A lot has happened in the past few weeks. The first of which is that I finally felt well enough physically to take myself to an event alone. For the past two years, I had not had the confidence in my strength and stamina to be able to go somewhere alone. But a few weeks ago, I felt that I was up for this next challenge in my recovery. A few days prior to this, I attended a Raw Foods potluck with a friend. I am not a “raw foodie” but I want to incorporate more of this into my personal nutritional plan. I met some really great people there and one of them said that she was leading a meditation group a few days later in her home. I liked her energy so much and felt so comfortable with her that I knew I wanted to go to this event.
I felt a little nervous before I left for the meditation. I was challenged to drive alone farther than I have in a long time. As I was driving the sun was setting right in front of me. I say that not because the sunset was pretty. I say this because the sun was in my eyes almost the whole way. I am very sensitive to light and glare. About two-thirds of the way to the event, I had to pull over and rest my eyes because I was in a lot of pain. I pulled into a shady spot. I stayed calm and just rested my eyes. About ten minutes later I was back on the road and continued on my way. I was determined to get there! I did get to the event and stayed for the entire time. As I was driving home I was thinking “getting my life back is hard work!” I feel that I have been constantly pushing myself for the past six months. I can now see how far I have come and it has been totally worth it. Since then, I have been challenging myself to do more things alone to build my confidence. I have been driving more, running errands, and light grocery shopping. In fact, I just got home from taking myself to a classic car show in my town. I also signed up for a three hour art class next weekend!
Now, my biggest news is that I recently enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s program to become a certified Health Coach! It is a program that teaches you how to live a balanced healthy holistic lifestyle, and then how to help others reach their health and wellness goals using the same means. It takes into account healthy food, but also healthy relationships, career, physical movement, & spirituality. I feel that this program is the next step in my own recovery, bringing me to a whole new level of wellness over time. I am very excited to see how far I have come using nutrition as my primary form of medicine. I believe in it whole-heartedly and I look forward to the day I can help others meet their own health goals.
I will be taking some time off from writing this blog in order to immerse myself in my course-work. I plan to come back in September with new blogs reflecting this next phase of my quest toward health.
Have a great summer and I’ll see you all in the fall!
Inspirational Quote Of The Week – This is one of my favorite poems. It seems appropriate as I finish the first year of this website & blog and move on to the next turn of the path that lies ahead:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
~Robert Frost