The SPIRITUAL SIDE

"THE SECRET" behind your Weight Loss Success

Michelle Edmonds, M.A., M.Ed.

SR. Nutritionist|Author|Co-Founnder

Serenity Weight Loss and Detoxification Program

THE SERENITY CHALLENGE~virtual grant funded wellness initiative

SR. Executive Marketing Director (SEMD) @ Youngevity

April, 2014

I know some of you are struggling. You are asking questions such as:  “ I keep disappointing myself, and sabotaging my good results,  what is WRONG WITH ME?’  I am doing everything correctly, so what is wrong?  Does weight loss really take all this?' I am bored with or can't stand the fiber, but when I don't take it, I don't release weight? "I could do this, if only there was more variety?

You are posing these questions because you know the mechanics are sound. The eating lifestyle is realistic and healthy. The detox component is good. The coaching is on point. The team meetings are informative. So,  Why do you feel like quittin', hidin', avoidin'  and cheatin' despite what seems like a good program? "Dag nab it".....what is wrong, THIS time?"

I am writing to tell that you are correct. It is not the system. The problem lies within.  There  is a  need for more spiritual awareness; in other words, I am asking all of you to be more "self-conscious". Self consciousness is usually thought of in a negative way. Within a spiritual context it is the same as being more  self-aware.  Many of you mistake awareness of how you feel about  OTHER people's words and actions,  for awareness of self, however, it is not the same.

During our April 21, 2014 team call we had a conversation about the S.M.A.R.T goals. It was the counterpart to the corporate version of the same.  In the spiritual S.M.A.R.T system the acronym stands for:

S= Seek support and share with others. Nothing in this world is just for you. If you are not sharing, then you are claiming or hiding. To open YOUR door to success at any endeavor, you must  open your hand. YOU OWN NOTHING.

M= Meditate or Pray on what you are feeling during your wellness journey. Many of you are rushing so much in the morning that there is no time to eat, let alone meditate or pray. However, if a loved-one  is rushed to emergency you make time to post a request for prayer on Face Book. Be more self aware; it comes only thru your private quiet time. Meditation includes journaling, with an emphasis on gratitude.

A= Accept where you are, while you work on self improvement. Personal growth is a journey not a destination. Accept where you are, while striving  to improve.

R=Reward yourself with 3-5 treats (not food) as you achieve any of your milestones, not just wellness. Such accomplishments may be glucose under control, averted a hospitalization or encouraged someone who did go to the hospital, by sharing self-care strategies they can use,  when they are released.

T= Transparency.  Facebook is a fascinating social tool. The co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg  is now a billionaire.  However, Zuckerberg rarely posts on his own invention. His FB page is managed by someone else because Zuckerberg is too busy. On the rare occasion that he does post, it is about business. Conversely, many of us wile away hours playing games and posting trivia. Rarely do I see posts such as:  "I am taking back control of my health, will you join me”. My goal is to release 15 lbs by my birthday”.  Some of you will not even acknowledge that you are enrolled in the Serenity Program, let alone post your weight. Your FB “friends” as you call them, already know that have a challenge with your weight. Instead, you are really  hiding the fact that you are working on your weight. You are avoiding letting people know that you sought help. Ironically, that renders the help that you sought privately, ineffective in public!.

If you find yourself complaining about the behavior of others... what they said or how they said it, you are merely expressing frustrations about yourself. 

Serenity's conference  series on THE WEIGHT OF ANGER is a perfect example. This 4 part series attracted the largest number of attendees in consecutive weeks and generated the most after call dialogue. Articles, texts and comments on the series continued for weeks.  Nevertheless, there was also much annoyance. Some felt that they were not angry until the conference call series  on anger began. It is a well known spiritual law that you attract what you focus on.  If you speak on anger, you will get anger. A call however, does not make a person angry. It does not have the power.   The feelings that you have now,  are merely  expressions of the anger that you were denying all along.

If you feel stuck, please know that you doing the sticking. You are violating one or more of the spiritual S.M.A.R.T steps described above. Meditate and review this list often. Are you seeking support, but holding back on the sharing?  Did you start off sharing, then stopped seeking support? Do you try to act as though you are not affiliated with this program, by reading posts, then not taking the time to 'Like" what you had just read? Do you support the posts of other's success, by blessing them with a few kind words? Is your version of transparency telling someone else what you think about them?

We will revisit the spiritual side of your wellness journey during the team call on May 5 @ 7 p.m. In fact, we will revisit this subject  often.  But remember, if you like or don’t like what is said or done, it is all coming from you…..ALWAYS.

To better understand  our series on the spiritual side of your wellness journey:, listen to this video clip: http://youtu.be/-t6wzFNDV9k?t=15m3s

You might also enjoy our next conference  RSVP here:  http://pastorsforum3.eventbrite.com