Good Morning my friends! So it’s another Monday huh? I hope you all had a great weekend and are feeling relaxed and happy.
Today, is another beautiful day, sunny and bright – and the temperatures aren’t so bad, I think I will go out and try to spend a chunk of the day in the garden and maybe move a few shrubs around… we’ll see – maybe just a nice walk around the block with my daughter may seem like more fun. It all depends if I get my ‘gardening mood’ on ;)
I completely forgot to do any fall clean up in the yard, thankfully my ‘eclectic’ garden style will not show my black thumb – but I will still go and do a visual check up and whisper sweet words of encouragement to those entering their winter slumber, that they will be beautiful once again in a few long short months…
Since, my Show Courage poster on Friday (thank you for your kind compliments ;), I’ve been in an encouraging mood throughout the weekend over at Daily Strength. (this is a great on-line support group for just about any condition/ grieving/ illness support). I am part of the Myasthenia Gravis group and although I am feeling so great, I do still go back and involve myself in some of the discussions. I am impressively seeing a jump in my fellow MG’ers trying a natural support treatment for this condition. For my friends from DS who also visit me here, thank you and keep up the great work! (as a sidenote, I may encourage some of my friends – but let me tell you it’s not easy to persuade my husband but that’s a whole other post ;)
I meet so many wonderful people and go into many word-battles with some who have a different approach – as an example, call Acupuncture, Reflexology, Holistic treatments – voodo. Yes VOODO, isn’t it funny how some people are in a different place than others. Hey, if statistics do show that this helps – let it be – it’s not your thing, fine, but don’t go discouraging others…
Anyway, differences aside, people (with a medical condition or not) should always try to aim for a healthier diet and lifestyle. I hope you’re one of my friends who tries to live an active healthy lifestyle . So for today, as part of our Monday Motivation, I was thinking that maybe we could share ways how you encourage yourself or your loved ones to live more healthily. How do you motivate yourself to have a healthy attitude and instill a better wholesome diet? Does it start by looking at the mirror, looking in the fridge, while eating the 3rd Halloween candy bar this morning… ;) – – oh my, I totally see this is a bad timing for this post ;) lol
For me, I use a visualization technique, and picture myself healthy and fit, sexy, more toned. I lost a lot of muscle mass within the last 3 years, (as MG is a debilitating muscle disease that weakens the muscle and muscle control – – I had a long, long way to go. I dropped down to about 70lbs because I couldn’t eat – and a size 0 was falling off me.) I am still working on getting my butt back and I think you can almost see it peaking through some of my skinny pants ;P This was my dilemma, I needed to gain weight, build muscle (with a muscle disease), and get myself healthy. With health comes happiness! That was another one of my visions. I pictured myself HAPPY and HEALTHY. My thoughts/ fantasies took a long time to happen but I stayed true to a strict diet and now continue with weight training/ walking (I can’t jog yet), (yoga should also be on this list – but I haven’t done it in a while – I should).
So this is what works for me , VISUALIZATION of a healthy happy person – and I tell myself that a quinoa spinach salad with flax oil as dressing, followed by a brisk walk will get me there!
I would love to hear from you… what works for YOU? Do you try to live a healthier life – do you encourage others? Please do share your story in the comments below.
HAVE A HAPPY & HEALTHY MONDAY!
PS. speaking of encouragement, have you heard this song already by Leanard Cohen called Anthem?
I fell in love with it at his concert a couple years ago and these words “there is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in” still give me goosebumps… LOVE IT – I think you will too ;)
PSS. you’re probably wondering about the photos, my daughter LOVES snacking on spinach – she asks for it! – – what’s my trick? when she was learning the alphabet, she was the giraffe for Gabriella and we said giraffes eat leaves aka spinach ;) AWESOME RIGHT! ;D
xoxo
jessie says
This is great. I love your positive attitude. I try eating healthy as well and always try to have my kids snacking on vegetables – but never plain spinach ;) WOW. lol
Thanks for this reminder to stay healthy and fit. Be Well.
Angela says
We love spinach around here too! I am so happy you are feeling well and that you are sharing yourself with others. You are so encouraging!
Love the shots too! ;)
ellen says
hi, ella!
first of all, thank you for stopping by my blog and saying hello! i hope you did get time to check out edie’s series. there are some great projects!
i love your perspective here. i find that my health is something i have to be intentional about. i’ve always struggled with my weight and it’s easy for me to become discouraged there. the number one motivational thing for me to do is to just do something. on the mornings when i rise early and jog, i’m more likely to make better choices!
shelley says
Congratulations on turning your health around so much.
What an inspiration you are!
Great tips and you make that spinach salad sound so tasty : )
jessica says
You are the best!
AG Ambroult says
your girls is so darn cute. And what is it about pjs that make children look more like babies? Like the little snuggly babies that are slipping though our hands so fast. (sorry this comment is a bit off topic, but that’s where my mind ended up)
rebecca says
Thank you very much Great post…thanks for sharing this..
ana @ i made it so says
i think “someday” (i know, it’s not a day of the week ;)) … i need to sit down with some tea, and read through your monday motivation posts. these are wonderful. not everything works for everyone, but it is so good to read what works for some, so we can be inspired to find our own way.
thank you ella.