Monday, August 15, 2011

Day 51 Food For Thought: Obligation Free

I love dreams. I tend to believe that God either gives us dreams, or can use every dream to speak to us even if it wasn't from him. I had a dream that I know the interpretation was God showing me where I still have feelings of obligation.

I believe in responsibility. I believe in integrity. I believe in keeping your word even if it hurts. But to me, obligation is a sugar-coated word for law. Law is not freedom. Law only shows us where we miss it. Law is there to accuse and condemn and sentence. Law illuminates our sin. It causes us to be flaw-conscious instead of reality-conscious. We will travel where we focus. If I focus on "where I am not," I will stay there. If I keep remembering that "I already AM," then before I know it, I will see that I have traveled away from the very thing that was keeping me in bondage.

What does this have to do with weight loss? EVERYTHING! I used to put myself under obligation with food especially because I majored in Nutrition. I expected, (and other expected) me to be an example of health. The obligation just made me see where I was missing it. I felt deprived or maybe had a fear of being deprived. I ended up gaining weight. I have overcome this. I do not feel obligated to food. I know my body and mind is in a place to accelerate weight loss. ...but I had this dream. I told my dream to my baby sister who is just dandy at interpretation without ever having any training. She pointed out several areas that I may still feel obligated. My ears perked up when she said, "Even your Worth The Weight blog. You like to do it, but you feel like you have to." (Sigh) ...She was right.

I have put myself under pressure about this blog---(I mean "FLOG")and even felt a little guilty when I did not sit down every evening to post. I know this is something I am supposed to do. It has been a tool for me to recognize my liberation. When you read it, I feel encouraged and energized. It has brought me nothing but pleasure. I enjoy this tremendously, but I had not totally purged myself from obligation even in this. I have had decades of obligations built around me. It will take some time to get it washed off. After I accepted that yes, I have even made my most enjoyable hobby in life a bit of an obligation, I was able to let it go. I do not write about my journey because I have to. I write because I want to, and that is it. I do not have to write to make me lose weight. I will still lose weight even if I quit. Any reason other than loving it is obligation. Making that switch in my thinking brought even more freedom. More freedom in my soul brought more effortless change in my body. I exercised more this week, I chose good choices, and I lost some weight.

Wins For Today:
This is a good week for me. I feel great because of the more healthful choices I am making. I feel more energized, and I have a desire to exercise more and more.

Nutritional Nugget:
Sometimes smoking and drinking alcohol can raise your triglycerides. Exercise can also decrease the level.

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