And while I'm not a fan of them, because so many people just set themselves up for failure, I've seemed to be on a journey this week to find "renewed inspiration", I will call it.
It's not a new resolution for this year, but rather, a continued journey in becoming, "Healed, Healthy, Whole."
I'm hoping, that by sharing the inspirations I've found recently, it will help you to find yours, too. So, together, we can make 2013, the best year yet!
THE OBSTACLE
Before I continue, I must make this disclaimer... even the best of intentions can be met with, well, life. Life gets in the way, holidays ruin our intentions, wrongful thinking can self-sabotage us, etc.
My biggest obstacle? My need for perfection. So, as trials come up (and they will), my goal in 2013 is grant myself some grace, pick myself up quickly and move onto the next healthy choice. If we make enough small healthy choices, eventually we'll find ourselves at our goals! :-)
MY MOTTO
I absolutely love this from Tina Reale and have made this my motto for 2013:
THE SUSTENANCE
I've proven to myself many times before that without God, I fail. My inspiration can come from anywhere, but He will be the one to sustain me. So, that's my first goal... to find inspiration every day and to keep my eyes focused on Jesus.
MADE TO CRAVE
One of the ways I do this is by reading a devotional on YouVersion titled, "Made to Crave" and each day there's some really great stuff on there. Yesterday, I got this quote:
"God made us capable of craving so that we’d have an unquenchable desire for more of Him, and Him alone. Nothing changes until we make the choice to redirect our misguided cravings to the only One capable of satisfying them."
I don't know if you've ever had a craving attack, but being a past-food/sugar addict, I often find old patterns coming to the surface in times of stress. But really, giving into the food/sugar doesn't quench the craving, because as my best friend says, it's like "trying to scratch a spiritual itch with physical things."
Today, I got this nugget:
"Today, your heavenly Father is telling you the same truth: “You were made for more!” More than this failure . . . more than this cycle of defeat . . . more than being ruled by taste buds, body image, rationalizations, guilt, and shame. You were made for victory. This truth is a great script to play in our heads every time we’re tempted with guilt, rationalizations, or the “I’ll-do-better-tomorrow” escape clauses. Do any of these sound familiar? Addressing our thinking is one of the most crucial steps toward permanent progress in any area and stopping the cycle of shame and defeat. We have to rewrite those negative scripts by getting into the habit of saying truth. And, the first of these truths is, “I was made for more.” Wrapped in this truth is a wisdom and revelation that unlocks great power. We need strength greater than our taste buds, hormones, temptations, and our inborn female demand for chocolate. Yes, the truth of who we are and the power to live out that truth — that’s what we need. So, say it out loud with me today: I was made for more!"
How am I going to keep these in the forefront of my mind? I have a journal, where I track my food. On the front page of that journal, I'm going to doodle little sayings like, "Only God Satisfies" and "I Was Made For More!" These should be just enough to jog my memory of these truths and keep me going.
KEEPING ME INTERESTED
I bore easily. This can be another obstacle. So, I'm always looking for new recipes by reading other food bloggers, or taking on new exercise routines, like P90X. I also follow the Tone It Up girls and love that they offer different fitness challenges every so often. The different daily routines, should keep me from getting bored. And it's like having my own personal trainers! Their newest challenge is the "Love Your Body" challenge, which I'll be taking on (at least until surgery... yes, I'm having another surgery and I haven't blogged about it yet. Please check out: http://caringbridge.org/visit/amybrand if you'd like to find out what's happening).
Here's a few inspiring quotes from the girls:
Your body is the one thing you have your whole life. It is yours- it is beautiful and it depends on you to treat it right.
Tell yourself how beautiful you are every morning-- how you can make anything happen and how today is the first day of the rest of your life to make your dreams happen.
This last one above ^^^ I'll be posting on my mirror in the bathroom, so that every morning before I start my day, I'll look in the mirror and tell myself exactly what it says above! Positive affirmations never hurt anyone. :-)
JESUS CALLING
Another devotional I've been reading through is called, "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.
Today, this is what I got from it in regards to living a healthy lifestyle...
- Approach God with a teachable spirit, eager to be changed
- Do not cling to old ways (see above regarding my cravings)
- Be ready to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, through a journey with God
- Believe, wholeheartedly, what it says in Jeremiah 29:11 that God's plans for me are, "plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give [me] a future and a hope"
Well, that's enough inspiration to get me through my workouts and healthy choices (at least for tomorrow!) ;-) Looking forward to continuing this journey with you, my faithful readers! As always, thanks for reading my blog. I sincerely mean what I'm about to say... you all inspire me to keep going, every single day! xoxo
P.S. If you're interested in having accountability for your daily goals, I'll be posting mine on my Facebook page and interacting with my readers there. Come join us, because remember, it's all about small choices, every day!
