A short while back, I was driving to Seacoast Power Yoga and this thought popped into my head- if I had a month to live, what would I change about how I was living? Yeah, there is a good chance that one of those American Idol winners or some country music singer was on the radio at the time singing about living life to the fullest. But for some reason, this thought hit home and something immediately came to mind. I would change all of the negative mind share I was giving to my body and the food I ate. This was weighing me down like a ball and chain and enough was enough. Sure, I’ve come a long way with this stuff. I had become a much more mindful eater, I had approached my body in a much more loving way, and exercise became much more fun and less about burning calories. But something continued to linger and I realized that I didn’t want to give it any more negative thought or concern. A few weeks later, I took, what may seem to some as, a radical step. I decided to just drink liquids for 10 days. I gathered up a couple of friends to have as partners in crime and we jumped into drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, and herbal teas on the “Get Juicy” cleanse. On the first day of this cleanse, I wrote down all of the limiting beliefs I had around food, my body, and my life. The light went on! I saw right there on the piece of paper in front of me what was weighing me down- the beliefs I had about myself. And those beliefs; what I do or do not deserve in life, what kind of life was possible for me, what my body could be like, were all just thoughts that I chose to believe.
That one question in the car ride created a really powerful change for me. I’m now physically and mentally lighter. I’m so grateful that I decided to not waste another day feeling weighed down. I don’t have to go skydiving or ride a bull to feel like I’m really living my life. I just had to unlock that ball and chain from around my ankle. Funny enough, I had the key the whole time.