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I’m on a new health journey this year after a long time of ignoring my physical body.
I can get so easily wrapped up in my head and focus on my mindset that I completely forget about my body. When stress is high, my body is the first thing I ignore, unfortunately.
Last year was filled with lots of stress for me. I traveled a lot throughout the year, which was amazing and I am forever grateful for those experiences. But with travel comes a lot of changes in my routine and eating habits. So while I enjoyed trying all the delicious cuisine on my trips, my body was feeling the effects.
I was also dealing with the stress of starting a new job and another move across the country, for the second time in two years. While my husband and I were excited about the change, moving to a new state is physically and mentally draining. Because of this, I had no energy to prepare and cook food, so we turned to a lot of take-out food and anything convenient.
Late last year, I finally admitted that I wasn’t happy with how I looked or felt. While I know and teach that confidence is an inside job, ignoring the physical body is never okay. I have this one body; it deserves my attention and respect. That meant I needed to continue to focus on my mindset and the physical part of me.
While I love that way more people are focused on mindset and building confidence (my favorite topics), it’s also easy to forget that your physical body needs care just as much as your mind. Mind and body work together to make up who you are; when both are feeling good, you will feel happier and more energetic.
Many years ago, I found a love of cooking and eating healthy foods. I found cooking to be therapeutic and it was fun to build my skills in the kitchen. But I lost it along the way as life happened and I fell in love, got married, and moved several times. Now, I am here to reclaim this part of me, so my husband and I can be as healthy and happy as we can be.
So while I am working on my mindset and reframing my thoughts from “I have to spend so much time cooking” to “I am taking the time to cook because I feel my best this way,” I am also honoring my body and want to feel my best. Walking more, stressing less, and doing things that make my soul happy.
The first week of doing this wasn’t easy. I wanted to go back to my old ways and throw the towel in. I thought to myself several times that it’s not worth it, just give up. But as I’ve learned over the years, fear is just a sign of trying something new; it’s not a stopping point. I vowed to myself to make decisions that my future self would be proud of, even if it felt like a struggle at the moment.
I also had to lean on my “trust” muscle, the part of me that knows and trusts it will all work out. This part of me that has to take center stage when my fears and comfort zone want to take over.
I told myself several times “trust the process” throughout the first couple of days.
If you’re starting something new and it feels tough, just know that you are on the right track. It will take some time to adjust to your new reality, but the struggle will ease over time.
And when you need to trust the process, here are my favorite seven quotes on trust so you can start believing in yourself, too:
“If you feel like you’re losing everything remember that trees lose their leaves every year and they still stand tall and wait for better days to come.” ~ Unknown
“The most powerful thing you can do right now is be patient while things are unfolding for you.” ~ Idil Ahmed
“Quiet the voice telling you to do more and be more, and trust that in this moment, who you are, where you are at, and what you are doing is enough. You will get to where you need to be in your own time. Until then, breathe. Breathe and be patient with yourself and your process. You are doing the best you can to cope and survive amid your struggles, and that’s all you can ask of yourself. It’s enough. You are enough.” ~ Daniell Koepke
“You don’t always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.” ~ Mandy Hale
“You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don’t trust enough.” ~ Frank Crane
“Transmutation: Grapes must be crushed to make wine. Diamonds form under pressure. Olives are pressed to release oil. Seeds grow in darkness. Whenever you feel crushed, under pressure, pressed, or in darkness, you’re in a powerful place of transformation and transmutation. Trust the process.” ~ Lalah Delia
“Sometimes you get what you want. Other times, you get a lesson in patience, timing, alignment, empathy, compassion, faith, perseverance, resilience, humility, trust, meaning, awareness, resistance, purpose, clarity, grief, beauty, and life. Either way, you win.” ~ Brianna Wiest
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