Whenever you decide to make changes in your life, particularly big ones, you are going to face some opposition, both inside yourself as well as some conflict around you, even from well-meaning friends and loved ones.  The thing to understand is that most of what we do every day, is done out of habit, out of the existing neuronets our brain has created as a way to simplify our day to day.  When you change those habits, whether it is quitting smoking, walking daily, or drinking less coffee or wine, your brain is really there for you, but the hurdle is going to be the 21 days you must suffer through as your brain remaps itself to your new way of thinking and being.  Whenever you are doing something good and wholesome for yourself, you are on the right track because that goodness comes from a place of respect for who you are inside.  You are showing that you respect and value you. You cannot truly value and respect anybody else until you begin with you.  Start your journey and be transformed.

Dreams get squished in the most amazing ways if we are not careful.  In school, I was a gymnast and ran track.  I ran faster than anybody in my school in any grade.  Every year I won the Presidents Physical Fitness award and in my 20’s I ran 5 or so miles daily at the nice UTD track in Richardson. After repeated comments on the track about my ‘great pace’ I was clocked doing 4 minute miles.  I did not realize until in my 50’s, in sharing memories with  a friend who absolutely refused to believe my 4 minute mile story, stating that it just was not possible, that it was actually something perhaps rare and special.

My family never made any big deal out of my physical abilities.  Instead, my mother took me along with her to fat spas to help me lose weight that I didn’t have to lose at the time.  Where is she now when I need this?   In grade school a teacher talked to my adopted mother about putting me in a special music program because of my voice.  Mother asked me to sing for her and when I did, she smiled and explained that while my song was pretty, there would always be someone better.   No matter how I did in anything, there was always someone better. Thusly, I have spent my life downplaying how good I might be at my job or anything else and always questioning my validity.  I learned after meeting my birth family, several years ago, that music runs in the blood,  as does athleticism, with most of the men being fire chiefs and my aunt being a professional singer.  Try hard not to get your dreams squished. Even if you never find out why, trust that they are there for reasons that you need to pursue.

Recently, on nextdoor.com, in trying, for free mind you, to assist my lovely neighbors by providing some groovy health tips, I was hit with such negativity and actual slander from strangers, that it astounded me.

The primary abuse came from an alleged personal trainer.  I say alleged as one would assume a personal trainer worth the salt in his sweat would require a modicum of training, certainly enough to have grasped at least 85% of what I was saying, such as how sugar and sodas and too much protein can put your body into glycation and age you.

It did not matter where I studied, I was crap because my ‘product’ that I was selling was my body of knowledge.  And I wasn’t selling anything at all, I was providing what I felt to be useful or interesting information for free, stuff that I had either just learned or had reconfirmed for me in a recent seminar and I was excited to share it out.

Where did all that anger, miss-direction and fear of what they didn’t know come from?  Kind words were twisted and people who didn’t bother to visit my link and read about my experience slammed me.  I had no training, I was not accredited, I was stupid, white trash and practising witch-craft, oh and the product I am selling is crap.

I have deactivated my Nextdoor.com account, but the reason I bring the story up is that sometimes, we live in discord when peace will give us extended (and a far better quality) life.  And, as we see here in the situation noted above, even when we are actively embracing living in peace, things happen that catch us unawares.

Sometimes we are bursting with energy and a great thought, truth or topic we wish to share and it hurts a lot when our spirit of joy is squashed down.  It can be quite shocking how badly a great message can end up received and many times through no fault of your own, with the words chosen with care, a smile in your heart and a twinkle in your eye.

When I provide great knowledge that helps someone gain peace in their lives, a client, for example, that tastes their first green juice and hires me to help them set up their kitchen for a plant-based diet, seeing their radiance and peace gives me a boost right back.

I am building a business as a plant-based Lifestyle Consultant. So while I would still provide free information, it does mean that in an attempt to spread the word faster, I am on various pages and in various circles, trying to build my practice.

Sometimes we step out in faith, in love and give.  And sometimes, rather than feeling that love right back, we reach out in love to others and it backfricken fires.  But it’s all good.  You are still a value add and somebody still admires and loves you, just not those people.

Watch for affirmations!  I do not believe in accidents.  I don’t know all the whys and what nots, but I do take things to be clues as to which way, for my future, should I now move?  Hit with such insult and anger, I was dejected, hurt and re-thinking my reasons for being a lifestyle consultant.  Maybe I should just rescue animals instead of people, animals are far more emotionally intelligent and  grateful.  So I walked my dog and this neighbor who was not on Nextdoor, who didn’t read my post and didn’t know I was a plant based lifestyle consultant, came out of her house and began discussing the very things I had just posted the other day!  Then she handed me the article from the Wall Street Journal about it!  Coincidence?  I don’t believe in such!

Perhaps I’ll stay at this work a little while longer.

By the way, if you are seeking peace, yoga & meditation cannot be beat.  I highly recommend this book.  I read alot of books and pass them forward.  This is one I hold on to and refer to often.  Baron Baptiste trained my original yoga trainer and I love his style.  Baron’s book, 40 Days To Personal Revolution, is filled with great information.

Namaste

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