Override Old Patterns and Habits

The process of becoming a good swimmer wasn't easy for me.

In preparing myself for the rigors of my first triathlon I had nothing to work with for the swim portion of the race but a very chaotic crawl stroke that I had taught myself. At age seven. Playing Marco Polo in my neighbor's pool.

To transform what I had been doing for years did NOT come naturally. Even after a conscious decision to swim better, every thing I was trying to master felt unnatural. Like alien commands traveling along my nervous system.

After much more time and effort than care to admit, the only way I was eventually able to improve my sloppy swim ways was to REFUSE TO SWIM THAT WAY. Not one stroke. Ever again.

Because the "swimming" file in my brain instinctively churned out the sloppy Marco Polo crawl every time I dove into a pool, I had to stop thinking of my workouts as "swimming." My workouts instead became merely trying out just one tiny piece of perfection. By breaking the big job down into bite size parts, I could then begin to practice doing just those parts perfectly.

One skill at a time, the deep grooves in my brain and muscle systems began to be slowly over-ridden by the new and improved methods. Occasionally I even had moments of being inside the body of a strong and efficient swimmer! It was remarkable to experience myself improving, and it strengthened my faith in the process of change.

Maybe you are swimming with destructive patterns or habits in your life. If so, start now, with just one bite sized area. Have it be small--something in your life that you will now practice doing differently FROM THIS MOMENT ON.

In the same way that I was able to slowly but steadily transform my swim stroke, you too can override old patterns, habits, or addictions in your life. Here's how: EVERY TIME YOU REFUSE TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS DONE, the "grooves" in your brain are softening and gradually re-writing themselves! Each time you practice TURNING AWAY from a destructive habit, doing something different each time you "jump in that pool," you are making it easier to turn away again next time. And the time after that.

Although probably unnatural feeling now, over time that new and improved response will become like second nature!

Your life right now is full of opportunities to practice and eventually become everything that you most want to be. Click here to head to www.mythoughtcoach.com for extra help as you continue to practice tiny bite sized pieces of perfection! Here are a few titles that might help you get started:

• Affirmations for a More Stress Free Life
• Progressive Relaxation
• Easy Does It Power Nap
  

Buy Your Freedom

Ever noticed what kind of food your body craves after you have skipped a meal or two? Or gone all day without eating anything but a fistful of Oreos?

Anytime you allow yourself to get: a) dehydrated, b) really hungry, c) really low blood sugar, or d) all of the above, you kiss your freedom goodbye. You become a slave to your basic needs when the tough food choices come around. Any clarity that you might have had, to make good food choices, is shot.

Making proactive food choices is the only way to truly stay free. You buy your freedom when you choose to guzzle water and chomp on string cheese before the office pizza party. Or each time you bite into a crunchy apple a few hours before lunchtime (even if you aren't hungry quite yet). The good decisions that you make before you are faced with the coronary heart disease food choices make all the difference. They will buy you your freedom when you really need it. And freedom is everything.

So it is with so many other areas in our lives. We buy our freedom by obeying the laws of our land, by paying our taxes, by going to our annual check ups and by taking our blood pressure medicine.

We buy our freedom every time we make proactive choices in any area of our lives.

We can buy our freedom from emotional pain too, by choosing to let go of offenses and by forgiving ourselves and others quickly. We buy freedom when we replace harmful thoughts in our brains with better ones. We buy freedom and greatly increase the odds in our favor when we do life inside of a less stressed out brain and body.

Wanna feel better quick? In fairness, other options are available. Grab more Oreos and some caffeine and you'll feel perky in no time. Speed to the meeting you're late too, and you might make it. Stay offended- it feels sort of good, and they certainly deserve it.

However; not much freedom with: a headache, fatigue when the sugar and caffeine wear off, a ticket, more adrenaline than your body knows what to do with, an emergency hospital visit, or a damaged relationship that might have been easily resolved by just letting it go.

It's time to start making the better choices. . . before the crisis.

To add more Preventative Care in your own life, try listening to something great from www.mythoughtcoach.com.

How to Eat Just One!

In cultures where eating rituals are widespread, people experience few eating disorders.

Ours is a culture with few eating rituals and numerous disorders. Many families almost never eat together. Instead pre-prepared food can be found everywhere: the refrigerator, freezer, cupboards and the local drive-thru--each full of family member's favorites. Calories can be microwaved (often between TV shows), or gobbled down in the car.

It's the American dream, the American way: freedom, disconnection, food as product, food as fuel. You can even avoid any interaction with other people. The basic rule is to pay very little attention to food: take a bite of food, watch the sitcom, take another bite, flip to reality tv, and take another bite. All the while baffled as to why you feel so undernourished in the midst of food plenitude!

Begin building a new eating culture for yourself by attempting to Eat Just One Potato Chip. Advertisers say that you won't be able to do it but you can. Here is the secret: REALLY Taste That Chip.

In order to fully and completely taste what you put in your mouth you will need to peacefully focus on what is going on in each moment by moment, as it comes at you. It won't be easy, because often thought turns toward what you wish for or fear, and glosses over each actual experience while it is happening.

During the experiment, you can hone in your focus by eliminating the most obvious distractions: TV, radio, stereo, reading material, talking, shopping or driving. Concentration is to be applied to the potato chip and only to the potato chip (no dip allowed). You are also encouraged to be seated and not to have a drink in the other hand.

While grasping the chip of your choice, begin focusing your attention by noticing: how the chip feels in your hand, how the chip looks in your hand, the smell of the chip, the intention to place said object in your mouth, how the chip feels in your mouth, how the chip tastes (moment after moment!), how the chewing sounds, and, carefully now, the sensation of swallowing.

You'll need to work on your thoughts, as they tend to save themselves for things more important than chips. Tell yourself that eating this potato chip with mindfulness is vitally important right now. You are trying to make an impression in some way from this experience to your conscious mind.

Another technique: make pretend mental notes about what you are going to tell your grandchildren about this particular potato chip: "beige ... greasy between the fingers ... exquisite curve ... cute ruffles ... urge (like a fire flaming to life) to place in mouth ... feel with tongue ... powerful crunch..." and so forth. Find your own words.

Got your ingredients together? Seated? Focused? When you are ready, you may pick up and eat (better yet, savor) that one potato chip. Get everything you can out of that chip, because for you in this moment, it's the only chip in the entire universe.

Begin today. Start eating more mindfully instead of automatically. Not only will your waistline begin to shrink, but you will begin to become aware of the simple beauties and peaceful pleasures that exist for you moment by moment!

Success in your weight management and healthy eating goals will require that you pro-actively choose better ways of thinking about food and your body. The thoughts that you have minute by minute have created what you are experiencing RIGHT NOW! Pop your headphones on and try listening regularly to one or more of Stin's guided affirmations geared towards your health. When your inner world improves, your outer world will improve!


Give these titles from mythoughtcoach.com a whirl:
"Become a Healthy and Moderate Eater"
"Energizer--Pop yourself out of a Low Energy Slump!"
"I Love, Honor and Respect Myself"
"End Emotional Eating Meditation--Part 1 and 2"