Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Growing pains

from Webster's Dictionary


growing pains

 noun plural
: pains in the legs of children who are growing
: the problems that are experienced as something (such as a business or a project) grows larger or more successful


Love it! I think we're conditioned to avoid pain. We're a feel good society. We recoil when we get uncomfortable, but that second definition tells us that if we're going to have the life we want, we've got to have some discomfort. It's important to know the difference between the pain of unhappiness and that from venturing into deeper waters and uncharted territory.

I find that my growing pains are mostly emotional. I have worn grooves in my mind by responding to many things and challenges in the same way. For instance:

When I'm very busy and feel it in my body, I always start fearing what's going to happen to me. I get scared that I might get sick. I look for trouble. I lay in bed thinking about how much I have to get done, then start counting the days till the busy is all over and I can get more rest. I'm very busy right now. On top of teaching high schoolers, I'm stretching myself to conduct creative writing workshops and participate in public readings.

But, this time I'm going to do it differently! Instead of getting scared because my schedule is tight, I'm going to flip the script and get excited. Let's see what happens if I choose to let some little things go so I can get to bed on time. I'll plan with a bit more detail so I can keep calm and healthy.

The other alternative is to run from the growing pains, get through the rough part in a blurred funk and pretty much return to the status quo. I'm not saying we should run ourselves ragged. But if we have a vision for where we want to go in life, or we have a passion that we want to pursue, we have to find a place for it. The tricky part is adjusting the old to make room for the new. Of being uncomfortable enough for things to change shape and direction, for our lives to morph into something we haven't experienced before.

I think it might be the only way to grow into the next phase of our journey. We won't know how to get to the new if we can't endure the growing pains with the right attitude.





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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Organic vs. Inorganic

This is a departure from my usual, but life is big and whole, and there are no compartments. Everything informs everything else. And health is a HUGE part of everything-- what's going on in our bodies, how much energy we have, even our emotionalism. There's also lots of speculation and research about how even our food can poison us. I like the idea of eating organic, but organic gets expensive, and I will often grab whatever fruit and vegetable looks good and healthy-- even if it is laden with invisible pesticides.

I ran into this information by Andrew Weil, and found it helpful. I put it on my fridge.

This is what Dr. Andrew Weil had to say about choosing organic in his "Daily Tips" blog:
"I encourage everyone to enjoy these fruits and vegetables in organic or conventionally grown form:
   Avocados
   Sweet corn
   Pineapples
   Cabbage
   Sweet peas (frozen)
   Onions
   Asparagus
   Mangoes
   Papayas
   Kiwi
   Eggplant
   Grapefruit
   Cantaloupe (domestic)
   Cauliflower
Sweet potatoes

According to EWG, common growing practices make the crops listed below the most likely to contain higher pesticide residues:
   Apples
   Strawberries
   Grapes
   Celery
   Peaches
   Spinach
   Sweet bell peppers
   Nectarines (imported)
   Cucumbers
   Cherry tomatoes
   Snap peas (imported)
   Potatoes

Plus these which may contain organophosphate insecticides, which EWG characterizes as "highly toxic" and of special concern:
   Hot peppers

   Blueberries (domestic)"

So, this takes some of the mystery out of making some organic vs. inorganic choices. I happen to love Dr. Weil. And now, he's saving me money!

Didn't read Salt in the Sugar Bowl yet? Order your copy today!  

And check my website for upcoming events.