Using Amethyst as an Anchor

A couple of months ago, my aunt and I were walking on South Congress Ave in Austin when we stopped to talk to a woman selling hand-made copper and stone rings. They were bold, chunky jewelry that Mitzi and I were both intrigued by. We knew we each needed one. After finding the perfect one and having the artist readjust them to fit our fingers just right, we walked away with a great sense of excitement and contentment. I did some research to really understand what I was wearing on my finger -- and found some interesting stuff on Crystal Vaults. 

Amethyst, deriving from amethusthos which means "not intoxicated" is a variety of quartz which is known to bring a sense of contentment and clarity. It is said to shield its owner from negative energy from others, turns it into positive, warm energy and returns it back to the universe. Amethyst holds the energy of passion, creativity and spirituality.

Now, this might all be a little too woo-woo for some of you, and I certainly question some of it. But all I know is that when I look down at my giant purple rock ring, I remember that I have the power to change my own attitude at any time. I can take the energy from the stone and use it as motivation to keep me going. I remember that it helps me to clear my mind of distractions and negativity so that I can continue on the path I'm headed on. Find an "anchor" in your environment that will keep you on track with what you want to accomplish. It could be anything from jewelry to a scented candle or a song you love, but make a specific connection that you will remember when you see, hear or smell it. It's my favorite way to positively hold myself accountable.

Getting Unstuck

In an exciting (and successful) attempt to surprise my parents with a visit home from Austin for Thanksgiving, I’m realizing how quickly things can change when your environment changes. I went from warm, undiscovered Austin to cold, familiar Boston. Aside from seeing all the people I missed so much since the summer, I quickly felt like I had never left, and that made me feel stuck. What had I just done in my last 4 months away? Did I do anything worthwhile at all? Today I sat and listed all the things I did since going down to Austin and was able to sit back, smile and shake those feelings of getting nothing accomplished. I realized that I certainly did accomplish important things. But just 5 minutes prior to that list, I felt so unaccomplished – simply because I’m in an environment that isn’t as new and exciting as Austin was.

Are you feeling stuck? I challenge you to write out a list of recent accomplishments. You’ll be able to see exactly what you’ve put your time and effort in, and it will remind you that you’re exactly where you need to be right now.

Let's Set the Table for Some Thanksgiving Nightmares

Many people LOVE Thanksgiving. As a picky eater growing up, I shamefully dreaded it. Early on, cheese tortellini with butter became a part of the menu specifically for me so that I had something to eat on this food-oriented day. Wondering if any of you can relate...

What gets you through Thanksgiving? Does anyone have any horror stories they want to share? 

Please comment and share your story below!

7 Steps for {Food} Transformation: Picky Eater Turned Health Coach

“Picky Eater” was my title. It was what I hid behind. It made it easy for me to say, “No thanks, I don’t eat that. I’m probably the pickiest eater you’ll ever meet.” It gave me a way to justify my eating habits, even if I couldn’t explain it. It was a title I hated and loved at the same time. It seemed impossible to shake, but I knew I wanted to overcome it. When I was ready, I started calling myself a “Recovering Picky Eater.” That was the start of my process.

Any transformation is a process. It’s not impossible unless you say it is. How important is this transformation for you? 1-10? For me, it was off the charts. It was always my biggest priority, the thing I wished for on birthday candles. After making the transformation I wanted to make, I broke it down step-by-step to help others. For me, my transition was going from eating solely off the kid’s menu to eating almost anything off the real menu. After making this transformation, I am happier than ever. Your happiness is the most important thing in your life. Do what you need to do to give yourself that.
 

1.     Daydream about what you want by imagining what it will look and feel like once you get there. I did a lot of thinking and visualizing what my life would be like once I made the changes I was set out to make. I imagined the foods I would eat and how I would be feeling when I was eating it. I imagined how social situations would change for me – all for the better. I daydreamed of the things that would be enhanced in my life once I made changes in what I ate.

2.    Give yourself time and room to make a change. I knew that I wasn’t ready to eat a salad that day, but also knew that sometime in the future, I would be ready. I was able to remove the anxiety and pressure of changing before I was really ready to try new foods. I used this time to reflect and build a relationship with myself. I set a timeframe so that I had x amount of days/weeks/months until I’d start actually making changes. It was so important to give myself that time to grow and accept that a change was coming.

3.    Develop self-trust. By writing and reflecting, I strengthened my relationship with myself to the point that I didn’t want to let myself down. I would set goals (not food related at first) and do everything I could to stick to them. Whether it was a workout, getting to bed by a certain time, saving money, or something else, I used this time to build a sense of trust in myself. It made it much easier for me to know that I was going to accomplish goals that I set for myself.

4.    Don’t think about it too much. I trusted that everything would work out just as it needed to for me. I kept it all in the positive. I considered myself a “Recovering Picky Eater” because that’s what I wanted to be. I stayed present and did not let the anxiety creep in.

5.    Take the first step by yourself. I did not tell anyone that I was about to try a whole bunch of new foods, because then there was going to be a whole bunch of pressure on me. I did it all for myself and by myself. I knew that because I now had built up a strong sense of self-confidence (confidence that I was able to make changes) I could do it. When I went to try the first food, it was just me and the food, and it no longer seemed half as scary. I had a strong foundation of self-love and knew that this was something I really wanted.

6.    Continue to push your comfort zone. After the first few new foods, it became easier than I could have ever imagined. I saw that I wasn’t getting sick from the foods, and that I actually really enjoyed most of them. I continued to push my comfort zone to keep pushing past my fears. Any time there was a pang of fear, the sense of overcoming it afterward was so rewarding. I started to love that feeling and pretty quickly, the fear was disappearing. It all came with repetition.

7.    Reflect on your positive changes. I continued to write and reflect to keep my relationship with myself strong. I was proud of myself, and that was an amazing feeling. I shared it with others, but since I did it for myself, I mostly shared it with myself. I found a sense of achievement and reflected on how far I had come. I felt like if I could overcome my picky eating habits, I could overcome anything.
 

I believe that these steps can be used for any transformation. I know they worked for me. All changes are similar. They’re scary and overwhelming. We often try to avoid change, but once we are determined to set goals to overcome something, we have the ability in us. Change is possible if you want it badly enough. If you think you could benefit from my help, here I am!