Love her WILD!
I have changed in so many areas of my life. With change comes an opportunity for growth, but not always will those around us understand right away. I like to think that growth takes time, and time is what others may need to see and understand where our journey is taking us as an individual.
I was once the woman who was mainly about work and whatever I had left in me went to those that needed me. I didn't understand anything about self love, connection to myself (oneness), or what true gratitude was. It started with the book "The Four Agreements" (click here for this blog). I realized that it was time for me to hold myself accountable for not only my actions to those around me, but to myself.
I chose not to focus on the negative energy that may have been in my life, and started removing myself from others negative situations or conversations. I stopped saying "Yes" to everyone. This was hard for me, because I always wanted to help, but I realized that I needed to help myself first. I realized that my job provides money, however, it is not everything. I needed to decrease my work hours from 12-14 hours a day to no more than 9-10 hours a day. Work-Life-Balance was the key. I was growing to love ALL of myself! Not my make-up, hair, nails, clothes. So of course my appearance was changing with little to no make-up, dressing myself for me, and finding my smile. That Pure sense of Gratitude that I was longing for.
I started to incorporate yoga and meditation into my everyday. Food became another area of my life that changed. I wanted to feed my mind and body with the nutrients I needed. So I decreased my dairy intake including giving up the macaroni and cheese, and adding in more vegetables, salad, and fruits.
There is something about loving You. Not just your body, but what is inside of you. The energy that surrounds you. The things that your mind thinks about. My stress level is 90 times less than it was 3 years ago. Please know that I am not Stress Free, I just choose not to dig myself into a pit of stress, stressing over the stress that surrounds me. Try and say that three times fast!!!
Our partners may be sitting back and watching us transform with little to no understanding of why. My husband was unclear on how reading a book would change me. He felt as if The Four Agreements was a spiritual change. A spiritual change that could create a divide in our relationship. I didn't want to just exist, I wanted to LIVE!
After a lengthy discussion, my husband decided to do his own research on The Four Agreements. So for my husband of 12 years during this time, it was like him watching me turn into a whole new person. This was difficult, because there are moments when we felt as if we were growing apart. But we all know that marriage has mountains to climb, and this was one that him and I scraped and pulled ourselves all the way to the top to understand that we were looking for the same thing. All the bumps and bruises lead us to the same path where we found that loving each other for who we are and not for what we expect them to be. To become the best version of ourselves together and individually.
While my husband is grilling up steaks, I am creating vegan enchiladas. I choose to experiment with re-planting almost every food or herb that I buy, and my husband prefers to run to the store to buy it. My husband enjoys his down time playing computer games, while I choose to read or be creative. The key is to not judge the other person for being them. When we are open-minded and accepting of our partners true authentic self, it creates a different kind of intimacy.
I love knowing that we both have changed throughout this life together. We may not eat the same types of food, but we both have found a love for healing crystals, yoga, and natural remedies using essential oil. I may even enjoy riding shotgun when my husband wants to hunt for Pokemon.
This has been a beautiful and painful process. Don't be discouraged when you and your partner are not on the exact same page. Time and understanding for both sides is necessary. 15 years of marriage now, and my husband has grown just as much as I have. He too has added yoga to his life. Everyday we both can see the difference this has made on our life. The ability to relax, enjoy and appreciate the small things.