Average or Extraordinary...Your CHOICE!

Isn't it funny how you can have one apparently random thought that then transpires into meaning something really quite profound?


Take the phrase If You Eat an "Average" Diet, You'll Have an "Average" Body for example. This is what came to me just a few weeks ago. I can't remember exactly how or where it happened but I know I was comparing the physique of someone who looked slim and healthy with someone who didn't. Not in a shallow way, you understand, but in a deeper, questioning, reflective one... And I thought, "You know, even though raw has a huge part to play in how we look and feel, what it really comes down to for someone, if they're after a certain physique that is outstanding in some way, is to NOT do what most other people are doing, otherwise you'll look like most other people."

 Common sense I know, but sometimes you just have to hear it or see it a certain way to really get it.


And with most people these days being out of shape, well, I know for my own part, that having an "average" western body is just not exciting to me! (I've been there and I was miserable; I felt permanently held back on every level. My body was a symptom of other "stuck" issues and vice-versa. I wanted to know how it would be to be slim and what a difference it would make. It made a BIG difference).

So...

If you are not happy with the shape your body is in right now, get ready for revelation! It's time to grab a pen and paper and ask yourself some thought-provoking questions:



1) What am I eating right now on a regular basis that is "average"?



2) What am I drinking right now on a regular basis that is "average"?



3) What am I thinking about my body on a regular basis that is "average?"



4) What am I doing with my body (or not doing) on a regular basis that is "average?



When you're done, take your pen and next list out answers to all of the same questions but this time in terms of being EXTRAORDINARY. Ask yourself what you can do differently to be extraordinary rather than average and see what comes.

 It's a fun exercise isn't it?



The fact is, doing things in an "average" or "ordinary" way will get you those types of results - and that's fine if that's what you want. (And trust me, I totally get why sometimes that is perfect for us - we always create the body that best serves us for whatever reason). But if it's NOT what you want then doing things in a different or extraordinary way will get you THOSE types of results.



My guess is that you're here to be extraordinary in one or more ways. If you are, you know what to do!



If your body is not your concern then pick another area of your world that is and ask the same questions, tweaking to suit.

I look forward to hearing more about what you discover and commit to as a result...


© 2010 Karen Knowler WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

It's Not Too Late to Get Started

Don't Be Critical

It's Possible! It's Sooo Worth It!

Don't Let People Label You

Where Are You Going in Such a Hurry?

God Wants To Amaze You

Get Over It...Move On!

Healing the Broken Heart / Overcoming the Orphans Heart

STOP CALLING YOURSELF AN ADDICT (guest blogger)

(I wrote this as a response to someone else's blog post, and then I realized that while I had good intentions, this was really a blog post all it's own, and as usual, it is really from me to me as something I want to remember. Please forgive the redundancy, and if it sounds harsh, remember it is meant only in love.)


STOP CALLING YOURSELF AN ADDICT. There are FACTS and there are TRUTHS. Facts can change, but truths do not. The facts may be that you are having difficulty overcoming some food cravings. The TRUTH is that you are a beautiful, worthy, amazing woman who has everything she needs inside her to control her actions...even her mouth. When you call yourself an addict, it does two things: first, it is an excuse to continue the behavior. "Yes I ate all the XXX, I'm an addict, I couldn't help it." There's the rub- "I couldn't help it." But actually, you can.

You can distract and delay an impulse. You can remove temptation from your home and make it a safe zone. You can talk back to the voice in your head that tells you it's ok to have it "just this once" when you hadn't planned to have it. I can guarantee that if someone kidnapped your child and said they would come to harm if you ate chocolate in the next 24 hrs, you would not give into that impulse, no matter how strong.

So in a way, addiction is a lie. And it is a dangerous lie because it steals your power. If you say it often enough and with conviction to yourself, you will come to believe it. On some level, you will fulfill the destiny you have decided for yourself. How do I know this? I once weighed 400 lbs! I am 5 foot 3 inches. I was so "addicted" to fast food, I couldn't pass a drive thru. I have now released around 100 pounds, and it has all come through two things: praying and borrowing God's strength when I needed it to resist temptation, and recognizing and talking back to the addictive voice and not letting that aspect of myself be in the driver's seat. With God's help, I control my eating, not my inner child who does not really care how much harm that food that I craved was doing to me.

It takes practice. It takes listening to what you say to yourself before you give in, and having a logical rebuttal ready. It takes getting that temptation OUT OF YOUR HOUSE. Don't "buy it for your kids" or make other excuses. If you don't want to slip, stay off the ice. Here are some things I tell myself when I want to give in: "This will not make me feel better. I will feel sick later and angry with myself." "You'll feel so much better if you don't." "Eat this apple (or drink this smoothie, etc) and if you still want XXX in an hour, you can have it."

(Immediately follow this by having the healthy food and then DISTRACT YOURSELF with an activity incompatible with eating, such as taking a shower.) Finally, I tell myself that the kitchen is CLOSED after 7pm, I can't go in there even for water. I wash up the dishes and then I GET OUT, and take plenty of water with me.

I guess what I have very long windedly said is that what you call yourself MATTERS. Call yourself a raw vegan. Call yourself someone who is overcoming food issues. Call yourself someone who is strong and
capable and worthy of the BEST LIFE, the BEST HEALTH, and who loves her family and herself enough to make the choices necessary to be around a long, long time. Because it is TRUE about you, you know.

Mallory (fellow Raw Food Rehabber) Join us at the Hab! http://www.rawfoodrehab.ning.com/

To see Mallory's ongoing transformation, click HERE.

Change (guest blogger)

Change is something that at one time (and perhaps again in the future) I rebelled against. I faught it and thrashed against it, complaining and doing my best to control the events and transformation in process. Today, when I find myself trying to control or manipulate a situation I oft find that it is change that I am fighting again. The difference is that now I focus on creating space for the change... opening up to the possibilities it will bring.

Being a visual person I have likened this to a rock in a river, stream or some other moving body of water. At one time I was the rock, covered with hard edges and angles, cleaved from the security of the ledge and holding my own against the flow; fighting it and pushing back. Now I am still that rock but time has a way of opening you up if you allow it, softening the edges and more going with the flow. The waters of change wash over me, taking with it bits of ego and false steadfastness that are not necessary to my existance. Allowing me to delight in the activity of the water, the temperature and the speed at which it passes over, around and even through me.

Change is inevitable and in that it is dependable. Being willing to be open to change, without fighting against it, frees me to live my life fully and without holding of tension, animosity or a feeling of right and/or wrong. This freedom creates a space big enough for the present to unfold... having my mind in the moment, allowing for joy, peace, and even sadness and the like is a gift. A beautiful gift that I, personally, could have only found by struggling against the inevitable and failing (becoming me to try something new).

My wish for you today is to be open to change, allow its highs and lows to alter how you see yourself, your life and interact with others. To know that the changes that happen may be put into action by your efforts but that you cannot control the outcome..... see the beauty in not being in control of that and embrace the unfolding (here in your RAW journey and in life at large).

Ren justRen, a fellow Raw Food Rehabber
__
Come join us in celebrating life through change at the Hab! http://www.rawfoodrehab.ning.com/

Trusting God When You Don't Understand

Enjoying The Journey

Understanding Your Value

Looks Like A Job For El Shaddai

Need to Veg Out?

When you get overwhelmed, do you just crash out in front of the TV?
Watching mindlessly, eating mindlessly.... using the remote control to flip by life?
Trying to numb yourself and finding yourself wanting to dial up for a pizza?

Instead of turning on the TV and being tempted by the food commercials, spend some time at the computer logged in to RFR. Each room has so much information chocked full into every corner of it!


There are videos to watch and articles to read and discussions to jump in on....to get insight for yourself or give information to others. If you are going to "VEG OUT", then do it HERE!! Trade in your remote for your computer and log in to Raw Food Rehab!


You will get no temptations from S.A.D. food commercials. You will only find "licking the screen" pictures/recipes to make your raw life journey more pleasant and fun! And GUILT-FREE!! If you have a craving for something sweet, then make a raw treat...even if you eat alot of it, in time to come you will get over the newness of it and will settle in. When I first went raw, every new sweet I made, I made every week and ate it all the time...now it is just a bite here and there...


I just pulled a few of my favorite Penni Main Page Forum Videos up...those that I watch over and over again! Instead of watching "I Love Lucy" reruns, watch "I Love Penni" : ) Maybe you have not seen them or just need to hear them again...So pull up a chair, or sit on an exercise ball in front of the computer like I do or plunk yourself down on the couch and ENJOY:


Going Raw- Making the Shift

Community Code
Best Gameplan for Raw Food Success
Change your mind--change your life
Addicted or Habitually Inclined
Finding Hope & Silencing the BeastRaw Food Success -Always be prepared
Where do YOU get your PROTEIN?


Getting Motivated while I am Vegetating!**
Munching on my kale chips and drinking (you guessed it...) a Green Smoothie!
Susan : )

PS...to access the above links, you need to sign in to Raw Food Rehab!

The Curse of Busyness

For Travel Fun and Ease Make Gorilla Sandwiches

I use a dowel to tap it down. You can purchase the Zucchini Corer, CLICK HERE!


http://gorillasandwich.com

There are unlimited ways to fill a Gorilla Sandwich!  Tell me what your favorite filling is! : )

When You Know Your WHY, The HOW Is Easy!

Are YOU FLYing? : )

FocusMakesMeFabulousMarlaTheFlylady.mp3
Take a listen .... Let this change YOU! : )

www.flylady.net

Green Grins : )

“Green” Without the Eggs & Ham:

I will drink it in a boat!
And I will drink it with a goat...
And I will drink it in the rain.

And in the dark. And on a train.
And in a car. And in a tree.
It’s so good, so good you see!

So I will drink it in a box.
And I will drink it with a fox.
And I will drink it in a house.
And I will drink ...it with a mouse.
And I will drink it here and there.
Say! I will drink it ANYWHERE!

"Susan I am!!"

Not be be confused with "Sam I am" by Dr.Suess

this is not original with me...found it a while back somewhere on the www

(if you know the source, please let me know)

This is sooo great! Watch this rave review for a superfood smoothie to discover what an 86 year old woman has every morning in her superfood smoothie to give her lots of energy and nice skin!

I am going to look this great at her age!!!!

Stop Being Mad at Yourself

Where is YOUR Focus?

Your mind is yours exclusively.
Take possession of it, and use it to get what you want out of life.

One optimist can have more constructive influence than 1000 pessimists.

Worries that we do not feed quickly die of hunger.

If your mind can make you sick -and it can- don’t forget that it can also give you health.

A well disciplined mind knows very few limits.

A negative mind never attract happiness or success, except their opposite.

Each brain is an emitter and receptor of vibrations emanating from thoughts.

Your “real” age, is determined by your attitude, not the number of years.

Your mind is the only element that you control exclusively.
Avoid using it for meaningless conversations.

Most diseases begin with a negative mind.

Only an open mind can grow.

Some people always have problems, because their mind is focused on problems & worries.
The mind attracts what it entertains.

Your mind belongs to you, as well as the responsibility to use it well.

Modify your attitude and your environment will change accordingly.

A positive person finds every possible way to succeed.
A negative person finds every possible way not to succeed.

Focus your mind on what you want out of life, not what you do not want.

If you can’t manage your own attitude, what makes you think you can manage that of others?

Once we close the doors to negative thoughts, a door of opportunity opens up.

You can’t control how others act,
but you can control how you react to these acts,
and that’s what counts the most for you.

Life is never easy for a person that is bitter in regards to its surroundings.

Never forget that problems go where they are invited.

Enthusiasm makes the wheel of imagination turn.

Source

Embrace Your Hero's Journey

Shedding Skin “The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.” ~ Joseph Campbell from A Joseph Campbell Companion Nietzsche made a brilliant comment on this as well: “Shedding one’s skin. The snake that cannot shed its skin perishes. So do the spirits who are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be spirit.” We MUST shed our old selves to transform into the new. … How’s your skin? Need to shed a bit, my friend? … And, while we’re on the subject of death and re-birth, how about this: “If you want resurrection, you must have crucifixion.” ~ Joseph Campbell from A Joseph Campbell Companion That. Is. Powerful. A snake that cannot shed its skin perishes. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come. If you want resurrection, you must have crucifixion. QUIT HOLDING ON TO YOUR OLD IDENTITY. You know you need to change. So, change.

~Brian Johnson

Below is my personal favorite quote that has taken me through difficult times: Susan : ) "What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

I Believe I Can Fly

"I Believe I Can Fly"
I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I'm leaning on the Everlasting Arms

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

[1]
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

[Repeat 1]

Hey, cause I believe in me, oh

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

[Repeat 1]

Hey, if I just spread my wings
I can fly
I can fly
I can fly, hey
If I just spread my wings
I can fly
Fly-eye-eye

How to De-Stress!

Do YOU Take The Path of Least Resistance?

Big Ideas from Robert Fritz's "Path of Least Resistance" and talk about the structural conflict that can create a negative oscillating pattern and how we can bust out of it and rock it. Hope you enjoy! :)

Living in This Moment....

Live In This Moment You Have Right NOW....


It seems this world is spinning so fast...there is always something grabbing for our attention..so many things....It SEEMS that mulitasking is supposed to help us...but it does hinder our focus.

As a Mom, I do multitask some to keep my household running. I wear many hats in my home: Mom, Homeschool Teacher, Errand Runner, Laundrymat Attendent, Dishwasher, UnCook, Groundskeeper, Car Maintence Woman, etc...the list goes on and on and on....and I don't even work outside the home! The work in the home is more than enough to keep me movin' all day long! : ) I am re-booting the laundry, doing a history lesson with Emmalee, washing dishes, doing reading with Elliott, going grocery shopping, pull out the vacuum, run an errand for an ill friend, the phone rings off the hook with endless telemarketers...(I've handed the phone to Elliott a few times! )

Sometimes I think as a Mom I have to multi-task...no choice in the matter...
But I cannot run 24/7 ...neither can you!

Take this moment NOW and

Enjoy this moment...it is fleeting...

Take a deep breath and plan on focusing on the NOW throughout your day.
When stress levels rise, stop and take a mental vacation, even if it is just for 2-3 minutes...refocus...

Think on the good things..the funny things...the joyful things. A merry heart does good like a medicine! Take a healthy dose of laughter every day!

There is always tomorrow to answer those phone calls and emails. There will be dishes to do tomorrow and laundry is ever-bearing...Take a few minutes each day to yourself starting NOW!

Put some post-it notes around the house, in the car, in your briefcase, etc..that say: NOW to remind you to be in the present. Living in the past or the future has no rewards! : )

God Can Speak to Us Even in Our Doubts

Revealing Your Inner Rawk Star Digital Books by Penni Shelton NOW AVAILABLE!

The Revealing Your Inner Rawk Star digtial materials are finished and available for download to all members of The Vault - Rawk Star Lockdown. I have spent a great deal of time putting this information together and I trust that this collection will be a source of tangible support for you during our coming 11 Week Initiative.


When you join The Vault, you will be able to download all 3 digital books: 

Revealing Your Inner Rawk Star - 77 Days to Radiant Health & Weight Loss
Revealing Your Inner Rawk Star - In The Kitchen (a collection of nearly 100 raw food recipes)
and Revealing Your Inner Rawk Star - The Photos (beautiful digtial photography of some of our featured foods and of finished recipes)  Additionally there are 2 other documents that can be downloaded:

Your Rawk Star Market List (a shopping guide) & Rawk Star Journal Pages

For $33 dollars you will receive all of this material and will be granted access to the higher level of accountability that is offered inside of the Vault during our upcoming Initiative, which will run from Saturday, July 10th - Friday, September 24th, 2010. Time is of the essence if you are planning to be part of this, as the cut off to join the Vault and have all of your beginning information uploaded in on July 8th 10pm EST. 

This digital material is also available to any member of the Raw Food Rehab for $33 and it can be ordered by clicking here.  If you will not be participating in The Vault, but would like this material emailed to you directly, please tell Penni this when you are paying. And for those who have paid and who are members of The Vault - Rawk Star Lockdown, your information is immediately available by clicking here.

Click here if you would like more information on our upcoming 11 Week Initiative or The Vault. 

In order to gain access to some of these links, you must be a member of Raw Food Rehab.  Click HERE to join us!  In a recent blog post here on Raw Energy Eating, I posted the related videos...Click HERE!

Exploration Courage...Apply Liberally Where Needed..

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~ Mark Twain (1835-1910)

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started... and know the place for the first time." ~ T. S. Eliot (1888-1965)

"Once I knew only darkness and stillness... my life was without past or future... but a little word from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart leaped to the rapture of living." ~ Helen Keller (1880-1968)

"Courage is a cold choice between two alternatives, the fixed resolve not to quit; an act of renunciation which must be made not once but many times by the power of the will." ~ Charles Wilson The Anatomy of Courage

Exploration Courage

We can explore life with courage, experiencing the adventure and joy in discovering our potential, or we can choose to stay on familiar shores. In that "safe harbor" which Mark Twain mentioned, we have less risk. Even the pain of error and promise of regret become comfortable friends; they feel safer than leaving the old for the new.

Yet exploration courage always comes down to a choice, a decision of virtue to stay where one is, or to move ahead to a new challenge because something is more important, more essential than fear.

On what can one base such a decision?

We carry with us some very accurate compasses to guide our choices. They are our values, principles that determine our actions each day. We cannot see or touch our values physically. However, we know them deeply and honor them because they define who we are as individuals.

As examples, one might value peace, integrity, creativity, family, compassion, adventure, spirituality, wellness, autonomy, knowledge, or courage. When we act in accordance with our values, we feel that we are acting with purpose.

As we change over the course of years, some of our values also change. We keep most of our core values, drop others, and add new ones, reordering their importance. Often, the decision to take a virtuous and courageous action will involve timing.

In her article, The Art of Courage (Vogue, October 1, 1952), Victoria Lincoln insightfully wrote, "This is the art of courage: to see things as they are and still believe that the victory lies not with those who avoid the bad, but those who taste, in living awareness, every drop of the good."

What do you value, and what would you explore if your heart called you to reach your highest potential?

Explore and enjoy your unique talents - gifts of your Creator. Look forward in faith, keeping the best you would envision for your life as your predominate thought. See, feel, and taste today's good with gratitude, Explore with courage, and enjoy the journey!


Wishing you blessings and success!
from http://www.achieveezine.com/

To get your very own badge of Courage, click Here!

It's Time to Move On!

Laying aside the emotional weights that cause us to hold onto the physical weight...

When I was a kid in school, I ran track. I was the fastest kid in my 6th grade class and was the anchor man on our 440 relay team. When I ran, I wore lightweight shorts, a lightweight tank top and track shoes. Our coach made sure we were all dressed appropriately so that we could run as fast possible. with no added weight to slow us down and hinder our progress.

We need to make sure we are dressed appropriately. We must make sure we have laid aside all that which would weigh us down. You see, we cannot win the race if we are dressed in heavy clothes, carrying a load of baggage.

GET RID OF THE WEIGHTS
Many people are not doing well in the race that is set before them. They are not winning. They are discouraged and tired and ready to throw in the towel. What is the problem? They are trying to run the race with a 100 pound pack on their back. Listen, the fastest man in the world (Usain Bolt) couldn't beat a 9th grade sprinter if he were hauling an extra 100 pounds on his back.

What weight are you carrying?
1. Many carry around the weight of guilt and shame. They have failed greatly in the past, and they cannot seem to escape the torment of the guilt. They do well in spurts, but then the thought of that terrible failure, that horrible thing they did pulls them back down.

2. Many carry around the weight of resentment and bitterness. The world is full of angry, bitter people. These folks have been hurt, mistreated, laughed at, and wronged. and as a result they are so angry and so bitter inside. Bitterness is a weight that MUST be laid aside.

3. Many carry around the weight of sadness and loss. Losing something or someone you love is very hard. Your heart breaks and it is difficult to go on. but you must go on. Life still holds meaning.

You cannot live in the past . you must live in the present.
There is a time to mourn and a time to cry. and then there is a time to move on.
No matter how much you may have lost. your life is not over.
Quit focusing on what you ONCE had, and focus on what you DO have.

WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO
The time is now to lay aside the weights we so often carry around with us.
The time is now to get rid of the guilt and the bitterness and start living in the present.
If you will do it, you will run unhindered. You will run and win your race!

Excerpts from Jeff Schreve newsletter