Tag Archives: albert einstein

The Missing Piece for Lasting Weight Loss

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Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

-Albert Einstein

 

If you are like most women who have lost and regained the same 30 pounds over and over again, you know how to diet. You may even have the exercise piece down.

But even if you are able to consistently eat healthy foods and move your body, you still continue to struggle to maintain your weight.

Clearly, diet and exercise alone are not getting you the results you want.

What is the missing piece?

What is it that you need to do differently to get different results?

The answer almost seems too simple.

You may want to ignore it or even discount it. But it is truly what is holding you back from having the body—and life—you want.

What has to change is what is going on inside. What has to change are your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs about yourself, what you are capable of, what you deserve.

Ultimately what it boils down to is that you have to work through your fear.

Every feeling is either a derivative of love or fear. What has happened over time is that you have emotionally caged yourself in with fear.

Fear of being judged by others, letting people down, not being good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, making mistakes, not being loved or lovable—the list goes on and on.

It may have gotten bad enough that when something really good does happen in your life, you can feel a part of you holding back from fully enjoying the experience. You may have thoughts like, “Something bad might happen,” “It won’t last,” or “They’re going to find out I’m a fraud.”

What’s actually happening here is that you are so afraid of experiencing pain that you are in reality holding yourself in it—and refusing to let yourself fully experience joy.

And the biggest fear of all?

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

–Marianne Williamson

The good news is you can begin right now to let go of fear and embrace love–to embrace the magnificent you that is afraid to let her light shine.

Here is a simple exercise to practice love. I would suggest doing this just before going to sleep, but it can be done any place you can sit quietly, relax, and focus.

To begin, bring to mind something that you totally and completely love. This may be your spouse or partner, pets, children, etc. Sit a moment and envision them totally enveloped in love. Get creative here. See them in a warm golden light, a big hug, or whatever feels like being embraced by the biggest expression of love you can imagine.

Then bring someone or something else that you love into the picture. As you stay in that feeling of love, start to include more and more people and things—and even places—that you love. Eventually you want to work up to having the entire planet embraced in your vision of love.

Here’s an example:

I envision my husband being surrounded by a warm, golden light that is pure love. That light expands to include our pets, our families, and our friends. It spreads to include our home and everything in it. It expands to include my job and all the people I work with. It grows and encircles our town, and all the places where I have ever lived. It expands to cover the states where I have lived, and spreads to the whole country. It then moves around the world embracing everyone and everything. It encompasses the planet itself and everyone and everything is enriched and enhanced by this feeling of love.

You can make the exercise last a long time, or just a few minutes. Practice this daily and watch for examples of more love coming into your life.

The more love you allow yourself to feel, the more healthy actions you are inspired to take, and the more your body begins to respond down to the cellular level.

You begin to naturally want an apple more than you want cookies. You begin to find the fun in your workout. Eating healthy foods, moving your body—and maintaining your weight—becomes a way of life.

What can you do today to transform a thought of fear to a feeling of love?

Together we can do it!

 

 

Dress for (Weight Loss) Success

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Since I work at home, it would be easy to spend the day in my pajamas.

And I won’t lie. There have certainly been days that being at my desk was a higher priority than putting on my street clothes.

But that is the exception rather than the rule.

Here’s why.

It impacts how I feel about myself.

Every time I walk by the bathroom mirror, my energy level takes a negative hit.

It’s not accurately projecting Who I am and Who I want to be.

And that matters.

This makes sense when you think about the Foundation Principle that “Energy Attracts Like Energy,” also known as the Law of Attraction.

As Albert Einstein so eloquently said with E=MC2, EVERYTHING is energy—including your thoughts and feelings.

This means you get what you project. If you are thinking negative thoughts about yourself, you will get more opportunities to think negative thoughts. If you are feeling bad about yourself, you will get more opportunities to feel bad.

Even what you are wearing sends out an energetic vibration. Do holey pajamas project success, abundance, a joyful and fulfilling life? Or does it project lack and lethargy?

If I feel like I need to hide out when the UPS guy rings the bell, that’s not a good sign.

A lot of women that I work with unknowingly perpetuate the cycle of losing and regaining the same 30 pounds by wearing sloppy clothes, or clothes that don’t fit well because they don’t want to “give in” to their weight gain. But this actually perpetuates the weight rebound cycle because it impacts how they feel and think about themselves.

Now this doesn’t mean I put on a business suit every day. I dress appropriately for working at home. But my clothes are clean, in good repair, and fit well.

When I walk by the bathroom mirror, I feel good about what I see—and each time that gives me a small energy boost. Then having the UPS guy bring me a box feels more like Christmas and I’m happy to see a fellow human.

Feeling good about myself in turn boosts my energy and desire to make consistent decisions that move me towards my wellness goals. For instance, I want to do my workout and to stick to my meal plan for the day.

And the more energy I put towards what I want, the more of that energy I attract. So the snowball effect begins to work in my favor.

What do you want more of? Who do you want to be?

Does what you are thinking, feeling, doing, and even wearing project that? Or are you getting more of the old you?

This doesn’t mean you have to transform your thoughts and feelings—or wardrobe—overnight. All you have to do is slowly and steadily focus more on Who you want to be—and begin making the decisions and choices that person would make.

An easy place to start is with what you are wearing. Does it fit well? Is it in good repair? How do you feel when you are wearing it?

Consciously decide to get more of Who and what you are projecting.

Together we can do it!

Accept Life Unconditionally

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“I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally; I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped.

Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it.”

-Audrey Hepburn

I accept life unconditionally.

That phrase has been going through my mind for the past week since I read this quote on Gossip Gone Good.

I accept life unconditionally.

What does that mean to you?

For me, it’s letting go of judgment—that anything is either good or bad—and valuing every experience of life. It’s accepting where you are and not comparing yourself with anyone else. It’s letting go of resistance. It’s going with the flow. It’s allowing life to unfold instead of trying to control it. It’s appreciating All of life.

I accept life unconditionally.

What would be different about your life if that was your decision?

Often, people feel that by accepting a situation, you are just allowing the bad thing to persist; that without constant vigilance, the problem will just get worse and worse.

But the opposite is actually true.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

-Albert Einstein

You must actually lift your eyes from the problem and turn and look for the solutions. When you are focused on the problem, all you see is more of the problem.

Think of it this way. Have you ever decided to buy a car, and all of a sudden every other car on the road was that car? Where did they all come from?

When you are focused on something, your subconscious mind brings more of that thing into your awareness.

So if you want to see more solutions, you have to be focused on solutions.

But the problem is often like the car wreck on the Interstate where it’s people looking at the wreck that causes the traffic jam, not the wreck itself. The problem creates intense emotion that’s hard to look away from.

Accepting life unconditionally is a way to begin to ease your attention from the problem so that you can then begin to see the solutions.

Accepting life unconditionally is allowing yourself to be where you are on your life journey, and recognizing that where you are isn’t static. Life is ever changing and each experience has value. And each experience is changing your perspective and Who you are. This gives you a new vantage point and opportunity to make new decisions.

If you have read through this blog, you now have new thoughts and reactions to add to your life experience.

This has forever changed you.

When you stop fighting against life and accept life unconditionally, you can more easily identify what’s working for you and what isn’t. You allow the forces and laws of the Universe to work on your behalf. You give God permission to answer your prayers and support you in getting where you want to go.

The end result is that you accomplish far more than you ever hoped. And most of the time, it just happens without your ever seeking it.

How valuable might it be for you to practice accepting life unconditionally? How does that change your ability to meet your goals?

Together we can do it!

How’s That Working Out for You?

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“The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”

Albert Einstein

What if the entire Universe is conspiring on your behalf?

What if you have tribes of Universal cheerleaders supporting you in every conceivable way?

What if no matter what may be happening in your life right now, everything is playing in your favor?

If you fully accepted that this is a friendly Universe, would you give up a little control? If you knew everything was working out for you, would you relax and let go of fear? Would you allow yourself to have more fun? Would you be open to taking more risks?

If you believe that this is a hostile Universe, letting go of control can be one of the scariest things you can do. It’s like putting yourself at the mercy of the enemy.

I know because I used to believe the Universe was out to get me.

I couldn’t get a break. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was a victim to people and situations.

It wasn’t until I began giving up control, surrendering, and trusting my well-being that I began to fully experience it.

It’s one of those dichotomy’s of life:

  • You have to give up control to gain it.
  • You have to feel appreciated to be able to receive the appreciation of another.
  • You have to feel beautiful before you can hear and believe the compliments you are given.

Whatever you believe—the Universe will provide you evidence of that belief.

Open your mind and look for all the reasons everything is working out for you instead of all the reasons it isn’t.

Make lists of the things that are falling into place. Relax and play more. Practice accepting that this is just where you are in the journey. Expect a different outcome. Have a little faith.

As Abraham-Hicks says, “a belief is just a thought you keep thinking.” Little-by-little, step-by-step, practice believing that this is a friendly Universe.

And then enjoy the evidence of that belief.

Together we can do it!

Here’s a related blog by Terri Cole on the fear of joy. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/terri-cole/fear-of-joy_b_1703103.html

How Was Your Mental Workout?

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Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Albert Einstein

Often my clients are surprised that creating optimal wellness requires working their mental muscles in the same way they exercise their bodies. It takes discipline, practice, and consistency.

Just as you might plan to get up and do your physical workout, you also need to plan to work your mental muscles if you want to shift your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs to help support and change your actions to get different—and more desirable—results.

How long do you think you will maintain a workout program if you force yourself to exercise through sheer willpower but spend the whole time thinking about how much you hate it? Let’s just say your chances of long-term success will be pretty slim.

But how likely it is that you are going to go from hating to exercise to loving it in an instant? You wouldn’t expect to get off the sofa and be able to go run 3 miles the first time out, so why would you expect to create new mental patterns that quickly?

The truth is that mentally, most people are the equivalent of coach potatoes. They just react unconsciously to the physical stimulus around them in the exact same way they’ve always reacted, or people around them react. They have no idea that they have just as much potential to control their thoughts and reactions as a body builder has to curl a 50-pound dumbbell.

Just because you have hated exercise in the past—or have always hated it—doesn’t mean that you have to hate it forever. That is a practiced reaction that you actually do have the power to change—if you want to.

I know because I was one of those people. As a kid, I was not physically gifted. My lack of grace was a running joke in my family. Reading was my pleasure and the idea of working physically hard and, heaven forbid, actually sweating were abhorrent to me.

In other words, I hated exercise. Oh, my parents poked, goaded, and prodded me to get off the sofa and move, but I resented the heck out of it.

As a teenager and young adult, I only worked out long enough to meet my weight-loss goal. As soon as the scale hit my target weight, I went right back to my more slothful habits—only to regain the weight I had just lost—and usually then some.

It wasn’t until I started shifting my thoughts that I began to be able to exercise more consistently. First, I made peace with the need to exercise to maintain my health and feel physically well. Slowly and surely—with mental practice—I began to look forward to it, and eventually to actually enjoy it.

Now, my day is off big time if I don’t get my workout in. All truly is not right with the world! I enjoy moving my body and working out—and I love how good it makes me feel. And I love to sweat!

Building your mental muscles is a process, just as building your physical muscles is a process.

You first figure out your goal and create a plan to get there. There are lots of mental exercises to choose from, such as centering exercises, meditations, making lists of things you appreciate, visualizing, affirmations, journaling, and consciously shifting your thoughts on specific topics.

Just as you decide if you want to run, life weights, or do yoga, you pick what feels right to you—and what you will actually do consistently. And then decide how often and for how long. Just as with physical exercise, start off easy and build up.

With practice, you’ll begin to notice that you don’t instantly get angry when someone cuts you off in traffic, and even better, you’ll find yourself pushing yourself in your workout because it feels good and you want to.

What can you do today to exercise your mental muscles? How can you make that a consistent practice that you are just as committed to as your physical workout? What difference does that make to achieving your wellness goals?

Together we can do it!

Photo from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

Don’t You Love That?

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As they get older, people tend to find a routine that is comfortable. They’ve identified what they like and what they don’t, and primarily stick with the ideas, beliefs, people, and experiences they know and enjoy. They begin to draw a boundary around themselves and automatically reject anything new.

This is when it’s easy to get caught up in living a comfortable life and forget Who you really are. You can begin living life on autopilot.

But the whole point of life is to expand and grow. It’s setting your sights on something new and using the power of your desire to literally pull Source Energy to and through you to create a brand new thought, perspective, or experience that is unique to you. And as you get your bearings in this new place, you can then look around for something new to ignite a desire within you.

That feeling of exhilaration is literally life-force! It’s the constructive anabolic-energy that helps our bodies heal, rebuild, and flow with physical energy.

This doesn’t mean that you need to go jump out of an airplane or do something extreme, unless that is what you want to do. It’s just as effective—and for most people, actually more so—to just reach for something new that feels good.

While it can feel exhilarating to jump for something that scares you silly, there is still forward momentum in continually reaching for what you enjoy. The key is just to reach.

Be Curious

 “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

Albert Einstein

One way to reach is to be genuinely curious about life. My Step-Dad is one of the most curious people I know, and can sometimes drive me crazy asking questions that I have no answers to, but I also love how energetic, creative, and mentally agile he is. Well into his 70s, he’s also incredibly healthy, and doesn’t take a single prescription drug.

Being curious opens you up to ideas, thoughts, and creativity. It is a continual voyage of discovery about life, how things work, and how they can be improved. It can also help you find new things that you love.

Practice Appreciation

Actively appreciating what you do have actually opens you up to discovering new things to appreciate.

There are lots of ways to practice appreciation—write down lists of things you appreciate every day, or as you’re going to sleep, mentally visualize all the events of your day that you appreciate. It’s incredibly powerful to focus on what you appreciate before you even get out of bed in the morning.

Focus on What You Love

We’ve all heard the guidance, “Follow your bliss.” Focusing on and doing things that you love helps open you up to new things.

For me, this was exemplified recently on Pinterest, a virtual pinboard where you can find, organize, and share things that you love. I discovered that I love cars—or more precisely, beautiful pictures of beautiful cars.

As someone who can barely tell a Honda from a Toyota, I was startled to discover my heart a-flutter at just the sheer beauty of a Mercedes Silver Arrow. So I created a board called, “Who Knew I Liked Cars?”

I don’t anticipate that my identification of cars on the road will change, but it was fun to discover that I appreciate something I’ve dismissed my whole life. I already know it will give my Step-Father and me something new to appreciate together.

Zip lining for the first time in Jamaica.

Other ways to reach are to visit new places, try new experiences (I recently tried Zip Lining and loved it!), or talk to new people, even if it’s just standing in the checkout line in the grocery store.

I would love to hear some of the ways that you reach and seek out new things, people, and experiences to enjoy. How does this enhance your life and help you be the best possible version of you?

Together we can do it!