Patience is a Virtue Part 4

When I was a kid growing up I could remember once a year, during the summer, it would be so hot outside that the ants would come into the house to stay cool and find food. (That's what I believed about the "staying cool" part - I don't really have proof). Then one year, they never came and I quickly forgot about my annual visit - that is, until now.

Randomly I would find a couple ants in my bathroom on the second floor. Then the next couple days they were in the kitchen. But there were only a few so I couldn't find a trail to zap and end the infestation. It started to be an annoyance and I quickly ignored it, but they kept coming!

Last night, as I was filling up my cup of water, they were all over the kitchen floor! The frustration was still there because I still couldn't see a trail! Then, I took a deep breath and scanned every part of where the ants could come from and I found it! It was from the water filter! ZAP! They were done!

But the bathroom upstairs was still a problem. In the morning, I found a couple ants on my counter and then on my shower wall. I was getting impatient again and wondering to myself... if I only knew where they were coming from! So, I just followed an ant hoping to find the hole. It took a little while, they seem to have A.D.D. sometimes, but after a few minutes, it crawled into a hole from my shower handle! ZAP! It was done.

Now the idea of waking up to ants crawling all over me in the middle of the night is put to rest! There's no more surprise, no more frustration and no more torment! There's peace and calm - all from being patient for a couple minutes. Isn't it funny how waiting a little bit longer can provide so much for a human being? Next time, breath and wait. That's my advice on taking care of ants.

Patience is a Virtue Pt. 3

Today's topic is about diets/losing weight/being in the best shape of your life! The inspiration of this blog is from "The 4 hour body" by Tim Ferris and The Bitter Truth About Sugar Lecture.

I've been doing the slow carb diet since the beginning of this year and there are definitely highs and lows. The biggest question of all from this diet is since people are losing massive pounds in a week - AM I? If not, the diet is not working or I'm doing something wrong. However, I'd like to point out the pitfall - comparing yourself to others. That is the number one thing not to do in any area of your life because you're always going to be discouraged and it will ultimately invalidate your progress and ultimately lead you to quit.

For me, weight has been a slight issue, but ultimately the biggest thing is I'd like to look more toned. I didn't do the diet to lose weight, I did it for lifestyle changes. The diet has forced me to plan my food, to cook my food, to eat more vegetables and really to take care of myself. Ultimately with keeping up with the "rules" of the diet and understanding that sugar is bad but I can have it 1 day out of the week - it has worked miracles on my body. I've lost pounds, I've lost inches, and I've lost fat! I can truly say it's best body I've had and I can't wait for the beach! :) Now, it didnt' happen over night, which means my weight, inches and fat aren't coming back over night! Patience was the key in having my success and not being obsessed about the scale was what had me stick to it. Although I weighed myself almost everyday, I measured myself every 2 months. Those are the numbers that prove to me that the diet is working - over time.

So for all those people out there who want a lifestyle change, I highly recommend those two sources above and to be patient with yourself. Your true body image will emerge when you choose to take care of yourself! Happy BIKINI body!

Patience is a Virtue 2

Part of me feels like I'm always trying to get a post written but I'm always putting it at the bottom of the list. And now, I've just come to the realization that I'm going to post when I can. Who says that I have to post every week and who says that I have to do anything at all. Enough with beating myself up!

Now onto the good stuff. In this entry I want to talk about patience with myself. After the last post, I got sick and it took a week to get better, and another week to get back in the routine of things - hence the delay. But that's besides the point. What I realized when I was sick laying in bed, was that in high school, I would plow through the fatigue, fever, sore throat or whatever illness I had at the time, and still do what I needed to do - which was go to school. But now, I find myself laying in bed the moment I feel sick; and I wondered why. This immediately brought me back to the book by Tony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within, where he talks about values that we all have. It was then I realized my value of health was really low and practically non existent in high school, and now, it's a concern of mine. It's funny how the things we value shape our actions, our thoughts and our life.

Today, I find that I do not value partying, but I value family, health, love and my work. This shift, has me hang out with people that share the same values, which then you're surrounded with like minded people.

Now, there's nothing wrong with plowing through, or partying. It's just what that person values at that moment in time. That's all. And sometimes it takes something simple to happen to sit and rethink what's important. For me, it was getting sick. And recovery was making me very impatient. But the thing that bugged me most was that it took me almost two weeks to get back into the swing of things. In the fast pace world that I live in, to have something take two weeks is crazy. But I've come to realized that sometimes taking a step back or two, may be the best thing that will ever happen. Feeling like I took two steps back when it was just one step forward is not bad, it's just life. Especially today, where we don't stop to think that the world issues are really impacting our day to day activities.

So today, I leave you with one action item this weekend as we celebrate our Independence Day, where have you beaten yourself up in your life and can you let it go and be patient with yourself?