Medical School

Dear Family and Friends and Bloggy Friends,

I have some exciting news to share with all of you.  My career is taking a bit of a twist and turn at the moment.  I have enrolled myself in Medical School!!  OK, not really medical school, but it may as well be.  I am currently enrolled in the largest nutrition school in the world, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, located in New York City, where I will be trained to be a certified holistic health counselor and become a member and affiliate of the AADP (American Association of Drugless Practitioners).

IIN is a unique school and program as it does not teach just one dietary theory.  It teaches over 100 different theories with the purpose of letting  Americans know that there is no one way of eating that fits everyone.  The whole program is based on bio-individuality - we are all unique persons and made differently.  It also teaches the concept of primary foods, the bridge between nutrition and personal growth and development, which are not foods  we eat, but foods that nurture who we are and balance us as a person in our career, spirituality, relationships and physical selves.  The mission of IIN is to play a crucial role in improving health and happiness of Americans, and through that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world!  Sound interesting??  It is!  And I am so excited and honored to now be a part of this movement :)

This is quite a change from interior design, I know!  However, my goal and intention is to incorporate this with my current design business to help as many people as I can.  As a health counselor I will also be incorporating my design background into my practice.  Our environments play as big of a role in our health as does the nutrition.  The condition of where we eat, sleep, work, play, etc. needs to be calm, clean, peaceful and nurturing.  Our environments need to feed and nurture us, just like food.  What will make my practice unique is that I can utilize the knowledge I have from my education and experience in working in design to take the healing process of my clients one step further in their lives by helping them "heal" their environments as well as their bodies!  My interior design business, Pineapple House Design, will remain in tact as well, and I will continue with those projects as they come and my time allows.

This is going to be an amazing year of my life!  It is going to be busy, time consuming and hectic at times.  There will be many events and get togethers, emails and phone calls, and blog posts I may miss.  But please bear with me and send your encouragement and support.  Pray with me and for me that I can be one of the greatest health counselors out there, helping individuals, communities, and even corporations transform their lives (And maybe yours?) as well.  When this year is over, my life and the lives of my family will be forever changed by what I will be learning.  Keep an eye on me...you will see an amazing transformation happen!!

Thank you for sharing in this adventure with me with your support, prayer, encouragement, and love.  I look forward to sharing with each and every one of you how the process is going and what I am learning!

Please get back in touch with me and let me know what is new and good in your life, as well!!

What did you say??

Have you ever fallen into the bad habit of putting yourself down?? I have. I do it all the time. I have incredibly high expectations of myself. I tend to set unrealistic goals of all sizes because I feel like there is no reason why I can't reach them. And then when I don't, I begin to sing a song that sounds a little like this...

sigh....I am such a loser!
I can't get anything done...
Why am I so incapable of accomplishing anything??
ugghhh...I'm such a failure...
My five year old could've gotten this done better than I did (in fact I paid her a dollar to do it!!)
I hate how this outfit looks on me.
This paint job stinks.
I can never cut the grass in lines as straight as I want them (I know...obsessive compulsive...)

OK, you get the picture. The problem I am realizing in this self discovery journey I have been on lately is this... Whenever I talk to myself it is usually negative in some shape or form. Why do I do that? It doesn't help the situation. It makes me feel worse sometimes. It makes me feel defeated as well. I have discovered that I do this so often and I think I do it and not even realize I am sometimes. This is SO bad!!

One thing we need to realize in our lives is that we were fearlessly and wonderfully made. Every single part of us is incredibly loved by our creator God. Shouldn't that be enough to make us love ourselves? To know that God accepts us any way we are, all the time? That He is there to provide us the encouragement we need when we are struggling and feeling worthless? If I were worthless, I wouldn't be here! There is a plan for me! There is a plan for everyone! It is our job to try to uncover that plan and live our lives accordingly.

"OK, but what if I don't believe in God", you say?? Here is what I am learning and a different way to think about it...

What you think, affects how you act.

Think about that for a minute...what you think, affects how you act. I thought about that for a long time today and discovered that for me, that is so true! Maybe one of the reasons I feel stuck sometimes is because I am telling myself I can't do it and won't move forward. I realized as well, that I am hungry for love. My love...towards me. I don't love myself the way I should. I want to be better about that. I am going to flip the tape over, and make a new version of the song that I sing in my head...

You are beautiful!
You are so smart and clever!
Way to go...you worked so hard!
My hair looks great like this!
I am a good mother!
I am an amazing wife!
I have so much to share with and teach others!
I have great design ideas!
I am perfect the way I am!
I really am funny and interesting!

Just writing that list put a feeling of warmth inside of me because I know I am all of those things. It's when I tell myself I'm not, that my world begins to crumble around me and I feel defeated. Hopefully now, I can hear and sing that new song in my head ALL the time.

What negative mental tapes are spinning around in your head??

Try taping over them.