Saturday, March 26, 2011

Day 6 of 30 Come Into Your Own Uniqueness

Wow.  Today was powerful.  I love my job, I'm incredibly grateful for it.  (Thanks X3 Sports!)  In fact, it just doesn't seem like a job.  I get to help people...all day, everyday.  How is that work?  There is research involved, but...I love that too!  Learning, growing, giving.  This is what life is all about.

My team was suppose to go hiking this am, but it rained so we decided to meet at a local book store and have a chat.  We sat there and before we knew it, hours had passed.  We had great conversations about food, behaviors and lifestyle change.  One member had lost a significant amount of weight.  He told me he once smoked 3.5 packs of cigarettes a day.  Had a daily routine of coming home and having a bourbon, went out to eat all the time and mindlessly ordered off the menu.  Now, his life is completely different.  He may still have an occasional drink but it becomes less and less. He feels as though he is now the odd one out.  How sad is this?  The odd one out for being healthy, working out and living a lifestyle that has now become...rare. He's made a choice to be different, to be healthy.  He has a new obsession and loves his new found life.  He told me a story today, that struck hard.  He was in a grocery store at the checkout counter, cart filled with fresh veggies, fruit, fish, meat, all the right ingredients for healthy living.  The ladies were whispering, "He must be single to eat like that" , another one whispered, "Do you think he's gay?" (stereotyping...are all gay people healthy??) People really amaze me about their thinking....or lack of. Has it come to this, to be looked at as the odd one out for being....healthy? 

Another team member, you all know him, Kelly Sanders.  He said to me today:  "Caroline, I'm smiling.  I'm smiling all day long."  Kelly has made a remarkable change in the last 3 months.  He keeps surprising me with amazing progress and I couldn't be more proud.  He's a quick learner, plays by the rules and understands the consequences.  He gets it and likes where he is in his journey.  He too had bad habits to break.  Along his journey, he has had situations where people in his life just didn't understand his new lifestyle.  He too deals with this challenge.  However, he knows his decision to be healthy is the one for him.  He's taking charge and I don't see any signs of going back!

These 2 men prove, life can change.  You can be different.  It's a choice.  We need to stop caring about what everyone else thinks.  Do what's best for you.  Another member stated to me today: "I'm having a tough time this weekend, because I'm at my parents' house.  They made me my favorite food and I feel obligated."  This is what I call, parental acceptance syndrome.  Parents raise their children the best they know how.  We are brought up to respect our parents and think they are always right.  As adults, it's hard to separate these beliefs.  We always feel a need to be accepted by our parents and don't want to disappoint them.   This girl is so very sweet, I can't picture a slight argument with her parents.  I'm not saying she should throw up her hands and say..."NO, I don't eat this way and I won't eat that."  But rather, maybe have a discussion with them about her beliefs in better health, how she wants to live her life.  I mean, we are talking about food choices....not any drastic measures of craziness.   This is something that is good for her.  Parents tend to have a hard time understanding when a child grows up and doesn't follow traditional standards of how they were raised.  But this, my friend, is evolution.  We each get smarter and smarter with every generation.  I sure hope my kids out smart me!  Heck, I think they already do!

Sometimes, it takes time, to come into our own and bloom.  We are raised to care about what everyone else thinks.  We are taught to be on guard.  There are some good reasons for some of this training.  But, there comes a time, we have to sit back, take a look at our lives and decide where we want it to go.  As an adult, it is only us that holds us back.  Take charge of your life.  Once you figure this out, you will have found one of the golden treasures of life.

People will come and go from your life, but you will always have to live with yourself.  Become who you want to become, like yourself and love life!

I am still going strong!  Meat, eggs, fish and veggies!  Today, since a member stated he couldn't have sushi.....I made sushi, rice free!  Take a look below!  Eating clean and healthy doesn't have to mean boring.  I do tell my students:  "Think about it.  you don't want to eat something too yummy, if you do, what happens?  You take a bite and say...ummmmm that's good!  Then you proceed to take another bite and before you know it, your stomach is hurting because you had too much."   Food is fuel, yes, but it can be tasty and fun too! (however, to prove my point....I couldn't put that riceless sushi down...YUM!)

I had another amazing day!  I have a feeling another blogger is coming real soon.  In the meantime, take a look at the two blogs below.  I'm very proud of these guys.  It takes a lot of guts to commit to something, but to share their story and put it all out on the line, is very brave!  They too, share some very valid points, from a different view.  Let's all grow and learn together.  We are all different.  Embrace the difference!

Going strong.....ALL DAY LONG!  

Kelly's Blog: http://myallnatural30daychallenge.blogspot.com/

Jarrod's Blog:  http://mypersonaltransformation.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/the-end-begins-here/

2 Comments:

Anonymous Danielle said...

I saw that people were blogging on the x3sports FB page. So I decided to check it out and happened to click on yours first. Your blogs are so inspirational and makes so much sense. I will continue to follow your journey and you have even inspired me to start one :-) Keep up the good work because you have no idea how many lives you have touched with your wisdom.

April 13, 2011 at 4:14 PM  
Blogger Caroline Brown X3 Sports Nutrition said...

Thanks so much Danielle! I appreciate your feedback and glad it has inspired you. Let me know if you would like any help! 678-777-2368

April 13, 2011 at 4:42 PM  

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