A Peak and a Pit: One

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED ON MY WEIGHT WATCHER'S BLOG: June 30th, 2014

Because I was so happy about my huge weight loss the first week, I went out and celebrated, and celebrated... and celebrated. And I am down to 1 extra point for the week and I just cannot stop myself. So that was a pit.

Definitely something that I knew would happen for me. Some weeks you just need it, want it, accidentally use it, or whatever. But it's sad that it happened to me so soon into the program. Although, on the other hand, I guess it makes sense that I would do it soon, because taking the amount of food I was in-taking down to 31 points a day, it leaves a lot of room for hunger, or just habit.

But I hope to do better. I think I can. I know I can. It's just a matter or trying a lot harder and planning a lot more!

I am moving soon and will have access to an elliptical and will only have food in the house for me and my boyfriend. Hopefully I won't have to worry about any food that will be a temptation. Because when there is temptation, I cannot say no. I struggle with that a lot.

However, I decided that today, on my lunch break, I wanted to walk around instead of just sitting there doing nothing. And it was so nice. I walked around my building for 15 minutes and enjoyed the sun and just looked around and it was so nice.

So on days where the weather permits, I think that will be a habit for me.

Even though it was only 1 extra point, there is no such thing as small successes!

Happy Monday!

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Inspirational Moment...

This is something that really hit home for me today!

xxLindsey

It's a Hard-Knock Life...

I know, better than most people, that life is hard. I have had my fair share of things happen to me, bad things, good things, hard things, easy things, sad things, happy things. And all of those things entertwine and mix in my memories and self and just have helped me become who I am. They continue to shake me and shape me as I grow up, and grow older  and offer me my personalized life experience.

So, with all these 'things', I am faced with constantly growing, constantly changing, acting and reacting to life. The hard part is, and correct me if I'm wrong, the hard part is having the guys to get the things your heart whispers to you about. Being a "go-getter" is terrifying and scary! There is a beautiful quote (by whom, I'm not sure) that says, "it only takes 20 seconds of insane courage, and those 20 seconds can change your life". This is, of course, paraphrased. But it's a quote I constantly thing about. 20 second?! That's all?!

The kicker? It's getting passed the 20 seconds that can be even more terrifying than all the things you could gain after. Whether it's kissing someone, telling them you love them, quitting a job, telling the truth, taking a test, a job interview, a speech, walking into a funeral, calling an old friend. There are millions of things in this world, and in this life, that we need 20 seconds of courage for and on the other side, we come out better than we were before, as well as changed.

When I was younger, I struggled with public speaking. I wouldn't know if I still do, since I avoid it at all costs because of the overwhelming paralization that it used to give me. I would turn beat red, I would shake, stutter my words, never look up from my notecards, wish I was blessed with laryngitis so I could skip my presentations all together.

A side rant: why is speech class required in middle and high school? Are humans tortured enough between the ages of 11 and 18 with insecurities and acne, puberty, college applications, orthodonture, school dances, and several other things? Forcing those who don't want to, to stand in front of their classmates and give a five minute speech on England seems cruel and unusual! If someone likes giving speeches and enjoys that as an option, great! Let them do it! Have every test be oral! But for those who could not move passed it and were scarred for life from it, art projects, papers, one on one oral exams, multiple choice, anything else, will suffice. I remember more from papers and art projects I did than any of the speeches I gave.

But! Back to the point. I have this thing, a life change coming up, and I need to share it with someone, the only problem is it isn't beneficial for them at all. So I'm working on thinking back and helping ease my heart and my head by outting myself in their shoes. Though that helps with being logical, it doesn't help with nerves. 

I just have to do it. I am thinking to the other side of the conversation and it will open up so many doors and avenues for me. It's something that will move me towards a life that I want to lead, a life full of possibilities and dreams coming true. 

Wish me luck! I will share more about it when I can!

xxLindsey

***UPDATE

I did it! And it worked out so well! Things are looking up and I can't wait for all the exciting new chapters to come! 

She's Got the Look...

I have a few outfits to post. Just because I love clothes and have been really inspired by the warmer weather.

There are a few more on my Instagram if you're interested!!

@beautyandwonderment

Thank you for stopping by!

xxLindsey

One More Step at a Time...

For your physical health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
It aids in weight loss, promotes healthy skin, and helps with cellulite and discoloration.

2. Eat breakfast like a king.
Eat lunch like a prince.
Eat dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees, plants, and come from the ground.
Eat less things that are manufactured in plants.

For the health of your heart:
4. Don't compare your life to others.
You have no idea what their journey has been.

5. Try to turn negatives thoughts into positives.
Being negative doesn't help anyone grow.

6. Know what your limits are.
Practice keeping them as often as you can.

7. Dream more while you're awake.

8. Smile and laugh more often, with as many people as you can.

For the health of others:
9. Call your family often.

10. Each day, give something good to others.

11. Remember that, what other people think about you is none of your business.

12. Your job won't take care of you when you're sick or sad.
Your friends will.
Remember them and keep in touch.

For everything else:
13. Do the right thing!
You know what the right thing is.
No excuses.

14. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.

15. No matter how terrible a situation;
No matter how wonderful a situation;
Things changes.

16. No matter how you fell,
Get up, dress up, and show up.

17. Your inner most is always happy.
So, be happy!

***I found this on a tumblr post. I couldn't find a source, I couldn't find an author. Seems to be a compilation of a bunch of advice from all over. I am not claiming this as my own, I'm just passing it along.

xxLindsey

Dear Human,

You've got it all wrong. You didn't come here to master unconditional love. That is where you came from and where you'll return. You came here to master personal love. Universal love. Messy love. Sweaty love. Crazy love. Broken love. Whole love. Infused with divinity. Lived through the grace of stumbling. Demonstrated through the beauty of... messing up. Often. You didn't come here to be perfect. You already are. You came here to be gorgeously human. Flawed and fabulous. And then rise again into remembering.

We are all searching for something; a place in this world, a purpose, a reason for living. For some people, they find this in a soul mate, in a hobby or activity, or their faith; sometimes it’s a mixture of all three.

For me, for a long time, I was obsessed with growing my faith. I didn’t feel drawn to any one passion and I wasn’t anywhere near finding my soul mate. So I turned to the one I was constantly surrounded by: religion, faith, and spirituality. I went to a catholic high school so there were many opportunities for me to grow in my faith. Mass once a week, religion class three days a week, and a massive Campus Ministry and Service program. I loved to see those people who were unrelenting about their religion and I wanted to feel so strongly about something!

Diving in headfirst was not a big deal at all. I had so many friends who were involved in all my school had to offer that I just continued to sign up for service projects, I would volunteer to read things at mass weekly, stayed after school to help organize. Plus, I began attending church on my own as well, on Sunday evenings. It was the only way I knew how to find that… something.

But, now being very far removed from high school, I have come to con realizations about this. I realized to religion and faith, spirituality, I was looking for and wanting to find wasn’t happening for me. The services I was attending twice a week weren’t making me feel any closer to God or my something. I wasn’t getting that overwhelming and all encompassing feeling of faith. It didn’t feel like it was going deep enough for me.

Enter the ideal of The Universe.

The Universe is how I look at all things in my life. The Universe has a plan for me, a way of making everything work out just as it’s suppose to. There is a quote that says something along the lines of: “Once you make a decision, with all your heart, the universe conspires to make it happen.” This is a quote adapted by something Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote. And I think that explains it all.

The Universe involves so many things such as God, karma, and everything happening for a reason.

I believe in God. My ideas about Him are a little different than the typical vision of God, but my beliefs in Him  and The Universe are rooted in Christianity.

I turn to Him when I am having a really hard time, when I need guidance or advice, or when I feel as though I have exhausted everything I can do, and I need a little divine intervention. I tend to keep a constant conversation with Him in my head. Not, necessarily praying, but more reaching out and speaking to someone who is always listening, who always cares, and who I know would never allow me to go through or feel more than He believed I could handle.

The most important thing I can tell you, that I get out of my faith, and having the beliefs that I have, and my center of spirituality is to love. No matter who the person is, what they believe, their lifestyle, color of their skin, socio-economic status, none of that matters. All we need is love in our lives and everyone is deserving of love.

That's how I try to live my life and that's how I try my best to look at each difficult situation. I am not perfect by any means, and I often lose this ideal when I am extremely upset or anything like that, but I do my best to always remember that. Everyone wants to be treated like a person and have their heart understood, no matter what.

There is too much in this world that is unexplained. There are so many beliefs. Not one of them is more true, right, or real than another.

Love Makes The World Go Round.