3 Things to Think On

This is before the tomato sauce incident.

This morning I am blessed with an active mind. I am repeatedly amazed at how much better my brain fires when I remove sugar and junk food from my diet and add in clean, healthy, low-processed, fresh food. It makes all the difference in the world! I don’t need naps. I wake up and go to bed easily. And my body aches and pains drastically diminish. I have to write about it when I’m experiencing it because in a weak moment, I think sugar is the bomb and my best friend. I need truth logged in my brain! Anyway, today, is just one of those particularly great days with lots of thoughts. I’ll download them here so you can think on them with me.

My Poopy Day 

If you’re my Facebook friend, you know that I got to use the poop emoji background yesterday. I was moved by the fact that I had recorded a great, in my opinion, FB Live for my wellness group only to discover my mic was muted the whole time. I had 27 awesome minutes of me “speaking” with great animation and zero sound. Ugh. (I also had dropped my cauli rice with pizza sauce straight down my cute white t-shirt.) That leads me to share the essence of my video with you today.

Temptations are easier to resist when you're fortified well. 

Sweet Dreams

The first part was all about sugar and sweeteners. Friends, as you work on improving your health and losing weight, beware all the artificial sugars and substitutes. I’m not saying never use them. I’m saying beware. They can come in really handy when you’re fighting serious cravings or even just wanting a treat. I use them. I like some of them. The danger is in what’s going on in your mental game. If you’re trying to live just like always and are merely substituting “diet” versions of your old (bad) habits, you may be in for trouble in the long run, especially when it comes to maintenance. You really want to be alert as to what is going on in your head, heart, body. Are you anxious? Are you still stress eating? Long term victory is easier when you learn to recognize the eating patterns and drivers and do emotional work right there. When you can learn to calm yourself another way, delaying eating for when you’re actually physically hungry, you can actually rewire your brain’s go-to response. For instance, if you go for a walk when you’re upset instead of eat, eventually, that will be what your brain craves when you’re upset. Can you imagine how powerful that is for the long haul?

Language Cop

The next part of the muted video is a totally different theme. It’s all about language, conversation and energy. Whether we like it or not, we are judged by how we present ourselves to the world. It’s up to you whether you care about that or not and I get that we want to be “real” as we say. I totally get that. However, it pays to be aware of the impact of your words and tone. When I became a Christian, I remember my bff saying “Stephanie, we’re Christians now, we don’t talk like that anymore.” Huh. I remember the “my bad” awareness. I was just talking like everyone else seemed to be talking, but based on that comment, I decided to make some changes. I have pretty much stuck with that. As a general rule, I don’t use curse words. (Unfortunately, my attitude may still be ugly. My tone may be off-putting. I may even carry a cursing mentality around.) I say “as a rule” because I can still fall back into that old habit, but it’s not my norm.

Here’s what I really want to get to. Your language and your conversation has the power to lift others up. YOU bring energy to your environment. I challenge you to become alert to the influence you’re bringing to those around you.

I have been – before, in my past – a complainer. Like cursing, I can still fall into the old behavior. Recently, I caught myself speaking very negatively about a situation and later wished I’d kept that to myself at that time. I may have polluted the environment as I dumped my emotions around.

I’m not advocating being fake or trying to please others. I’m talking about being alert to the impact of your words and moods on others. You get to choose whether to lift others up or not when you speak. You get to choose whether to honor God with your attitudes and behavior or not. You have the power to choose.

Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.(Ephesians 4:29, GNT)

Clock In!

Studying in bed.

The third topic for the day is all about making your dreams come true. My message on this is not original to me. I learned it at “coach camp” (my nickname for my intensive coaching certification event) led by Sean Smith. We were talking about getting our message out there, but this truth holds true for all dream fulfillment. 

The essence of the teaching is plain and simple: You have got to clock in.

There you have it. You cannot expect dreams to come to life on wishes and imagination alone. You have to do the work. Fulfilled dreams are built on the back of determination, blood, sweat and tears. You are the only one who can fulfill your dreams. Others are busy building their own. It is up to you to show up for yourself. Do the work. Fall down. Get back up. Adjust. Move forward. You have to learn to deal with disappointments and still get back to work. You have to put in the hours. You have to believe in your dream enough to do the work. And I’ll say this, if you won’t work for your dream, then I suggest you don’t actually believe in your dream. You may just have some superficial desires and trust me, that won’t carry you very far. You were not created just to have a cushy, enviable life. You were created to make a difference to others and honor God with your life. That may bring cushy things, but it may bring isolation and hard knocks to get where you’re intended to go. 

If you’re dream is life-giving, helpful to others, meaningful to you and your family, then it’s worth rolling up your sleeves and getting to work. It’s worth enrolling in classes to learn how to do something better. It’s worth spending your money for coaching or training. It’s worth adjusting your time. It’s worth doing without some things now so you can have what you long for later. You have got to clock in. You have to believe in your dream more than anyone else. Find the true meaning behind your dreams and use that to push you forward.

Up early on vacation. 

This message is serious, friends. If you’re not doing what God created you for then what are you doing? This is the kind of thing that riles me up enough to cuss. (I’m choosing not to cuss, but still!) Ignite your passion! Let others hear your message! It doesn’t serve mankind for you to keep quiet and play nice about lessons and truths that others need. Hiding your purpose is one of the most selfish things I can imagine. In the words of Sean Smith: You don’t have to be an expert. You just need to be a 4^th grader to a 3^rd grader. You know more than someone. Go help people! Yes! Go help people. Work for your goals, dreams, desires and purpose. You and you alone can do that.

www.coachingbystephanie.net