Days 1 and 2 have both been very good days. Exercise, good books, good movies, good food. All is well.
I watched The Notebook last night and cried like a baby. We're talking sitting on the couch in comfy (and really unattractive) clothes, holding a box of kleenex and having a good old ugly-cry by myself. It was incredibly therapeutic. I felt cleansed. Sometimes its really nice to have a full blown ugly-cry session. If you don't know what I mean by ugly-cry, picture red eyes, mouth hanging open, your body being racked with sobs and all separated by a nose-blow a minute. Just plain ugly...but sometimes being ugly is incredibly beautiful.
Earlier in the day I went to the gym and I was really not feeling being on a treadmill. I had to force myself to run for 20 minutes, when usually my minimum is 30 minutes. I fought and fought with myself and then my mind wandered to my blog and then I thought about what I just wrote on my blog that day. I wrote about will power and the fact that I have some! So, I whipped out my mantra: "I am more than I appear to be, all the world's strength and power rests in me." It may have been hard at first, but I kept repeating that phrase in my head until the 20 minutes was up...and interestingly enough...the time flew by. This is my first example of me conquering myself and using my will-power. It felt good. A small victory that will hopefully lead to larger ones.
In other news, I read a new chapter of TMWSHF last night. The main topic of this chapter was goal setting. Here is a five step formula to setting and seeing your goals through to the end:
Step 1: Form a clear mental image of the outcome
- i.e. weight loss: envision yourself as a lean, fit person, full of vitality and boundless energy
Step 2: get positive pressure on yourself
- i.e. the public pledge: tell everyone you know that you will lose the weight
Step 3: attach a timeline to your goal
- when do you plan to start and end this task?
Step 4: stay with your goal for 21 days
- the power of ritual is effective (complete tasks towards your goal at the same time each day)
Step 5: enjoy the process
- a day without laughter and love is a day without life
This is exactly what I decided to do for myself. 1) I chose to begin a detox. I see a healther, happier me at the end of it. 2) I post my progress on this blog, facebook and twitter to tell the world what I am doing...it keeps me honest. 3) I have decided to do this for 4 months. 4) I am planning to stay with my goal for longer than 21 days...to make sure these new habits are solidified. 5) I am enjoying the process! I look forward to posting on my blog and to really focusing on change and a re-organization of my thinking.
This 5 step formula can help you set goals of any size. Big or small, goal setting is incredibly important. Take time each day to visualize yourself as you want to be. Create a dream journal where you write down your goals. Review your journal daily. Thinking about yourself is very important. Be selfish.
Unfortunately, in this day and age, the word 'selfish' has always come with a negative connotation. THIS IS SILLY. In my opinion, I don't think enough people are selfish. We need to take care of ourselves, love ourselves. How are we supposed to love others if we can't love ourselves? I'm not saying trample on other people to get to the top, I'm saying always know what you want and what you need. BE SELFISH in all positive connotations of the word!
To conclude, I will leave you with some words of wisdom from this book that I can't get enough of! This particular quote is taped up beside my bedside table:
"Every second you spend thinking about someone else's dreams, you take time away from your own."
Well, I am off to the gym and then to Waterloo for my first voice lesson of 2012. I'm so glad, Christmas break was agony. I need my singer peeps (and amazing voice teacher and mentor who I so admire). Until tomorrow!
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