Gratitude

A few weeks ago, I woke up in terrible pain. , Dave took me to the emergency room - I thought it might be a heart attack! My diagnosis was gall bladder, possibly a stone which passed but while whatever was going on, it hurt like crazy until it stopped.

They took such good care of me in triage - had an EKG in less than five minutes of walking through the door. Amazing. And the staff who tended to me were compassionate, efficient and caring. I was so impressed, that I looked up the hospital online, found the chief administrator's name and address and I wrote a nice letter. I mentioned the doctor and the people who took care of me.

And then I forgot about it.

Yesterday I received a letter from that administrator, thanking me for taking the time to send my thoughts to them. He, and the people that tended to me, were so touched by my small token of gratitude.

I guess that people don't take the time any more to say, "Thank you." A quick note to express gratitude doesn't take much time, but how often we let that opportunity pass? Just let someone give us bad service, however, and we are quick to pick up the pen, the phone, the keyboard and tell the world about those good-for-nothing so-and-so's. Right?

This coming year, I'm going to look for every opportunity I can to thank others for touching my life. It's an easy thing to do, and I don't want to be caught up in busy-ness to miss life.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a wonderful New Year, with plenty of opportunities to express gratitude. I am grateful to all of you who take the time to visit my website and read this blog.

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change" Wayne Dyer

I've changed how I look at holidays, having just experienced another sane eating Thanksgiving. My past turkey-day revolved around food, food, food. Didn't yours too?



That's not been my experience for the past fifteen plus years. You know that I've lost over one hundred pounds and it has stayed off for thes past fifteen years? It took a change in how I looked at the holidays. No where in Thanksgiving can I find the words food, pigging out, anti-acids or guilt over eating way more than I should have.



Instead I find two words - Thanks and Giving.



I am so grateful for my life today, free from excess weight, free from the obsession with food. I am so thankful for the blessings in my life today that have nothing to do with how much stuffing I can force down, or how many different pies I can sample. Nope, I'm instead thankful for my wonderful family, friends and the joy of living.



What is the secret to making it through the holidays without having to replace my entire wardrobe? I have found three rules which when applied, guarantee success! I'll share them with you.



The first one is GIVE! Just like the holiday, when I am grateful and giving (Thanksgiving), my focus shifts from food to those around me who may not be as fortunate as I. We went shopping on black Friday. yeah, I know, I'm crazy, but we found such bargains and these gifts will go to the children who's names are on the holiday trees at church, the grocery store and our local Chamber of Commerce. It makes me feel so good to give. Doesn't it you too?



The second rule is ...

Give!

I just find that you cannot be too generous. Whatever I give away, I seem to get back one-hundred fold, really. I am giving away a great tele-workshop to people who are interested in making it through these holidays without gaining all the weight of past holidays. If you are interested in joining us, it starts on December 9th, at 8:00 p.m. Three of my wonderful coach and author friends will be joining me and what a great support group it will be. Hey, if you want to join us, send me an email to lifecoachgerri@aol.com, because the group size will be limited so that all the participants will get individual attention.



Okay, I bet by now you've guessed the third rule.

Give.
The more you give, the more you'll get.
It works.

I'm fifty-nine, how devine!

I'm fifty-nine.
How divine!

There will only ever be one day where I celebrate the first day of the last year in my fifties. That is today. And it is off to a brilliant start!

I am recalling my forty-ninth birthday and making a conscious decision to celebrate the year. And I did, in so many ways. I think it was my first real attempt at being very, very present in my life. Five years had passed from when I made some huge lifestyle changes, losing over one hundred pounds and miraculously, it stayed off!

While I cannot recall every single day of that year, I know that I celebrated it a lot, made some more big lifestyle changes, including moving my nest to the southwest end of town to a really nice apartment. I sought out and acquired new job, making good money. In 1993, when I decided to really concentrate on my physical and emotional well being, I gave up the big fat job - took a 50% cut in pay and sort of took myself apart emotionally and got glued back together right. That must have been super glue or gorilla glue, because I'm still put back together right. What a miracle!

In June of 1998, I met David! Wow, now that is what I call the icing on the birthday cake of life! He was everything I ever could have wanted in a man. What fun to be dating, and feeling like an 18 year-older, trapped in a 49 year old body!

On my 49th birthday, a girlfriend organized a big gift to me - friends and family chipped together and bought me the Richard Petty Driving Experience! Yes, folks, I drove a race car 118.1 mph! I blasted my way right into the fifties! Today I'm preparing to slide out in grand style, a year of celebration.

Today I'm hanging out, by myself. Dave had an opportunity to work, and I encouraged him to take it. I wanted a day to reflect, to enjoy who I am and think about all the miracles and wonder in my life. Tonight we'll start celebrating together. And it won't be around food! It will be around the gift of this beautiful love we share. We're in Clermont, in the motorhome so, maybe we can go over to one of the Disney parks and watch the fireworks. That would be fun. I just want to hold his hand, and make sure he knows how much I love him. He's the best birthday gift of all.

I also want to take Pooh Bear for a nice bike ride. It's overcast and that means a bit cooler than the usual Florida heat. Just a bit, mind you. She needs a bath too. No need to be all focused on myself just because of a day on the calendar. And that little dog ... her unconditional love is the best birthday gift of all.

My mother called this morning. That is a miracle because she has dementia. But she remembered my birthday! I bet my sister Joanne reminded her but whatever, how wonderful to have my sweet, 87 year old mother think about me today. I think I will send her a bouquet of flowers and thank her for having me. Joanne and her little granddaughter, Lily called and sang happy birthday! Maybe my mom and sister calling are the best birthday gifts of all.

Tomorrow evening , Dave and I will go to church and then out with my step kids, my brother and my niece's families - 8 of us to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. That's my favorite cuisine - Chinese. Can you imagine, my step son wants to spend time with me. And the other son is away for several weeks doing his military obligation, but his girlfriend wants to spend time with me. My brother, his wife, his daughter and her husband all want to spend time with me. That must truly be the best gift ...

Oh my, I cannot decide what is the best birthday gift of all.

I've prayed, meditated, eaten a healthy, tasty breakfast and am journaling now. Nice way to be starting the celebration of my fifty-ninth year.

You know, it is never to late to start celebrating YOUR life. You dont' need a birthday to do it. Why not celebrate with me today?
Love, Gerri
trust God and buy broccoli

Let Freedom Ring

Did Independence Day make you more grateful for your freedom? Freedom is exhilarating but can have a price.

I always walk my little dog, Pooh Bear, on a leash because we live on the edge of the woods. When she was a puppy, I took her to obedience school and while she learned the basic commands very well, Pooh Bear is basically a free spirit. Before I started coaching, Pooh Bear went to my office with me. When we got home, I'd allow her to jump out of the car and run to the door.

Once however, Pooh Bear decided that she'd rather go visit her Maltese friend Benji, two doors up. She ran like lightning, to Benji's house, with me in close pursuit, kicking off my heels to run faster, but not able to reach her. Benji wasn't home, but suddenly she spotted an armadillo and tried to chase him into the woods.

There I was, screaming the commands we learned at school, but to my terror and dismay, to no avail. I caught her at the edge of the woods as she paused for a moment to debate the logic of following her prey into the brush. Thank God! We've seen gators, bobcats, snakes and other critters roaming around here. Freedom can have a price, but gratefully, Pooh Bear did not have to pay it. Now we take her to a doggie park where she can enjoy freedom with safe boundaries.
Pooh made her initial break for freedom on a late afternoon in the spring. When will you make yours? You too can take a chance, when the conditions are right, knowing that in your own way, you were built to run free and play. If you don't set yourself free, what will be the purpose of your life?

Is the quality of one's life is dependant on feeling one's freedom, and living the design that is you? What is that design? If you are a puppy, your life needs to be all about carefree running and feeling the joy of life. You, of course, are not a puppy, but what sense is there in being you, if you don't really let yourself free once in a while and chase an armadillo?

Some people never learn their heart's design. Why? Fear of taking a risk? Not enough support? Why don't you color outside the lines? Sure, all dream-chasing has it's pitfalls, but the benefits just could be beyond our wildest imagination!

I don't really 'sell' coaching on my blog, but if you have never experienced coaching, why not give it a try? Any coach worth his or her salt gives complimentary sessions, an easy, inexpensive way for you to see if coaching is right for you. If you want more information, just shoot me an email.

Nine years ago on July 2nd I had my first date with Dave. I remember how it felt just like it was yesterday - new, exciting, a little scary. I love when I get to feel that gooooood stuff. I remember how I used food as a drug so I wouldn't have to feel the yucky ones but didn't have a clue that the spice of life goes right out the window with the lemons.

So there I was, with this handsome devil and I couldn't ever remember feeling this stuff since high school! He was just being sweet, attentive and gentlemanly. How do you deal with that? I was so thrilled to be with him and he certainlyseemed enamored with me too. Can you imagine, being in a 49 year old body and the emotional level of maybe an 18 year older? Giggly, flirty, all that nice, young woman stuff; I had it back. I had the opportunity to enjoy the company of a really, really nice man.

That's where it all started. We took it slow, and two years later, I changed my last name to his. And nine years later, I'm still stupid in love. That sure beats being face first in a pizza.

Soaring

Pooh Bear and I went for a nice walk this morning, almost 45 minutes. My neighbor Frank drove it on his bicycle and told me that I walked 2.36 miles. I don't really push myself and if I wanted to train for a half marathon, I'd need to pick up the pace. But for Pooh Bear and me, it's good enough.

We saw some baby hawks in along the way, quite high up and almost ready to fly. They're testing their wings a lot now, and the fuzzy white feathers are falling off, making room for sturdier ones to sustain them in flight. Wow, how scary that must be, to be 30 feet up and know that once you step out, there's no turning back - those wings better work and you better be flapping them like crazy. And how do you land? You wont' know until you try it.

How often life is like the baby hawks. We step out onto the end of the branch, 30 feet up. The momma bird says jump. We do, not knowing what will happen. And we soar. I love to soar but in the process, it doesn't always felt like soaring. Many times it has felt like dive bombing but I never splat. That's the God-factor for me. I never splat. Even though I think I'm gonna crash for sure, He lifts me up and I soar. When I look back, it truly was soaring, even when it didn't 'feel' that way.

Soaring doesn't always feel so good. Sometimes it is quite scary. I am grateful for the life I have, and it all starts with getting on my knees each day, followed by getting out some measuring cups and scales. Why does it work? Why do those wings hold the baby birds up? What would knowing change? Soaring for me is to take the risk to just do it.

I'm way too philosophical for myself today, so I'm gonna go hop in the shower. I pray that we all soar today. It beats the alternatives, eh? Absoulutely.
Love, Gerri
trust God and Buy Broccoli

I got a miracle, 15 years ago today

It was just another ordinary day in March, 1993. I left my job at the hotel along International Drive in Orlando, stopping at the 7-11 by Wet and Wild. I bought two frozen dove bars and ate them very quickly - got that little ice cream headache, remember those? Two miles later, Mac Donald's for a Big Mac, large fries and a shake. Home was now only 3 or 4 miles away so I had to eat fast, as usual.

Rounding the last corner to my cul-de-sac, wrappers and bags went under the car seat, with the many other remnants of previous binges. I pictured my handsome husband waiting for me at the door. Our 2.5 children were nestled in bed. He'd have martini's and dinner waiting, we'd dine and make mad, passionate love all night long.

Yeah, right.

Reality? There were no kids. Prince Charming was sitting on the couch watching Star Trek, nursing his hangover from the night before. Soon he'd go back to work as a bartender at a nude bar. Hey, but he came home to me, right? That made it okay. I still needed my fantasy so I attempted to hug him, but he held my wrists so I couldn't get my arms around him. The look of contempt on his face chilled me to my very core. He went back to bed and I to the bathroom where I wiped the chocolate off my face from the Dove bars. There was ketchup on my business suit. I wouldn't have hugged me either.

I donned an old bathrobe, about all that fit me by now. When I hit 248 that January, the doctor told me I needed to lose 100 pounds soon, or the continued gain would keep me from seeing 50 - I was 43 at the time. I tried another fad diet, but quickly slipped into the familiar routine - starve and binge. My new solution was to quit weighing myself - what the heck, I'd be dead in 7 years so I might as well 'enjoy' myself. Right?

I cooked a whole box of pasta, a chicken, ate those and proceeded to the couch with a big can of salty pretzels, to watch a soppy love story on HBO. He got up somewhere in there, left for work and there I was, alone, desperately lonely and depressed. There had to be more to life than this. The drapes were drawn, there was no one to call - it was just me and my best friend ... food. I thought of ways to kill myself. I sobbed and prayed to a god that I didn't believe in, and passed out, much the same as a drunken alcoholic would.

That nightly routine continued, until May 15th. I had reached the point of no return. But something happened – I had a spiritual experience which replaced my diet mentality with hope. I knew I couldn’t do it alone and adopted a spiritual approach to weight loss. It worked!

I lost over 100 pounds in just over a year and the miracle is that it stays off. I am so grateful for my life today, the people who support me and who I also support. It is truly a day to celebrate! Life keeps getting better. I traded abundance in my mouth for abundance in my life. What could be better than that?
Love, Gerri
Trust God and buy broccoli

Feelings aren't facts

I had an interesting conversation with a friend this morning. When the obsession to eat occurs, it does not have to overtake me. Unfortunately, I bought into this lie for most of my life, that somehow food would 'fix' things. Whenever I had a feeling, something would go into my mouth. Soon, all feelings felt like 'hungry' and the anxiety that resulted seemed to only be quelled by a pacifier - some food in my mouth.

But, as I didn't buy into that old thinking and didn't act on the feeling to eat,I fould that the feeling had a beginning and an end. I didn't die over it. Go figure! I might have once, years ago, had an "ahhh' moment when feeling anxiety and putting something in my mouth. I chased that 'ahhh' moment for the next 25 plus years, but if I ever got another 'ahhh', it was a quickie and pretty much followed by that 'ewww' feeling, again. Not only would the anxiety still be there but then I had some good old fashioned remorse as icing on my emotional cake.

Until I allowed myself to go through that momentary anxiety, come out on the other side relatively unscathed, how could I know that the anxiety wouldn't kill me? Sure, it initially felt that way but it always subsided, whether I ate or not. So, why eat? Why exaserbate the anxiety? It is so strange how we think food will 'fix' us and it doesn't. I want it to, and I tried so hard to make it true, that it'd fix me, but it never did.

Love, Gerri
trust God and buy broccoli

Could there be a correlation?

I just sent out my periodic newsletter - if you'd like to get on the mailing list, just send me an email - lifecoachgerri@aol.com. In it I talked about getting sick.

I lead a wonderful spiritual retreat in Grand Couteau, Louisiana two weeks ago. Just a few days before I was scheduled to fly out, I developed a rip-roaring head cold, I delayed the departure a day and doctored myself. What was that ... feed a fever, feed a cold? No worries, I just followed my food plan the best I could but was still conjested when I took off on Thursday.

I landed in New Orleans with an extremely painful earache. So off to a walk in clinic we go and the doc suggested some over-the-counter meds to get me back on my feet.

They taped the retreat and it's comical, loaded with sniffs, some sneezing and coughing but nonetheless, probably one of the best retreats I've ever lead! In-between sessions, I napped, drank plenty of liquids and did the best I could.

The cold drug on for nearly two and half weeks. I'm feeling better now, but man, it knocked the wind out of my sails.

It's important to really define those goals!

Some of you know how much I would love to be a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show! With every new topic on her website that I remotely qualify for, I send my 2000-letter (including spaces) post in.

On the way up to Grand Coteau, Louisiana this past weekend, I got a call from the Friends of Oprah show. I thought I might just have a heart attack! I was invited to be a guest caller on their talk radio. The topic was internet dating and I shared my cute story about how I met David. It was fun but I didn’t get to talk about ‘Trust God and Buy Broccoli’ at all. Lord knows I tried. And I didn't get invited to meet Oprah herself.

Well, guess it's another case of not defining my goals well enough, eh? LOL. Or maybe it means I"m inching my way closer to Oprah’s white couch. I'd like to think I'm inching my way closer.

I will be a guest on Brad Richard’s blog talk radio show this Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m. EST. To join in on your computer, just click on http://www.bradrichard.com/radio.html. Brad also invites calls at (646) 595-3665. Hope that you plan to join us!

Thinking things through

I am learning how to listen to my intuition. This morning I woke up feeling overwhelmed. I came down to my office and looked at my crazy schedule. It all feels so logical when I'm penciling stuff in. And then when the day is done, I've not even left room for a potty run,and I can see the insanity. So I chopped it up. I canceled two of the events that require driving. Whew, feel better already!

Plus, I woke up with a full fledged, raring cold. What is it ... feed a cold, feed a fever? Now you know how I got to 248 and just stopped wieghing myself. What a relief to be in a normal body size 10 for nearly fifteen years now. From a yo-yo dieter to this. Amazing. No more diet, when I can live-it!

I bought cold remedies, not ice cream and comfort food. I'm feeling a lot better than when I got up and there is even a nap on the horizon.

It feels like I'm in one of those 'in the desert' places lately. I'm confused as to where God might be leading me with my work. I thought He had placed something before me and now that is not going to happen. It is funny because I am celebrating the loss with someone at the same time I'm grieving it. Oh wow, feeling two things at the same time - happy and sad. To think that I ate my way through that stuff is amazing to me. Using food to quell emotions is familiar but not the way to go. I not only eliminate uncomfortable feelings but the good stuff too.

I read a meditation this morning about finding the true me. When I think I have done that, when I know who I really am, I surprise myself with learning something new. Growth. Watch out for the little word "OW" right in the middle. When it's a tad uncomfortable, it's a real growth spurt!

I hadn't blogged for a while and was surprised by a nice note from a 'reader'. I'll make an effort to be more faithful.
Love, Gerri
trust God and buy broccoli

Are you still on your New Year's Diet?

Diets. Wow, take off the 't' and the 's' and what do you have? DIE.

Doesn't that sort of sum it up well? Maybe diets don't work by the very nature of the name. Then if you are dieting, that can be broken down to die- etting. Or die eating, eh? Diets have always lead to weight gain for me. Sure, I'd experience that initial weight loss, until the dreaded day when I listened to that dreaded, "One bite won't hurt". That was the kiss of death to any diet.

If I don't eat a cookie, I cannot eat a whole bag. If I don't eat a bite of pizza, I cannot eat a whole pie. Or two. Or three. This doesn't apply to everyone. My husband can bite a little tootsie roll in half and the remainder can go stale waiting for him to finish it. Me? I didn't realize that cookies or candy could go stale. There were never leftovers in my house to test that theory.

You may want to experiment with this. Try eating a cookie and stop. Do you continue to think about the rest of the cookies? Do you want to go back to the cupboard, and have a few more? Do you continue to think about those cookies until they are gone?

That may be the case for you. If so, might consider not eating cookies. If you don't eat a cookie, you cannot eat a whole bag.

It's simple but it might not be easy.

Two weeks past resolutions

I am amazed at the diet resolutions I've heard friends make just two short weeks ago. And the resolutions have turned into diet demolitions! Back to the old eating habits, what the heck and I'll start tomorrow. It's not too late.

If you really want to make weight loss a non-issue this year, stick around, compare notes and let's do this together. We'll start out slow, with one positive, little change you can make for this week. Maybe cut out an evening snack or commit to a five minute walk, 3 times a week. We can build on this.

Want to join me?
Trust God and buy Broccoli!
Love, Gerri

Mindful Musings 01/15/08

How exciting, my first blog post.

First Test

Hi from Dr. Bob and Dr-to-be Seth