out on a limb and reached out to a fellow Christian girlfriend to see if she would want to be my Prayer Partner (or what we call Prayer Warriors ;-)). I am so glad that I did because this relationship has been SO POWERFUL in keeping me spiritually strong. Having a sister in Christ to pray with and share your hopes and fears and all the tremendous ways that God is impacting our lives is so incredibly rewarding and empowering.

Historically however, the most life changing Spiritual events have usually happened at church and in fellowship with a COMMUNITY again. So stepping out, and making time for your Spiritual growth by sharing it in community with others is part of how God works in our souls! I physically feel God the most when I am praying with or around others at church or other small gatherings.

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20

Well, while these options might seem like a giant check list of all the new accountability strategies you should now implement, I actually really just want to make things easier on you!

I privileged that I have an option that might just be your BEST SOLUTION to hold yourself accountable in ALL 3 areas: Mind, Body & Soul! –> It’s ME!

You see, I have been a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and nutritionist for years and (as you all know by now) have given up those wonderful careers in an effort to BE MORE for people and to help more in the REAL changes that need to occur for long-lasting weight loss to occur.

I love trainers and gyms and everything involved, but those accountability partners usually only cover those BODY goals. And while they might work to push us and strengthen us, it will come with a pretty expensive price tag ($75-$100/hour) and no guaranteed results! (Again, exercise is just 25% of the issue!)

So, embarking on VIRTUAL HEALTH COACHING venture was risky but has been WORTH IT for both myself and my clients!

I have become a TRIFECTA of Accountability Partners for these women and have pushed them all to gain strength in their BODYS, MINDS and SOULS all at once and am seeing some incredible results!

–Clients that were obsessive about their diets have been able to reign in their fear-based diet approach.
–Clients that were severely out of shape have found the exact steps to get back into shape.
–Clients that thought they needed to be overly restrictive and exercising all the time have found success on doing the least amount required and eating as much as possible!
–Clients that are ready to step out and do big bold things for their health, are conquering their dreams!

Up until now, my health coaching has just included these great services:

  • Weekly 30-60 minute phone call to connect and discuss their weekly goals.
  • A Self Empowered Guided Nutrition Plan
  • Lots of Personalized Strategies for goals
  • Daily Emails and Texts to Check In
  • ADD-On Option: Personalized Workouts

I have GREAT NEWS, right now, I’m offering all the same great services PLUS MORE all for about the same cost!!

Now, I have created a 12-Week SURREND’her HEALTH TRANSFORMATION Module Program that ensures you will LEARN what you need to learn in order to be successful in your health FOREVER.

Every 2-weeks, we will cover a very important topic that will educate you and get you thinking MORE about some important aspects of the BODY, MIND and SOUL that you MUST learn in order to achieve true strength.

I have chosen topics after carefully considering the most COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS and problems I’ve seen with clients as well as those most FREQUENT CONCERNS I have for MYSELF!

The 12-Week SURREND’her HEALTH TRANSFORMATION 6-Modules Include:

  1. SURREND’her Goal Development
  2. METABOLISM 101
  3. NUTRIENT-BASED Body
  4. EMPOW’hered TRAINING
  5. MIND MATTERS – (Patience, Comparing Yourself to Others, Addictions/Cravings etc.)
  6. SURREND’her to your WHY- Greater Purpose Week

So, here’s the deal, in order to be really effective as a Health Coach, I can’t have too many clients at once. It does not work to spread myself too thin. Therefore, I have to limit the number of clients I accept to this program.

Right now, I only have 3 Open Spots left available in my roster.

This will ensure that if you apply and are accepted for the 12-week transformation, you will get the best customer service care I can offer you and you can rest assured that I will be that accountability partner that you need!

I am offering FREE 20-Min phonecalls to anyone that wants to chat and see if we’re a “Wright Fit” for Virtual Coaching. Please email me at amanda@amandawrightfit.com to set that up!

Health Coaching with Amanda Wright

Categories
Fitness & Training Goal Development Health Coaching Spiritual Health Uncategorized

Life is Bootyful

So, if you’ve never met me, you might not realize all that I have going on….

Meaning, I have a pretty big butt.

Woman Booty

As a matter of fact, my booty is a flotation device! Yep, when I swim it somehow stays above water the whole time. Don’t ask me how. It’s rather embarrassing, and one strong reason why I am NOT a fan of swimming. I received quite a few chuckles about it when I was young, and can see how cute it must have been back then.

Now it’s just a little alarming. So unless you’re my 2-year old stepdaughter, don’t expect me to hop in the pool much with you.

Yes, the Lord blessed me and my Momma (and my Momma’s Momma) this-girl-got-it-from-her-mamawith this “S-Curve” action. (Despite what my husband thinks) I am white and grew up in a pretty white town, so this was not something I loved about myself growing up.

As a matter of fact, when I shared the story of my childhood and how I started to develop deep insecurities about my body aaaallllllll the way back in 2nd grade, it was because I had this big ol’ booty and I got teased about it all the time.

While growing up, I would honestly pray that God would help me lose weight in my booty. Well I think he misheard me, because whenever I lost weight, it was right from my boobies….not my booty. The opposite of my request!!

We all have prayer requests. The bible tells us that no prayer request is too big or too small.

So my prayer to lose weight in my booty isn’t technically too small of a prayer for God, but it was just pretty “small minded” of me! There were certainly things I was in need of in a spiritual sense, more in need of than a smaller butt!

Nevertheless, even though it was always my workout goal to “get a smaller butt“, this goal and this prayer went unanswered. I had to learn to live with the big “bootyful” life I had.

youre-bootyful-85186532Luckily I did.

Fast forward to me, 25-years old, working as a waitress in La Jolla, CA, at a nice steak house called Donovans.

In walks this tall drink of mochacino man that literally gave me heart palpitations.

I walked by him……he looked at me…..I smiled at him….he gawked at me. I was unnerved and was thanking my stars I wasn’t his waitress! I would walk by his table on the way to the kitchen and try not to look his way. I was hanging out at the bar, and in order to completely avoid looking in his direction, I completely turned my back and was pretending to watch whatever sporting event was on the TV above me.

This move gave him the robust view of…..you guessed it….my large derrière!

This is what we call a HOOK, LINE, and SINKER for my man. original_hook-line-and-sinker-valentines-card

Within just a few moments, his waiter was handing over his business card to me telling me, “the talk guy at my table is into you“. On the back of his card was “Dinner Sometime?“(what a line, Wright!)

And as the saying goes……….the rest is history!

photo (5)
Left: October 2007 when we first met…Right: October 2015 on our wedding day

As my husband describes it, his first attraction was to my face. But what got him to literally “play his cards” right was my big ol’ booty.

So, all those years, God didn’t answer my prayer to help me lose weight in my butt. He knew that this big booty would literally help me get the man of my dreams!

This perspective has helped me love and understand my body goals so much more!

Along with my butt, I have always struggled with the necessary “thunder thighs” that help support my booty.

strongwomanBut now I see my big, stroooonng legs as maybe purposeful. God willing, I’ll never have to lift a car off of a child, or carry my 6’8″ husband out of a burning building. But, I’m (probably) strong enough to do those things. I think that’s kinda cool.

I see the naturally, slightly higher body fat and estrogen hormonal structure unique to my body (pear-shaped as they call it) being purposeful in creating a human life. That might be cool one day, if that is what God has in store for me 😉

Body-shapes

And clearly if I’m ever in a boating accident, or airplane crash over water, I could just be used as a, “flotation device” with my buoyant-behind, meaning I could survive to speak to legal help after a crash. (Again God, if you can please make that NEVER have to happen, Amen).

As good as this would be in an event of an accident, such as one in an airplane, I don’t think my “floatation device” would be able to help me cover the costs of any loss of earnings or medical bills, as I’m sure that I would definitely need to have some emergency treatment. That’s when a law firm similar to lamber goodnow would have to be contacted so they could help me in the steps that I would need to complete next. But I’m hoping that it will never come to this.

I see my curves as pretty great not just because my husband loves them, but because they are unique to me and they are what God designed! He is a master crafter! Everything can have a Purpose!

So yes, I still have body goals. Yes, I still pray for God to guide me with my body goals. Yes, I make sure I am staying fit and healthy instead of using this perspective of “loving my body” as an excuse to be lazy or not strengthen it.

But I’m no longer praying for God to magically change my “flawed features”, because I see that there is truly Purpose in each and every ounce of my body.

img-thing

I concentrate on being STRONG’her in body, WISE’her in how I think about my body, and certainly continue to SURREND’her curves up to God so they might be used for you Greater Purpose.

I invite you to do the same in taking part in my 7-Step SURREND’her Goal Development Workshop! It will help you define the (W)right fit of goals for your life. Balance your health goals to empower yourself towards true health and provide you with 7-steps to make your goals a life long commitment!

The emails will be sent to you between April 13-April 20.

There is no extra gimmick. Nothing to sell. Just me, striving to help you reach your goals!! There are limited spaces…. so act fast!

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Goal Development Health Coaching Spiritual Health Uncategorized

{Public Service Announcement} YOU are WORTHY

I have to admit, every time I contemplate opening up and writing about certain spiritual moments in my personal life, I get very nervous and unsure if I should.  But today, I feel as though this is too powerful and too necessary of a message that I can’t let any fear hold me back.

So here it goes……

As directed, I was standing in the quiet solitude, opening the posture of my heart and wondering if this was really going to work.  Pastor Alan Kraft was praying over us in the congregation and was speaking to the areas that we might be “thirsting for MORE of the Holy Spirit”. 
Thirsting SoulHe asked if some of us might be contemplating “an area of risk or feeling God might be asking us to step out of our comfort zone in some way.”

He instructed those of us that were feeling this area of “thirst in our souls”, to ask God, in the quiet of our heart, to give us a word or a phrase that He wanted us to know. 

In moment, the word that filled my heart was….

“Worthy”

Pastor Alan is the lead Pastor of Christ Community Church in my home town in Greeley,CO.  I just so happened to be back in town and of course always love to attend the church where this Pastor  played such a significant role in reawakening my soul and therefore my life as I now know it.  There is no amount of money or tithe that I could possibly repay this church, and that humble man, for the impact he has had on my life during some of my darkest days (I’m talking about every break-up I ever faced!).  It was a divine gift that led me to that church when I did.  I am so grateful for this blessed impact.   

This day would be another example of God’s wondrous miracles and His abundant grace pouring down on me in this Church.

This word “Worthy” brought me to tears immediately.    

It was as though with just the small prick of one simple word, the entire ho- air-balloon 
Hot Air Balloon-sized amount of guilt, fear and true UNworthiness I had been feeling for SO long was completely deflated.

This would not be the first time a single word would have such a huge impact on my life.  About 4-years ago now, I was living with my parents just after moving back to Colorado from California and was really unsure what I was “supposed to be doing.”

I was watching an Oprah Winfrey, Master Class, about the star herself (see video link).  She was speaking about the time she was jogging, literally at a fat farm, and so upset about not getting the role she thought God had called her to get  for the movie, The Color Purple.  She was tormented by this and in her grief, finally started to spontaneously sing the hymn “I Surrender All”, reminding herself that she needed to just Surrender this expectation and her life to God.  She describes it as just words at first, but the more she repeated that chorus and the more she started to pray on it, the more she was truly able to SURRENDER herself and be ok with not getting that part. 

Oprah Surrender

The second she got to that place in her Spirit, someone came running out to let her know she had a call from Steven Spielberg himself, offering her the role she had dreamed of.  It all happened the moment she truly “Surrendered”.

But the word, as she said it, seemed to leap off her mouth on the TV and smack me upside the head. 

“Surrender”

It was, as she would certainly describe it, an “aha moment” of magnitude 10. 

As you might have guessed by my repeated use here and now trademarked version of my, SURREND’her, this word became my mantra for living ever since that day. Just as Oprah describes it was just merely a word to me at first, but the more I prayed it out or I wrote it down and repeated it to myself, the more I was able to truly Surrender my spirit more and more.  istock-purchased-surrenderIt was so freeing to think that I could loosen the tight grip of all this life choices I thought I was going to have to create for myself.  That I did not need to control my own destiny, that I could surrender it all to God and trust that He would take care of it. 

Just as he has with Oprah, God has blessed me with the life of my dreams, and I know I’m only getting started!   It led me to several life changing experiences and challenges!  I have been able to accept and embrace things in my life that I never would have dreamed like step-parenting, forgiving, moving, and world traveling!   But here I am , Surrendering to it still now, and loving EVERY. SURREND’hered. Moment.

So now, this new word…….WORTHY.

I realized I had been feeling so UNworthy in so many ways. 

UNworthy of God’s presence in my life and for his debt that He paid for my sin.

UNworthy or guilty of the blessing of being back with my fiancé, now husband, Howard and all that we were planning to do and a wealth of opportunity I never had imagined for my life. 

I also felt very UNworthy of the calling I had been starting to feel in my soul and all of THIS….

THIS dream, of this very website and the possibility of writing or speaking publicly about my health and my faith is is huge step out of my comfort zone.  But I am strengthened only by God’s presence in me.

 I had an intense amount of fear that was causing me to procrastinate and divert my attention to other menial tasks, instead of starting this project and site.  Even now, there is intense amount of fear that surfaces again and again with each post because it is an extremely vulnerable thing to talk about not just my life, but my Faith.   I have always felt very private about my faith mainly because I never, ever want to offend anyone and don’t want to make anyone think that I am trying to force a religion down their throats.

But in this moment, God called me WORTHY and it is now imprinted on my heart.  I wear this worthiness like a badge of honor to play this “worthy” role, even if my fears want to try to talk me out of owning it.

Just like I did with ‘Surrender”, I put this word every where! It’s on my Vision Board, on a custom sign I’m having made for my desk and I write it down as often as I can, especially when I’m journaling or feeling especially emotional and fearful. 

WORTHY
My Office Shelf with my Vision Board titled WORTHY

This word ‘Worthy’ truly became the daily reminder that God is telling me I’m worthy of this all and I’m worthy of His love and blessings He wants to bestow to me if I am obedient to His calling.    I should not hold myself back from all of my hearts desires because of the LIE of ‘unworthiness’ I had been feeling for so long.

THIS WEEK…..

I am reminded of this word this week as I have talked to more than one close girlfriend who are also fellow Christians, but are struggling in different areas of their life, like we all are.

Both of them confided to me that they had been feeling “UNworthy” of all of their blessings in their life too.   They used that exact word…”UNworthy”….

I realized when speaking to these friends that they too were caught in the fear and the lie of this feeling of unworthiness and it is stalling them in taking the next step they need to take on their path for their Greater Purpose. 

And now it’s hit me. 

Really, this word was never just MY word to now use.    

No, this word that God gave me on that September day was always intended as a gift for you.  You, whoever you are, reading this right now. 

It is a miracle that you happen to be reading this very blog this day because God has something very special He wanted me to remind you.

worthyYou are worthy of it all.

You are worthy of your blessings.  You are worthy of His Grace.  You are worthy of His forgiveness.  You are worthy of YOUR calling to YOUR Greater Purpose. You are worthy of the
price Jesus paid when He died for your sins.  You are worthy of your dreams.

You are worthy of your health. 

You are worthy of His love.

He wants you to wear this word of “Worthy” like a tattoo on your heart because you will never be rid of your worthiness.  

If you feel that you have been holding yourself back from your dreams (whether they are dreams about your health, or dreams about your calling, or anything!) because you have been feeling deep down inside that you are somehow UNworthy of the true blessing God has planned for you, then TODAY is your day to step out from behind those dark shadows and lies of UNworthiness.

FEAR IS A LIAR

FEAR is a LIAR.  Your feeling of UNWORTHINESS is a LIE straight from Satan himself that has plagued your spirit and has caused you to hold back from fully committing your life to your Greater Purpose.  It is holding you back from SURREND’hering it ALL to God, not just some of your life. 

God has created you for a Greater Purpose and you are WORTHY and capable of every step ahead of you!!

If you are feeling unsure about the next steps in your life and unsure if you are living out a life of your WORTHY calling, then I would be honored to help you decide what your WORTHY goals should be! 

I am hosting a 7-part/day series called 7-Steps to SURREND’her Goal Development where I am going to take a limited number of participants through the program I developed that I use personally every day and I use with each of my Health Coaching Clients.

You will be creating and designing goals for your life to help you fulfill your Greater Purpose!  To put action to this call of urlWORTHINESS and to start the action steps to accomplish ALL God has called you to do. 

You will get the chance to learn how to achieve goals in ALL areas of your True Health (or life!) including Body Goals, Mindset Goals and Spiritual Goals to become….

a wright fit tag line

It will be an incredibly rewarding time of self-discovery, visualization and action steps to achieve all God is calling you to achieve!!

The series will start on Monday, April 13 and will be emailed to you for just 7-Days.

For YOU, I will offer this service for FREE because I think you are Worthy of achieving any goal or dream in your heart. 

To take part of this 7-Steps to SURREND’hered GOAL Development click HERE and share with as many people as you think are WORTHY as well.  

Categories
Health Coaching Spiritual Health Uncategorized

From Pieces to Peace — 7 Distinguishing Signs You’re Living Your Greater Purpose

God Is Within Her 

The other day, I opened up about a time where I very blatantly ignored the voice of God within me when I decided to push myself to do a Bikini Competition.   As challenging as it is to open up about such private stories, I was surprised to find relief and even joy in divulging this to you.

You see, because I am where I am now and since I have done ALL the work I have done, I look back at that time, which was just about 2-years ago, and am beyond thankful that I had those dark days so I can fully relish and realize the light that I feel today.

It makes me weep almost daily at the beauty of what I feel inside. Make no mistake, my life is not perfect and I am still learning hard lessons every day, but the difference I am feeling TODAY versus how I was feeling just 2-years ago, feels like light years away.
It is as though the missing pieces of my soul have finally clicked into place.   As though the puzzle that was broken into a confusion of scattered pieces has finally started to come together to reveal the picture they were destined to—the picture of my heart.Pieces of Heart

I have gone from pieces to peace.

I have found the freedom and peace that I believe only comes from SURREND’hering myself the path to my Greater Purpose in life. By mustering the courage and bravery of changing my habits and refocusing my path, I now live a life that feels so full.  How different it feels than just 2 years ago.

I pray earnestly that all women (and men) might find this strength and peace.

I pray for the women who are lost, just as I was, and are trying desperately to create their own “Purpose” in this life.

Like I was, women who are suffering from their own ways and are coping with this suffering with endless cocktail hours, hook-ups, gossip, body and beauty obsession and more.

Like I was, women who think that if they can only accomplish Goal “X”,  they will be happy.  Only to find that Goal “X” just leads to a hamster wheel of new goal after new goal. Going faster and trying harder but getting nowhere and feeling no happier.

Like I was, women who think they have to create their own destiny and find their own Purpose and set out to create lists, and plans, and vision boards to get “there”, only to find there is no “there”, there.There there

 

As I explained the other day there are clear signs that we are on the path to our Greater Purpose or a path of our own choosing.

Greater Purpose, as I see it, is our destiny, our calling, and the WHY in our lives.

 Mark Twain Quote

There is so much we can go out an conquer in this world! There are endless opportunities that await us and so many challenges we can take head on!

HOWEVER, finding the Spiritual alignment of our Greater Purpose FIRST is the key to developing the right short-term and long-term goals to lead you to a life you dream of.

So, how do you know if you’re following God’s Greater Purpose or Your Own Path?

Using my experience from 2-years ago versus how I live my life NOW, I’ll explain the:

7 Distinguishing Signs You’re Living Your Greater Purpose:

  1. #1

God has a unique plan for your life but you must develop a relationship with Him in order to see the steps ahead. Time spent in prayer is key, but also allowing your life to fall into place as it is supposed to is key as well. Showing you can Surrend’her control to Him. You can tell something is in God’s plan when it all feels like it’s falling into place with little or no effort of your own. It does not mean it’s easy, but God will provide you the tools with each step.

When I decided to do my bikini competition I didn’t consult God to ask if I should do the show. I made my decision and theennnn prayed to God to help me do it, big difference! I heard God’s voice telling “I didn’t have to”, but I brushed it off  to justify my own ways of thinking. My process of training kept hitting wall after wall too. My body had to be pushed very hard to lose the amount of body fat that I did. While I expect a challenge from God’s path too, there is a difference between a challenge God gives me and the challenge I faced when trying to force my body to change so drastically.

Now, I am challenged every day to overcome my fears and tendency to worry about what people think of me, but I defeat those fears because I know God has called me to do this. God has put me on this path and God is more powerful than any fear or difficulty. My life is challenged but in a way that still gives me peace and hope that I am on the right path.

 

2.

#2

The path of your Greater Purpose is not presented to you on a map where you see exactly where it will lead. No, God just takes you day by day making you focus just on the next step of the path. Living intimately connected to Him in your soul allows you to see things just as they are right now, in the present moment. He will offer you refuge, patience, love, joy, understanding, awareness, wisdom etc if you see it in the moment you are in. Practicing this with Him allows you to live more fulfilled and aware of all that you are blessed with in this very moment, allowing your worries about “tomorrow” to fall by the way side.

When I was prepping for my bikini competition all I could think and fantasize about what what it was going to be like when this process was over. Dreaming of the day of the show, what I would get to eat, and how I was going to feel. Day by day, I was a walking hollow shell and felt I was floating through life hardly connecting to anyone or anything in my path.

Now, I still have no idea where this Greater Purpose may lead me, my marriage or lead this business, but I have faith and strong hope that God will see me/us through, and it will be Good.

 

3.

#3

 

The human side of us always tries to tie our relevance in life to what we do for a living. While our jobs are what we spend a great majority of our time doing, our Greater Purpose is how we perform our jobs and how we live our life outside of our jobs too. Our Greater Purpose flows from our soul outward which means it starts in the areas of our character, our core values and our personality.   These define us more than our job title.

When I was in competition mode, I was living a life of a weakened spirit. The values I was living by were self control, conformity, belonging, introversion and unworthiness. None of the values that I aspire to live out for my Greater Purpose now.

Now, I focus on the values God calls me to live— Love, Health, Integrity, Empathy, Service to Others, and Obedience. I would describe my calling and my Greater Purpose by these words that guided me to in my Core Values Exercise. (click link to receive the Core Value Exercise)

 

4.

#4

 

Our life is meant to be lived and shared with others. Loving and serving others and caring about those around you, not just in the physical sense, but caring about their spiritual well being as well.

When I was in competition mode, I had no real time to think about other people. I could only muster the energy to make it through my 2-hour workouts and my 5-6 meals of protein and supplements and really had no time to fellowship with my friends, family or even strangers.

This was the part I hated the most and the part I cringe at when I see other friends competing. All I talked about with my friends was me, my diet, my workouts, how I’m feeling, what I need to work on still…… me me ME! I got so sick of talking about ME.

Now, when I’m on the phone with my health coaching clients, I get so much joy from hearing more about them. I find more purpose in listening than in speaking. While my Greater Purpose is also tesJames-1-192ting my own voice (both written and verbally), I am always reminded to be quick to listen and slow to speak. It is a challenge for me, but I value learning first, teaching second.

 

 

 

 

5.

#5

 

When God sets you on your path to your Greater Purpose you feel secure and so motivated in your daily life that it gives you such forbearance and patience to help propel you through the day. Although, you may not know where you path is leading tomorrow, you have a calm sense of knowing that what you’re doing is Right.

When I was in competition mode, I was impatient, irritable, and cranky with the slowness of life. I could not wait for each day to get over and I could not wait for the day of the show. This impatience certainly contributed to the more and more drastic actions I took to get me to the stage.

Now, while I can’t say I love being patient, I certainly have learned to appreciate it. Living in the present focuses my mind on my true motivation and what I should be doing. This activity naturally builds patience to result because I have less time to worry about what will be….I am swept up in the power of now.

 

6.

#6

 

God will reveal to you exactly the thing you should be working on and strengthening. He offers times of work and times of rest that allow a balanced approach to you life. Following His Greater Purpose path, you’ll find that as you rest some areas of your life for short periods, you can be engaging and growing other areas that will need tending to. Listening for His guidance allows you to live a balanced life.

When I was training, I was only focused on one thing—my body. I did not rest my body, nor did I have time to strengthen any other part of my life—like my mind or my spirit. My emotions were burnt out, and I felt off balance.

Now, I find time to work on all three areas of my life- Body, Mind and Soul. I’ll put “work” on my body (via exercise or by focusing intently on my diet) and then rest that stress. While Im resting my body, I find ways to engage my mind. To rest my mind, I find ways to open my spirit and surrender more. Once I feel spiritually restored, I can go back to putting work into my body! It all flows together in a balanced approach and balanced life.

Even though my life feels like a whirlwind of travel and being on the go, I feel much more “together” than I ever have before.

7.

#7

 

When you full embrace and Surrend’her to God’s path for you, you can fully realize and see that you have very little to do with how your life really plays out. You realize how small you are and how Great God is. Even in our inner strengths, character and values we have, God is responsible for this awareness and for these unique characteristics all coming together to create the masterpiece that you are.

When I was in competition mode, I put all the ownership on myself. That I was solely responsible for what I was able to achieve. It put a lot of pressure on myself and perfectionist way of thinking.

Now, I can live a life free from that burden because I realize and appreciate how much God really take care of. That I don’t need to take the ownership of every detail because He will do it in a better way than I could anyway.

Looking for the path of your Greater Purpose is a challenge and I hope you all can see you’re probably on the right path in some areas of your life, but may be holding on to other areas as your own.  I encourage you to take a deep look at ALL of your life and see if you have truly SURREND’hered it all or have held on to some pieces.  More will be revealed to me, I know.  I’ll be looking out…..

 

 

IMG_0555

 

 

 

 

Categories
Fitness & Training Spiritual Health Uncategorized

[Part 4] Wine Not?! How did I WINE-D Up Here?

You’ll find that a consistent theme in my writing and teaching on health is the importance of reaching the Spiritual Connection to any change you wish you make in your life, even your health goals. I believe it is not until you reach this pivotal moment of spiritual alignment that you can finally make a LIFE change, not just a short-term, will-power dependent, kind of change.

Over the course of this week in my 5-Part Series called “Wine Not?!”, I’ve charted the path at how I arrived at the life decision to step away, or as I said, “break-up” with my relationship with WINE.

This decision first started for me with some physical ramifications (which I explained on Tuesday‘s blog), which lead to some logical assessment and some tougher questions to answer (which I explained on Yesterday‘s blog).

Today, I want to go over how it all finally “clicked into place” as I explain how I reached a Spiritual Connection to the act of avoiding wine.

I believe it’s worth explaining here exactly what I mean when I say “Spirit” and exactly what I mean when I say “Spiritual Connection or Alignment.”

What Is Your Spirit?

As I’ve struggled to fully articulate the complexity that is our Spirit, I think I have settled on this finite explanation, for now:

To me, our Spirit is our Truest Essence and Being. It is our inner compass that directs our lives and guides each decision we make. It is the home to our values, our virtues, and our character. It can be both our Light and our Darkness.

Our Spirit is the place where God dwells, waiting for us to call on Him. It is also where the Evil One dwells, hoping we’ll believe his lies.

Our Spirit is not always in our consciousness and most people live their entire lives having never awakened their mind to their Spiritual being.

Spiritual Consciousness:

I am not actually referring at all to RELIGIOUS BELIEFS when I’m talking about being guided by our Spirit.

I don’t in fact believe that religion itself actually guides anyone to a conscious spirituality. In spite of growing up in a healthy, faith-based home, going to church every Sunday and attending a Christian university, I can admit that I only came to my Spiritual Consciousness maybe 4-5 years ago.

While I have gone through stages of loving and hating attending church, it has been only by a shift in my Spiritual Alignment that I have truly CHANGED MY LIFE.

It has been a shift in my Spirit that has opened me up to the purpose of this great life……which is to have a personal relationship with God.

Religion does’t necessarily get you that relationship. Religion can often be caught-up in traditions and rules and guilt and fear. Religion is more man-made where as I know my Spirit was God-made.

Step 1: AWARENESS

Even so, just because I was now “conscious” of my Spirit in MOST areas of my life, it does not mean I was truly letting my “inner compass” guide me in ALL areas of my life.

What I was eating and what I was drinking were certainly never things that I thought I needed to consult my Spirit about. These were actions that were still relegated to the subconscious part of my being. All my eating and drinking habits (i.e. the Strict Binger person I was) were largely due to having a narrow and mainly negative focus on how I saw my body.

As I struggled to cut back my drinking, in spite of knowing it wasn’t having a good affect on my body, I started to ask myself these tough questions:

-Am I dependent on wine?
-Do I need wine to have fun?
-Do I need wine to make people to like me?
-Do I need wine to like people?
-Do I need wine to feel like myself?

 

After some deeper connecting, I realized the reason why I was still resorting to drinking wine even when I was “trying to stop” was because of one truth:

I BELIEVED THE ANSWER TO ALL THOSE QUESTIONS WAS—-> yes_logo

 

That is not to say the answer IS yes to all of those questions. (The answer to all those questions is indeed a strong NO, I have found).

But, I was subconsciously believing that I was dependent on wine on a Spiritual level.

Somewhere, deep in my soul, there were still some lies that I was believing about myself. Lies that were telling me I needed a chemically induced way to truly alleviate stress. Lies that told me I needed a drink to have fun. Lies that were telling me that those around me would like me more when I’m drinking. Lies that were telling me I needed wine to feel like my real self.

LIES

LIES

LIES

 

They are LIES in my head and they are LIES in your head too. Whatever your “thing” is that you just can‘t seem to give up, in spite of suffering some body or mental consequence because of it, is because of some set of LIES you continue to believe in your Spirit. Whatever reason you give yourself for not being able to DO anything, is a lie. Because I’m here to tell you, LOUD AND CLEAR,

THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN’T DO, IF YOU DO IT WITH GOD.

Exposing these LIES through simple awareness and spiritual consciousness is the first step to replacing them with the TRUTH about you and the TRUTH about whatever it is you’re trying to change.

STEP 2: REATTACHMENT

Once I become aware of these lies, I couldn’t just tell myself to STOP BELIEVING THE LIES.

Ha! If only it were so easy.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.

The only thing that casts out LIES is the TRUTH.

The truth is I CAN de-stress without wine. I CAN be fun at dinner without getting lubricated. Others WILL like me even if I’m not drinking and they are.

MY Truth, was that I was not put on this earth to be dependent on anything except my relationship with God. Not my husband, not my mom and not any of that Good Juice I call Wine.

I needed to REATTACH myself to my Greater Purpose in my life and see things how for their TRUTH.

Each one of us has a Greater Purpose. This is the term that I use to describe your destiny, your calling or basically your God-given purpose.

Each of us is built with our unique DNA, our unique character and our unique set of core values that all live within our Spirit. We find our Greater Purpose when we can SURREND‘her these spiritual gifts to God and align ourself on His path, not our own.

As I was drinking and depending on WINE so much, I realized this was because I was attaching this act to some old, subconscious VALUES of mine:

  • People-Pleasing
  • Approval
  • Harmony
  • Conformity
  • Meekness

 

But the Greater Purpose set of values I have identified from my Conscious Spirit (i.e. from God) are:

 

  • Health
  • Faith
  • Integrity
  • Love
  • Obedience
  • Serving Others

 

(BONUS, If you’re interested in investigating in YOUR Core Values to live your Greater Purpose, click HERE to receive my 6-Steps to Values Based Living straight to your inbox!)

When I REATTACHED my decision of drinking to my Greater Purpose set of values, my decision was much easier to make.

  • In Health, I’ll limit my intake to none or just 1 glass at a time to avoid the body consequences of drinking.
  • In Faith, I remind myself of ALL that I’m put on this earth to do, which right now includes a habit of getting up at 530am every day to have some quiet time and to practice the art of writing. Having to get up so early means that I DON’t want to have a foggy brain or headache the next day from drinking.
  • In Integrity, I’ll remind myself that if I say I’m going to do something, I need to follow-through and do it. Making promises to myself and breaking them is not allowed in this value.
  • In Love, I realized how slippery a slope alcohol can be to my relationships. Drinking always increases the chances of arguments or feelings getting hurt. Out of love for others and love for myself, I don’t want wine to be the excuse for these things.
  • In Obedience, I want to be actively obedient to my divine intuition. I want to obey what is coming from my spirit so I might avoid hurtful pathways that don’t serve my Greater Purpose. I want to be obedient for the blessings that come from that.
  • In Serving Others, I know that my Greater Purpose is to

    “Let my light shine before others, that they may see (my) good deeds and glorify (my) Father in heaven.“ (Matthew 5:16)

Put another way from Gandhi, I want to,

“Be the change I wish to see in the World”

I don’t want to see a world that suffers from alcohol addiction or dependence any more. I want to see more people acknowledging their problems and accessing treatment from places like Enterhealth. What can I do? I can serve others by holding myself accountable first.

When we align these aspects of our life to what God wants for us, we find that tremendous blessing ensue. A feeling of peace waves over you as you realize you are doing exactly what you need to do.

If something in your life isn’t working for you any more, it is likely due to the fact that this habit or entity doesn’t actually fit into your Greater Purpose and the Godly given character and values you could be following. It is worth revisiting your values to reveal more about your Greater Purpose.

(Again, if you want my Values Based Living Guide, HERE’s the link again to have it sent to you)

Step 3: PRACTICE

After I was able to reattach, and thereby re-engage, my Greater Purpose based approach to this act of drinking wine, the only thing left for me to do was PRACTICE.

But, yes, I am talking about practice! Even after all this CLARITY and after all of my deeper connecting, nothing was going to change until I put it into PRACTICE.

Check me out tomorrow in the 5th and FINAL part of the series, as I detail how I put into practice ALL of this decision work and didn’t let it defeat all of my relationships and my social life!

It’s a good way to WINE-D down the series! You won’t wanna miss it!!