I was recently talking to my life coach and she was telling me about some research she did that stated that your cells listen to your thoughts.  That statement just made so much sense to me.  The more I thought about that statement the more it rang true with my spirit.

I remember I used to get a bad cold at least twice a year.  My throat would start to get dry and scratchy.  I would then think to myself that I was getting sick.  I would take on the role mentally of being sick.  Now when I feel my throat getting dry and scratchy, I just think to myself that I’m not getting sick.  I don’t entertain the thought of being sick or take on the role.  I haven’t had a cold in about 2 years now.  I do attribute that to me not taking on the role, my thoughts, and of course God/Universe.

Every time I go to work, I am exposed to different germs. I’ve taken care of patients and come back the next day and the patient is on contact precautions.  I’ve already been exposed to the germs the patient had the day before.

Another example, is on the first day of my period, I used to get bad cramps.  I would have to take medicine and I could feel when the medicine was starting to work.  The cramps wouldn’t start until I realized that my period started.  When my period would start overnight, the cramps wouldn’t start until I was aware that my period started.  I remember I used to think to myself, when I saw my period had started, oh boy here come the cramps and then the cramps would start.  I noticed that when my period started while I was at work, I didn’t have any cramps.  I noticed the difference was that I wasn’t thinking of my cramps while I was at work.  I had so much to do at work, I didn’t have time to think about my cramps.

In the past three years, I’ve only had cramps with four of my periods.  The cramps haven’t been bad, I don’t even take any medication when I have the cramps.  I had been on birth control for around 10 years and I didn’t have any cramps when I was on birth control.  Its been about 8 years since I got off of birth control.  I don’t know if that affected my body and that may be why I have cramps with some periods and some periods not.

This morning, I was reminded of how bad my cramps could get.  My period started before I went to bed.  I wasn’t worried about having any cramps.  I didn’t take any medicine, I just went to bed.  I just assumed I wouldn’t have any cramps.  When I was making lunch, I started to feel light headed, feeling like I had to have a bowel movement, feeling weak, and I started to get cramps.  I forgot about those other symptoms that I used to get until that moment.  I couldn’t even finish making my lunch before I had to get my mom to help me to the couch.  My ears were ringing, the room was becoming fuzzy and I was feeling weak.  It had been years since I felt like this.  Those symptoms started when I had my fourth period when I was in middle school.  I took some motrin and then I had to lay down.  I had to toss from side to side a little because it didn’t feel good to stay in one place.  The movement of turning from side to side helps a little with the cramps.  I could feel when the motrin started to work.  It was like God/Universe was reminding me of how bad it could get.  Thankfully I have never felt like that at work because I would not have been able to continue to stay at work or even drive myself home.

Another example are my patients.  I used to work at a hospital that had the 5 P’s.  We were supposed to do the 5 P’s every time we went into the patient’s room.  The 5 P’s are position, potty, possessions, pain, and I can’t remember the last P. The managers would sometimes stand outside the door while I was in the room just to see if I was asking the patient about the 5 P’s.  We would ask the patient if they needed to go to the bathroom, change their positions in bed, or get to the chair to sit, if they had their possessions in arms reach, and if they were having any pain.  Some of my patient’s would say that they weren’t having any pain at the time that I asked.  About 5 minutes later, the patient would call and ask for pain medication.  The patient would tell me that they thought about it and the pain came back.  Just 5 minutes ago, the patient stated that they were having no pain.

What are your cells listening to?  Are your thoughts negative or positive and what reality are you shaping for yourself?  Are you ignoring something hoping that is will go away?

Your thoughts create your reality.

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” – Henry Ford.

I love that quote.

You are the only one who sets your limits. 

I use to tell myself that it was too overwhelming to lose 50 pounds.  I used to tell myself that I had to lose weight before I became a travel nurse.  I used to tell myself that I couldn’t do things alone like go on vacation.  I was limiting myself with those thoughts and beliefs about myself.  When I changed my thinking about myself, I was able to achieve my dreams.  I lost the weight without a diet, I became a travel nurse, and I go on solo vacations.  God/Universe takes care of me.  I believe that I can overcome alopecia without steroid injections or creams.

Ever since I started to love myself and become more positive, my life has become more positive and loving.

 

I recently went to an overeaters anonymous meeting.   I went there because in San Diego they have a speakers and a sharing meeting.  I wanted to see what a person had to do to become a speaker.

As the speaker started to tell her story, I realized that I could relate to most of the things that she was sharing.  I had been through most of those things with my own food struggles.  I had tried the fad diets and binge eating.  When that speaker was done, she opened the floor for other people to share their stories.  I found that I could also relate to most of the other people’s struggles with food.

Then came the time for the new people to introduce themselves.  The group turned and looked at me.

I said, “Hi, My name is Shavawn.”

I paused and let them say hi Shavawn.

I continued and I said that I was a travel nurse in San Diego but originally from Georgia.

Those two sentences seem very small but they are big in my world.

I didn’t introduce myself as an overeater.  All the other people stated their names and then proceeded to say that they were a compulsive overeater.  I didn’t.

I don’t consider myself an overeater anymore. 

I was overjoyed that I don’t look at myself as an overeater anymore.  After saying those two sentences, I wanted to jump up and start to do my happy dance.

I also realized that most of the 12 steps that they used, I have already done those steps with my life coach.  I don’t have to practice abstinence with any food now because I know I don’t want to go back to the way things were.  I have people to inspire and I love myself too much to allow myself to go back to the way I was when I had my eating disorder.

I learned that I changed the way that I see myself.  I wouldn’t have realized that had I not gone to that meeting.

This lesson came at the perfect time too.  I recently got back into the dating world and things haven’t been going my way the last two weeks.  One guy ghosted me after 2 dates, another messaged me only one time and disappeared, and still another one didn’t respond at all.  I also sprained my ankle on that first date.  My ego was hurt after all that.  I realize that not every man is going to like me, but I would make a awesome girlfriend and wife.  I really did like one of those guys but maybe all of those things happened to get me closer to the guy that I’m supposed to be with.

For a couple of days my ego was hurt.  I had to have a talk with myself.  I told myself that I could no longer base my self esteem on my relationships.  I had done that for thirty years and it didn’t work for me.  I didn’t like the emotional rollercoaster that I had allowed myself to be on when I practiced that bad habit.  I couldn’t allow myself to go back to the way I was when I was allowing other people to be responsible for my self esteem by being in a relationship with me.

It was okay for me to be sad for a little bit but what was not okay was for me to continue to beat myself up about what made the guys stop talking to me.  I was being myself and some guys will like it and some won’t.  I will never know why they stopped talking to me and it is also none of my business.  My business is to keep loving myself and being myself.

I know that God/Universe always takes care of me in all situations.

After the overeaters anonymous meeting, I drove to Newport Beach and went whale watching.  I went whale watching because I needed to do some self care.  Being near water and seeing whales always gets me in a good mood.

I would love to read in the comments, what is something that you have been doing that you are ready to let go of because it no longer helps you?  Do you want to get off of your emotional rollercoaster?

It could be something like you are going to stop being so negative to yourself or you are going to stop beating yourself up for a mistake that you have made.

I’m letting go of beating myself up and I’m letting go of putting myself on the emotional rollercoaster.  I’m going to be myself and the people who appreciate it will stay in my life and the others will leave.  My self esteem is up to me and no one else.