Love Myself Week

In recent weeks, I’ve become a fan of Louise Hay of Hay House Publications. I listen to one of her CDs in my car every day, the one on how to use affirmations. I like affirmations because when I see one on my mirror or hear one or just remember to say one of them, it immediately changes my attitude from negative to positive. Because of some health issues lately, I have had some old nasty negativity slipping into my thoughts. 

One of the things Louise says is that we often look in the mirror but when we do we usually find something we don’t like. We criticize our looks or say mean things to our reflections. I know I do that. 

“Gosh, I need to do something with my hair.”

“If I could only lose weight, I’d look good and feel good again.”

“Boy, old age is creeping up on me.”

Louise says we should say nice things to our reflections in the mirror. We should look at ourselves and give ourselves love. We don’t love ourselves enough. That is why we sometimes feel unloved. If we don’t love ourselves, who will?

I am taking this week to love myself. 

I am telling myself how much I love me. I love my hair, my body, my spirit, my personality and my determination. Instead of berating myself for my failings, I am finding the good in me and showering myself with love. During this week of loving myself, I am not going to take on any difficult projects, do any work that is not fulfilling or interesting. With a world out there full of people who seem to enjoy the pain of others, we must take care to fill our lives with as much compassion for ourselves as we can, pamper ourselves when we can, and appreciate who we are. 

I like something else she says – stress is simply fear of something. When we face our fear and ask ourselves why we are afraid and what we are afraid of, we can usually eliminate the stress. I am working on that one. 

How about you? Do you love yourself? Do you look for your good traits or do you find fault with your efforts? Repeat this several times.  “I am grateful for my body, my health, and for those who love me, including myself.”

Self-discipline - where is it when you need it?

Don't you hate it when you have a good day planned and suddenly you don't feel you can make it? That is what happened to me today. My friend, Estelle, and I planned to get together and submit some of our work, but I had to cancel. I was going to help her with electronic submissions which I learned more about in Robert King's class at the Moss Library recently. 

Estelle and I have many poems and short prose pieces stored away that have never seen the light of day. We talk about our plans on the phone, but life keeps getting in the way of doing what we plan. In my case life, lately, has come in the form of some malady that keeps me feeling blah all the time. At first it came with pain in my back and my front, but now with a wonderful chiropractor, Dr. Rob Peck, my back pain is gone, unless I lift something or sit at the computer too long. 

I have been counseled to try a gluten-free diet. I did some research and even bought a few gluten-free items at the grocery store, but I am not thrilled with what I've found. I made gluten-free biscuits that turned out pretty well, but I used a biscuit mix and the sugar content is high. It seems that rice and oats are Okay but most bread, rye, whole wheat, and white wheat, the ones I like, are made with gluten and therefore off my diet. So, how can I make a sandwich? Right now with fresh tomatoes available, how can I have a BLT? 

I wonder if I bought a bread machine, could I make bread with rice flour or gluten-free ingredients?

Dr. Peck even thinks I should avoid dairy! If I can't have cheese and butter, and bread, what is left that's good? I remember my father saying, when he was about my age, "Eating is about the only enjoyment I have left."

I still find quite a few things that are fun besides eating, but our social lives are built around food, having lunch with friends, going on a picnic, looking forward to a special dinner at a nice restaurant. 

Food was not high on Barry's list. He could go all day and not think about eating. He ate to live and that was it. His favorite meals consisted of hot dogs or pizza. But I made sure his meals included vegetables and fresh foods when I cooked for him. After his heart attack, when he was in his early fifties, he relied on me to cook heart healthy for him. I did my best. He dutifully ate turnip greens, cabbage, green beans and salads. 

I think I could eat gluten free if only I had someone come in and prepare that food for me. But when I go into my kitchen, I seem to only think of what I want, not what I should eat. And lately my GI tract is not food-friendly - not even for those old comfort foods I used to eat. 

I daydream about going to a fancy spa and having someone plan healthy meals and activities that bring back my energy and enthusiasm. Sounds like I have no self-discipline, doesn't it? I am just tired of having to think about food - what I can or cannot eat - what to buy at the store - what to do with what I have in my pantry and refrigerator. 

One of my affirmations I read each day says, "You've got everything you need to succeed. Believe it!" 

I believe I can do what I need to do to get back on the road to good health. I'll begin tomorrow.

Do you have any advice on how to stick with a diet or plan? Have you had success with gluten free living?