A rock, in your window!

Everything was going so well! You were pumped up, you were following a healthy eating plan, you were exercising and even pushing yourself to the next level! Wow, you were actually feeling like "I can do this!! -- I can shed these mounds of chubb and have THAT body -- dress in THOSE clothes -- BE THAT person I'm meant to be!" And then, BOOM! Frustration hits you -- just like that -- like a rock in your window!!!

You hit a plateau, you get bored, you feel blah, or you just feel plain sick and tired of the whole thing. So, what to do?

You know, if you REALLY feel it would help you to have a treat or to fall off your plan -- then ok -- just don't let it get you back to that mindset that you're not destined to become your best self. AND you really have to decide ahead of time that you'll get RIGHT BACK on your healthy lifestyle living. OK?

OR, what I find much MUCH more helpful is to just let go and immerse myself in OTHER things that motivate, inspire, energize, and INDULGE me -- whether it's slacking off time to enjoy nature, going for a quiet stroll, getting a massage or facial, watching a favorite TV show or movie,or for me, it's reading and contemplating poetry. I can get as obsessed with poetry as I do with food. It's much much better for me to 'incessantly nibble' on poems and the thoughts that arise from these works than on junk food. I can get very withdrawn and retreat into myself when I'm feeling down on myself and I become very quiet. So poetry is a wonderful way for me to channel the negative parts of my 'funks' than comfort eating. Both are activities where I can indulge my need to be alone. I've decided that there IS a part of me that is hard-wired to be obsessive, so I had to learn to flow with that -- just had to find something better for my body and soul to obsess about. Please allow me to share a poem, ABOUT OBSESSION of all things, from one of my favorite poets, Mark Nepo -- it might help you like it did me.

Especially when you just don't feel like hearing from someone like me!!!!:


HEARING GOOD ADVICE

Everyone is after me
to stay positive, but
tonight I feel like
pissing on a rock,
like hearing good
advice and doing
nothing.

Everyone wants me
to kick ass, though
I don't know
what to kick.

They say I'm
too quiet, but words
taste like armor.

I want to be
with my Godchild
who is obsessed
with the moon,
who is too young
to speak.

I want to be obsessed
with a rock of light
that rises through the dark.

MARK NEPO