Here is my New Year's Message. It is a link on Hope.
Like in my previous post, I intimately and honestly shared with you some of my struggle with food and the hope that I have for recovery. Hope is something that each of us can never have enough of.
I love you all. I pray for myself and all of you. And I have hope that whatever our New Year brings - the joys, the tears, the sorrows, the laughter, the anger, the wonder and awe we can do it together and with the help of God.
About Us
- Shane and Shelley
- It's no surprise to those that know us...That we Love God, Family and German Shepherds. And of course we treasure the outdoors (especially miss Northern Ontario), music and good food. We value the work ethic and always trying to be better each moment. Everything that life has to offer with it's interwoven tapestry. Motto: FAMILY FIRST and Good Works are the Best Medicine.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wow - Dec 31 2009
I can't believe it's 4 months since I wrote.
The actions of life never cease to surprise me. For the past year, my life it seems to have been caught up in a great whirlwind and amazingly enough, the calmest place to be, ironically, was in the eye which was the centre of the storm.
And curious that I should find time and inclination on the last day of the year to play catch up...
Anyhooo...I will attempt to re-cap this time period but it may take a few days at least to have all the photos up...probably weeks - at least for the photos.
Okay, where to begin. ...Okay - I got side-tracked (as I often do and anyone who knows me can easily attest to) while I was reading and collecting Oscar Wilde quotes. I don't agree with everything he says but some of it I do. I didn't use the word like because like often implies we agree with it. Sometimes we or at least I have to agree with something even though I don't like it.
"A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal".(Oscar Wilde)
Which leads into another thing that I often think about it is my life long pursuit of truth. I think of myself as an amateur scientist (among many other things) with no formal education (well, I do have some). A real scientist, from what I have learned during my formal educative periods accepts truth even if it rules out their own theories and postulates regardless of the source. That also just happens to be the same principle held by my church.
One thing I have discovered over and over that there are people, many people, apparently sane persons, professional persons, rich or poor, educated or not, eccentric or ordinary persons, from all walks of life that regularly lie and accept untruth, look to deceive just because it is uncomfortable, to get gain, to obtain power, blame others, whatever, whatever. People that continue to seek untruth because the truth might hurt their pride, might be work, the other person might leave us - the list goes on.
Here's a quote from Lynn Foresst, a well known therapist in the U.S.
"One of the biggest reasons we forego honesty is because we are unwilling to accept the consequences" and that all of us at times live in a state of feeling as a victim.
"The victim mind is a state of consciousness that prompts us to react as if what we feel, believe or do is caused by something outside of us. We see ourselves being at the mercy of our life circumstances."
Do you ever feel that way? I know that I have at times.
She goes on to say that we also can experience which she describes as being an observer.
"The observer mind, on the other hand, understands that there is only one cause to our unhappiness - and that is what's going on in our own mind."
This does not preclude that there are actual events that can and do hurt us but it does not mean that we have to live in the artificial. And yes, truth does have consequences. Being truthful does not exempt us from experiencing pain.
And as a popular hymn asks, "Oh Say, What is Truth?",
a scripture answers,
"And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come. " (D&C 93:24)
The hymn goes on to say how truth is important,
"But the pillar of truth will endure to the last...
Truth, the sum of existence,
will weather the worst,
Eternal, unchanged, evermore."
Truth then is what will see us through and ultimately bring us happiness.
Again, Lynn Foresst talks about our unhappiness is caused by ourselves, not necessarily all our pain. There are good pains we experience. What of the pain of childbirth that brings out the birth of a new life into this world? Or the pain of late nights, lack of sleep, studying when you are in school to get to your goal of increasing your knowledge to give you a better chance of self-reliance. Or exercising or trying to eat better. Surely, these are worth-while things that we endure for a greater outcome. Even the pain of the dentist chair means a brighter future.
Everyone who knows me, knows my own personal struggle with food and fat. I have spent countless, innumerable hours it seems on these issues. I read everything I can get a hold that seems reasonable.
The causes:
science says: genetic predisposition,
sociology says: environmental conditions,
psychology says: it is all in the mind,
religion says: spiritual deficit.
Which is right? Which is wrong? Are they a combination of some or all or none?
Again, using the scientific method:
Ask a Question
Do Background Research
Construct a Hypothesis
Test your Hypothesis with an Experiment
Analyze Results and Draw a Conclusion
which leads to:
The Hypothesis is one, true; or two, false or partially true. If it is the latter then we start again.
So simply put, the question I ask myself is, How to get rid of my fat and not over eat?
I have discovered with my background research that all of the causes and some and none are true. My research shows also that various diets and weight control methods, treatments have and have not worked for myself and others for limited periods of time and for some others, long term. Also what has worked long term for one person hasn't necessarily worked for another.
The bottom line is when more calories goes in than what is burned, there is excess fat. Obvious. That is the honest truth. There is no disputing that fact (being that facts are considered truths).
So, I need to take in less calories to reach a 'normal, healthy weight' for my age and size. But how do I get there?
Well so far, all my experimenting has concluded that for me, when I eat vegan most often, I feel full and satisfied on moderate amounts of food and I experience little or no cravings for excess food. This is a great truth so why haven't I embraced it? I know that losing weight will greatly increase the quality of my life and life expectancy.
The truth is like all of us, I can be weak and draw myself into the victim mode as Lynn Foresst describes. But utilizing the knowledge I have learned, I can assure myself success by:
1. Accept the fact that yes, I am genetically pre-disposed to be fat and have addictive tendencies.
2.Look at the conditions that may contribute excess stress and what should or shouldn't be removed.
3.Look for ways to cope with stress.
4.Stay close to God and be grateful for the weakness and trials that are my mentors in personal and spiritual growth.(italicized in this sentence by V.Nabrotski)
and 5, remember the truth will always set me free.
So as I have talked about for the last week and a half, come this Monday, I will put into practice my "Eating Vegan Most Often" lifestyle holding close to the other truths I have learned and remembering, basically - too much food in means excess fat.
Anyhow, I didn't really catch up but I did underlying in what was going on in my own little world in my mind. The other stuff, I'll add through out the next while. Thanks for being patient and listening to my ramblings.
Happy New Year!
The actions of life never cease to surprise me. For the past year, my life it seems to have been caught up in a great whirlwind and amazingly enough, the calmest place to be, ironically, was in the eye which was the centre of the storm.
And curious that I should find time and inclination on the last day of the year to play catch up...
Anyhooo...I will attempt to re-cap this time period but it may take a few days at least to have all the photos up...probably weeks - at least for the photos.
Okay, where to begin. ...Okay - I got side-tracked (as I often do and anyone who knows me can easily attest to) while I was reading and collecting Oscar Wilde quotes. I don't agree with everything he says but some of it I do. I didn't use the word like because like often implies we agree with it. Sometimes we or at least I have to agree with something even though I don't like it.
"A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal".(Oscar Wilde)
Which leads into another thing that I often think about it is my life long pursuit of truth. I think of myself as an amateur scientist (among many other things) with no formal education (well, I do have some). A real scientist, from what I have learned during my formal educative periods accepts truth even if it rules out their own theories and postulates regardless of the source. That also just happens to be the same principle held by my church.
One thing I have discovered over and over that there are people, many people, apparently sane persons, professional persons, rich or poor, educated or not, eccentric or ordinary persons, from all walks of life that regularly lie and accept untruth, look to deceive just because it is uncomfortable, to get gain, to obtain power, blame others, whatever, whatever. People that continue to seek untruth because the truth might hurt their pride, might be work, the other person might leave us - the list goes on.
Here's a quote from Lynn Foresst, a well known therapist in the U.S.
"One of the biggest reasons we forego honesty is because we are unwilling to accept the consequences" and that all of us at times live in a state of feeling as a victim.
"The victim mind is a state of consciousness that prompts us to react as if what we feel, believe or do is caused by something outside of us. We see ourselves being at the mercy of our life circumstances."
Do you ever feel that way? I know that I have at times.
She goes on to say that we also can experience which she describes as being an observer.
"The observer mind, on the other hand, understands that there is only one cause to our unhappiness - and that is what's going on in our own mind."
This does not preclude that there are actual events that can and do hurt us but it does not mean that we have to live in the artificial. And yes, truth does have consequences. Being truthful does not exempt us from experiencing pain.
And as a popular hymn asks, "Oh Say, What is Truth?",
a scripture answers,
"And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come. " (D&C 93:24)
The hymn goes on to say how truth is important,
"But the pillar of truth will endure to the last...
Truth, the sum of existence,
will weather the worst,
Eternal, unchanged, evermore."
Truth then is what will see us through and ultimately bring us happiness.
Again, Lynn Foresst talks about our unhappiness is caused by ourselves, not necessarily all our pain. There are good pains we experience. What of the pain of childbirth that brings out the birth of a new life into this world? Or the pain of late nights, lack of sleep, studying when you are in school to get to your goal of increasing your knowledge to give you a better chance of self-reliance. Or exercising or trying to eat better. Surely, these are worth-while things that we endure for a greater outcome. Even the pain of the dentist chair means a brighter future.
Everyone who knows me, knows my own personal struggle with food and fat. I have spent countless, innumerable hours it seems on these issues. I read everything I can get a hold that seems reasonable.
The causes:
science says: genetic predisposition,
sociology says: environmental conditions,
psychology says: it is all in the mind,
religion says: spiritual deficit.
Which is right? Which is wrong? Are they a combination of some or all or none?
Again, using the scientific method:
Ask a Question
Do Background Research
Construct a Hypothesis
Test your Hypothesis with an Experiment
Analyze Results and Draw a Conclusion
which leads to:
The Hypothesis is one, true; or two, false or partially true. If it is the latter then we start again.
So simply put, the question I ask myself is, How to get rid of my fat and not over eat?
I have discovered with my background research that all of the causes and some and none are true. My research shows also that various diets and weight control methods, treatments have and have not worked for myself and others for limited periods of time and for some others, long term. Also what has worked long term for one person hasn't necessarily worked for another.
The bottom line is when more calories goes in than what is burned, there is excess fat. Obvious. That is the honest truth. There is no disputing that fact (being that facts are considered truths).
So, I need to take in less calories to reach a 'normal, healthy weight' for my age and size. But how do I get there?
Well so far, all my experimenting has concluded that for me, when I eat vegan most often, I feel full and satisfied on moderate amounts of food and I experience little or no cravings for excess food. This is a great truth so why haven't I embraced it? I know that losing weight will greatly increase the quality of my life and life expectancy.
The truth is like all of us, I can be weak and draw myself into the victim mode as Lynn Foresst describes. But utilizing the knowledge I have learned, I can assure myself success by:
1. Accept the fact that yes, I am genetically pre-disposed to be fat and have addictive tendencies.
2.Look at the conditions that may contribute excess stress and what should or shouldn't be removed.
3.Look for ways to cope with stress.
4.Stay close to God and be grateful for the weakness and trials that are my mentors in personal and spiritual growth.(italicized in this sentence by V.Nabrotski)
and 5, remember the truth will always set me free.
So as I have talked about for the last week and a half, come this Monday, I will put into practice my "Eating Vegan Most Often" lifestyle holding close to the other truths I have learned and remembering, basically - too much food in means excess fat.
Anyhow, I didn't really catch up but I did underlying in what was going on in my own little world in my mind. The other stuff, I'll add through out the next while. Thanks for being patient and listening to my ramblings.
Happy New Year!
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