Tame the Tiger in You

There are lots of ways to describe hunger--one being internal hunger vs. the other being external hunger.  Internal hunger is real, physical and best dealt with by eating nutritious food. Think of breakfast, lunch, dinner and healthier snacks.  On the other hand, external hunger is opportunistic--it is based in what you happen to see or smell in the moment.  This is where the animal in us just pounces at whatever it sees.  With all the desserts, cookies and extras available this time of year, this can be a real problem. 

One way to tame this tiger, is to stop, slow down and ask yourself whether you are internally hungry?  If so, then of course eating makes sense.  If what you choose is mostly healthy and right-sized portioned, and you stop eating when you are satisfied, this is NOT where weight gain will come from.  If you find yourself tempted just because opportunity presented itself, the food looked good, it was sitting there, everyone else was eating, etc., then you might consider whether you really want to eat or whether this is just one of 200 opportunities in the course of the day.  This is precisely where weight gain comes from.  The opportunistic bites are so often full of calories, saturated fat, sugar and salt.

As thinking adults not animals, we can endeavor to get better at slowing down long enough to decide what's right from moment to moment.  Eating meals and planned snacks at regular intervals will certainly help.  Not letting hunger get too primal will also help.  We can't help but forget our smart human brains when hunger becomes primal, and the tiger comes scratching. 

It's holiday time, and there is a lot competing for our attention.  It's a great time to slow down the pace and gather the energy inward to focus.  Focus on what's important.  Focus on what matters.  Let go of what is getting in the way.  And most importantly of all, keep going.  Keep showing up for your heart's desires.  It will help make this work of adult life worthwhile.  Something a wild tiger really cannot grasp.

Gifts Only You Can Give Yourself

With the holiday season buzzing around, I see commercials, ads, displays, ideas--all about what to buy someone for Christmas.  When I was a kid, anticipation, gifts, family celebrations were what Christmas was all about.  In my neighborhood, we all put out brown paper bags full of sand and lit candles at night.  The luminaria tradition.  I loved looking out my bedroom window, feeling the cold windowsill as I took in the stretch of lights as far as my little eyes could see--magical! 

As an adult, I feel differently about the season.  I do love my tree and lights.  I love sending cards with photos.  I've been doing that for years.  Yet, more stuff is not appealing to me.  I am not a big shopper--in the mall or online.  When I do go out to shop, I end up buying more things for me--and I don't need more things.  At this point, my girls aren't looking for American Girl dolls and toys.  It's more like gift cards and money. 

This brings me to my adult take on Christmas.  Things that come in boxes with ribbons are lovely, but that's not what I am looking for.  I want things I cannot buy.  And I want things that actually make me happy on a regular basis, not just for holiday time.

Like so many of you, I too am on a life-long journey of self improvement, self acceptance, good health, peace of mind...  This time of year is full of distraction, and I am noticing myself getting sidetracked  by little extras.  As we know too well, little things add up.  So I am adding more intention to my actions.  That will make me happy.  I am increasing mindfulness by being present in the moment.  This is destressing.  I am also looking for better quality sleep.  A lifelong work in progress.

While these things may not sound like a typical recipe for holiday good cheer, they bring more happiness to my humble life.  That's a gift only I can give myself.

Know Yourself and Be True to Yourself

Sometimes we don't give ourselves enough credit.  And, other times we let ourselves off the hook too easily.  When we were children, our parents, teachers and coaches probably called us out on these things more often than not.  They did this because they wanted the best for us.  They wanted us to succeed.  They wanted us to learn from our mistakes.  

Fast forward to adulthood.  Things have changed.  We might not have that voice of authority looking out for us. We might not have that coach cheering us on.  We are left to our own devices, and that's not always the best arrangement.

Creating space and time every day to simply consider what you'd like to have happen, i..e. how you'd like the day to go can become a small habit that yields big returns. It's like a happiness scaffold to hang your activities, to-do's, goals, intentions on.  The more intentional you can become with your moments and activities, the more likely they are to happen.  You return to your true self and what you really want instead of letting the day run away.  This can start with the alarm on the phone, checking emails and other media and then getting sucked into something you may not even care about.  

We live in a time with too much excess.  Too much information overload.  Too much accessibility.  Too much noise.  It is distracting, and it robs us of stillness and presence.  This is a jagged path to scattered, frustrated energy. This will make us unhappy and unproductive.

Especially this busy time of year, refocus on yourself.  Put special, heart-felt energy behind a "me time" habit whereby you start the day off right.  You adhere to a new habit of considering what you'd like to achieve.  This can be personal and professional.  To be a healthy person means we integrate all facets of our daily lives.  

Build the habit of starting the day gradually and quietly.  Set the tone before you even leave the house.  See what happens.