Day 1/2 of "The Cleanse"

Ok, So we don't have a juicer in the house :( BUT we do have a blender and I am using that as much as possible. Dinner time so far is the hardest, mom just makes such yummy things to eat! All in all I am eating much healthier.

I have posed a ot of questions to myself in my head this past couple of days. One of which is HOW to accomplish all of this change in my life, and ALL AT ONCE! It is hard!

I have a great friend, David, who I have known for about 4 years now and has been one of my best friends pretty much since the first time I met him, became my dance partner in college, and even though we live a couple thousand miles away from each other, is still one o the people I turn to in any time of need. In a few minutes I am going to have a conversation and he is going to enlighten me further on this subject of HOW to accomplish my goals. Something he has already told me is to just choose to do it. I understand that it is that "simple" to just choose to change...but it isn't a blink of the eye kind of change that I imagine when I think of just choosing to do something and doing it. It's kind of a difficult concept to put into practice, hence the conversation I am going to have with him. Nonetheless, it is good, sound advice and I am sure as I understand it further it will become even greater advice.

Another something, which I actually learned in Sunday School, thank you Brother Randall and Amber Smith, is that when we create change in our lives and decide to cease doing some things there HAS to be a replacement for those things. We have to fill the void in our life. Obviously whatever that something is, which we choose to put into our life must be more constructive and beneficial than the thing we deleted, or else we are digressing.

"The Cleanse" is not about digression, it is about progression.

I figure it would be productive to make a list of some sort for ideas of how to fill the voids.

The List:

crafting
refinish my bedroom furniture
crochet Christmas gifts for nieces and nephews
Christmas service advent calendar
find somewhere to volunteer
Read more
bake
cook
find ways to help mom and dad around the house
spend time with Grandma
call friends I haven't talked to in a long time
Write letters to missionaries
etc...

I'm sure this is an ongoing project :)

10 Day Cleanse

Well, I am home once again. Lived in Texas for about 6 weeks, couldn't find a job that I wanted, had a great time, met a great friend whom I am sure I'll keep for a long time, and felt like it was the best thing to do to come home to Virginia.

It's been interesting since I got here. I don't feel that it is good or bad really, I'm just here. As I pondered on that feeling I realized that wasn't necessarily where I wanted to be with my emotions. I thought about ways that would enhance my days in order to make them better, to make me better, etc. A lot of thoughts but no decisions were coming. Then, one night, while I was looking for something to watch on Hulu, I came across a documentary. It was entitled "Sick, Fat, and Half Way Dead". It was a man who discovered he had an autoimmune disease. He went on a 62 day juice cleansing diet. Most people aren't as extreme as a case as he is so they normally do it in 10 days.

The more I watched and thought about the effects it had on him physically, I was also impressed with the emotional effects. At the end I sat and thought about other aspects of life. I realized that a 10 day cleanse wouldn't be bad in a lot of ways, so I'm going to try it! My own 10 day cleanse.

I'm going to hit different categories with this...

1. Health: Sleep schedule, nutrition, exersize
Sleep Schedule- in bed by 11 and up by 8 every day
Nutrition- 10 days of nothing but natural liquids and after whole foods and natural foods only
Exercise- run every day, lift weights 3-5 times a week

2. Time Management: Facebook, Limited technology, Crafts, Reading, Cooking/Baking
Facebook-sworn off of it for 2 weeks after which I will only sign on once a week for 3 months (the app is off of my phone and my account is disabled already)
Limited Technology- television for no more than 1 hour a day, Computer use strictly for looking for a job, finding ways to cook/clean/crat
Crafts- List of what I want to do and DO IT! Plan them out
Reading- One book a month!
Cooking/baking- enhance the talents I already possess and share with others!

3. Spirituality: (The most important of them all) Scriptures, prayers, pondering, meditation, fulfilling callings
Scriptures- Read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year, Old Testament with the family and in institute, Study conference talks from he Ensign
Prayers- heartfelt, honest communication with God instead of repetitions
Pondering/Meditation- Think of the things I am doing with life, plan, recognize my choices are mine and realize the effect they have on those around me

All in All- BE the person I want to BE instead of the person I am now.

I'll keep you updated :) After all this is going to be the only "social" website I'm on for awhile!