Some decisions are easy to make, but we still choose unwisely. We “know better” but eat fried chicken instead of baked, drink 4 glasses of wine when one is ample…we have healthy, great options, but… So when it comes time to make larger life decisions, we look at our track record and realize maybe healthy choices aren’t our forte. There’s a subconscious lack of trust in ourselves and this creates stress.
The proverbial fork in the road – it’s a place we all come to, sometimes without even a realization we are there. I recently spoke with one of my ministers about this place. This forked road. He reminded me that we will often make wrong decisions – and it may not be how we want to experience this world, but it’s ok. We are people that make mistakes.
Sure, we learn from mistakes, sometimes. Sure, we can again change our minds. And certainly, nothing (but love) lasts forever. But finding peace with decisions requires a maturity that is based in faith.
I didn’t want to be responsible or mature, so I asked him for his direct advice. I normally can’t stand people’s advice, but there are times when I just want to be told what I “should” do. His reply: “When it comes time, I think you’ll know.”
I want to fight that response, it’s not what I want to hear. Someone do it for me. Help me. Just decide for me for goodness sake! But in my heart of hearts, I do know that when it comes time, I’ll know. Just like every other decision that I cared about. I generally go thru a process of mental turmoil for a few weeks, then exhaust myself and in that mental exhaustion I find my heart and suddenly, I hear the answer. It was there all along, but drowned by the noise in my mind. Not all decisions can be made in the heart, this is true. But when you have the luxury of time to decide, you can either relax in the process or have a mental war of “this or that” – I suggest you spare yourself the anguish. Try to let go and listen to your heart. You’ll know – when it’s time.
Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
This… or That?
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010My “Crappy” Superbowl Party
Thursday, February 11th, 2010As a health writer, I can discuss things most people won’t. Halitosis. B.O. Hormones and these pesky chin whiskers, herbs that enhance sex… it’s what I do, what can I say. This story, however, is a bit revealing – and comical in a twisted sort of way – but there is a good health issue at hand. Constipation. Here’s my Crappy Superbowl Party story. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month by the way.
It was a SuperBowl I’ll never forget. It just happened last week for crying out loud! Superbowl XLIV. I was at a party, a small gathering of my gay boyfriends. I’m straight, they are all gay, I’m the only woman – go ahead, psychoanalyze that Freud. Anyway, it was all I could do to get to the party. I had recently started a 6 week contract job, was finishing a writing project, had a TV shoot the day before and 3 weeks prior had a death in my family. ‘XLIV’ pretty much summed it up– no life left. On top of all that, I hadn’t gone number 2 in about 7 days. I KNOW!! I was seriously backed up, and felt like crap.
Of course my gay bf’s had lots of yummy food to eat, so eat I did. And by the end of the first quarter I thought I was going to explode. The pain, the bloating, the weariness. I needed help. Luckily these men love me and I figured if I could talk to anyone about anal issues, it was them. In the moment of my not so quite desperation, one bf recommended an enema. I needed it “right now.” For some strange reason, eh-hum, he had an enema bottle on-hand. After sterilization and some icky lube, I was able to find victory during the 3rd quarter. “We won!” I said, returning to the living room with a bounce in my step.
I’m not proud that I was constipated and had to use my bf’s enema bottle, but it did entice an interesting post Superbowl conversation about colon health and colonics. I’ve had issues with elimination most of my life and know, by now, that STRESS and dietary changes are the main culprits that keep me from “winning” on a daily basis. A healthy body and bowel should eliminate at least 1-2 times a day, if not three. It really is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and over 655,000 deaths a year are due to colon cancer. Risk factors include family history, polyps in the colon or age 50 +. If you are stressed or are having poopage problems for other reasons, you may consider a colon cleanse, natural fibers like flax or some gentle yoga exercises. That week was miserable, prompting strict attention to my precious colon. Nothing is worth the stress of ill-health.
Thanks bf’s! It was a great party (btw, who won that game?)
SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF COLON CANCER:
* A change in bowel habits.
* Blood (either bright red or very dark) in the stool.
* Diarrhea, constipation or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely.
* Stools that are narrower than usual.
* General abdominal discomfort (frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness or cramps).
* Weight loss with no known reason.
* Constant tiredness.
* Vomiting.
Me & Mocha
Monday, January 25th, 2010
My dog died 2 weeks ago. This is the first I’ve been able to write about it. His name was Mocha, a chow, and travelled with me for 16 years. We went everywhere a girl and her 55 lb dog could go, often staying for a year or two so I could follow my dreams or just explore. Los Angeles, Nashville, Santa Barbara, Atlanta, Birmingham, New York, Louisville and every stop in between. Mocha made me feel safe, loved and not alone. What a companion he was…
I’d been carrying him up stairs for 4 years (often 3 -4 flights!) because of his bad hip, but didn’t mind at all. For all he’d done for me, it was a simple thing. During the last stretch of his life, we discovered he had a tumor on his paw and cancer growing in his body. His limp was debilitating. Although it required lots of meatball treats, a friend’s special handicap service van and trips to the vet every three days for new bandages, I’m so glad to have alleviated his pain and given his quality of life back, if only for 2 weeks. He rallied.
Those of you that have lost a pet, a friend or family member can relate to the grief that follows. I knew I had to put him to rest on that last day – he was telling me. Somehow in a process such as this, everything else in the world becomes unimportant. Have you noticed this phenomenon? When it comes to life and death, or even severe illness, a perspective is found that trumps all others. Money, fears, trivial desires or even small ailments fade. The mental chatter of once important work matters, to-do lists or arguments with a friend simply dissipate. What Mocha’s life and his death taught me – love is what really penetrates. The rest, I usually make up somehow to either occupy my mind, validate my existence or just to give me something to complain about. Love prevails, and in grieving, it’s a time to transform the recognition of that love from the physical to purely the spiritual.
The painting here is a tribute to him and was an essential part of my healing process. All of the emotion that was swirling inside was placed onto that canvas.
Although I miss seeing him and touching him, it’s strange, but I don’t feel like Mocha is really gone. He’s visited my dreams twice and his energy is part of mine. And wonderfully, I feel safe and loved. He taught me that.
To all those who have lost a beloved companion, my heart is with you and I hope that love helps you heal.
Tell It Like It Is
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010Have you ever wondered when your life is going to change? I mean really change. As each year begins, we have a stirring hope that this will be the year our dreams come true, our relationships improve, we are out of financial debt, our anxieties would ease, or the weight will stabilize. The resolutions are in place, daylight is returning and maybe, just maybe, we’ll open our eyes one morning with a sign, an epiphany, a kismet occurrence or revelation that will make everything seem *poof* magically different and better. Good luck.
This year, I have a new mantra. To change the circumstances that need changing, to make my life flow, I’m going to tell it like it IS. Here’s my theory…
We largely communicate the way we were taught – polite, correct, without emotion, a particular tone, niceties and most of all, what we think others want to hear. Half of this protocol is appreciated and allows the world to function with order. The other half? Complete baloney. So many days pass without a single, meaningful or honest conversation. And the worst part? I find myself talking smack to MYSELF! My dreams, hopes, will and soul are clouded with a playback recorded symphony of these same niceties; explanations that generally cover excuses, passions, feelings and that powerful lifeforce that burns in my gut. No more. From here on, if you’re going to talk to me, you’re going to hear what is true. Not mean. Not rude. Not without compassion or PC, but true. It’s an attempt to do what I actually claim that I do so well – communicate. Live with purpose. Inspire. And I realize that so much goes undone by the mere drain of energy that it takes to keep up the b.s. of societal living. Explaining why to my family or friends. Talking myself into or out-of a new car/outfit/dessert. The self-talk and interractions with others that we call communication are simply not good enough any more.
I’m on a mission to live with purpose. To get what I want. To feel what happens in life, good or bad, and share my experience so that others can relate and vice versa. To walk a path of integrity that risks judgment. That’s my goal.
I hope you find the power to Tell It Like It Is and let loose your creative genius that makes you thrive. To own your spirit. To release your thoughts and care. There is nothing more inspiring than to see truth in words, in art, in beauty. Let it rip.
The Next Step
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
What do you want this New Year? We often have ideas of what we want or who we want to “be” without formulating a plan for success. We lie dormant in the background of our own lives waiting for external circumstances to determine our fate. Our motives for change get bogged down by other people’s plans, schedule conflicts, lack of motivation, money issues or plain ‘ole laziness.
I want to encourage you today to pick up your foot, bend your knee and take a step. Repeat.
We envision our lives as being better or different if only this or that would happen. If only you got a raise. If only your partner would be more attentive. If only there were more hours in the day. If only you had supportive parents. If only, if only, if only.
The “if only” attitude is a victim mentality that puts all the energy of creating the life you desire into the hands of someone or something else’s control and hinders you from moving forward. There is a different way to live your life. I call it Doing Your P.A.R.T. – Positive Action in Right Time. Simply put, you spend your time doing what you know is right for you to do right now. “Now” is the timeframe you are working with, always. By doing your P.A.R.T., you will not be focused on what or who keeps you immobilized, or fixated on the past. You become an example of right action by using your time in positive ways thereby inspiring those around you to do their P.A.R.T. You weren’t created to be a martyr, but to design a most beautiful journey that is called your life.
Just one tiny step is the next step. With that, you are acting in faith that the destiny you dream of will come to pass and you believe it so intently that you spend your time in positive action, doing your P.A.R.T. to achieve success.
You can get there. You can change your life. Know that with each step you take, you walk toward a celebration of newness while walking one step away from that which does not serve you. Your next step is always the most important one of your life – just take it.
Stuck in Neutral?
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009Sometimes we go through periods in our lives that feel idle. Idle minds. Neutral energy that’s stagnant, frustrating, lethargic or just plain ‘ole confusing. Ever been there?
Like a car, sitting in neutral is fine for a brief time, but we aren’t designed to just live our lives there. Neutral is a place to sit while we are pondering, waiting or taking a break, but not to dwell. Long periods without inspiration, decision, movement and gusto drain our batteries. Often, people get stuck in this place and need to rev up their engines to jump back into the game of life.
You know that saying “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop” (yes, I’m from the south but it is a good analogy). To sit for too long on any decision, dream or risk is not a good thing. The stagnation settles into our spirit and creates all kinds of compulsions, obsessions, mental hiccups and even fears. To get out of neutral, you’ve got to switch gears. Get into your life again, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Usually that uneasy feeling is just “stickiness” from stuck energy. You know how it feels when you haven’t flown in an airplane in years? The next time you do it, those uncomfortable feelings come back, like the very first time you flew. If you fly everyday, your system is lubed and that sticky energy is nowhere to be found. It takes movement to loosen stuck energy. Action and repetition.It takes boldness and honestly, just doing it. Don’t try to gently slide back into your life – get revved up. Kick it into gear fast and go. Do the exact opposite of what your idle brain is telling you to do. Depending on how long you’ve been in neutral, your brain is a mosh-pit of mental confusion and negative chatter, so don’t listen to it beyond reason.
One definition of neutral says: “Having no inherent or net charge, especially electric charge.” Now, how in the world are you going to accomplish your God-given dreams, your purpose, without some kind of charge? Use your energy. Put the pedal to the medal and go for it. You will only get out of neutral with action. Make that call. Clean out your closets. Start that company. Ask him over for dinner. Get a new hairstyle (it works). Take your first run in 15 years. Sign up for the dance class. Say YES to opportunities. With one full motion, put your hand on the gear shift, put your foot to the pedal and just do it.
Leah Guy is a Producer, TV Host, Writer and passionista for inspired, healthy living. She believes in 
A Girl Named Guy Productions is a multi-media company focused on Eco-tainment. Creator & CEO, Leah Guy, launched the company in 2006 with a goal to meet the demand for positive, inspired content for the mainstream audience. AGNG produces videos, 
