“Nature is always hinting at us. It hints over and over again.And suddenly we take the hint.” – Robert Frost
Common sense, intuition, gut feeling, nagging conscience, call it what you will, most of us have an inkling of the right path to take, nature does indeed give us a hint. Yet have you noticed how often and how easy it is, to ignore the hint?
Whether influenced by family or friends, or motivated by our own lack of self-confidence, many of us spend years not operating at our full potential.
We can get away with a lot while we’re young. But time has a way of catching up with us. Often, when we least expect it.
When I was 55, someone referred to me as middle-aged. “Really”, I replied. “How many people do you know who are 110?” Think about it! Don’t waste your years.
Forty may be a good target to call middle age. At 40 I was still young, thin, filled with energy. Still dreaming about how much I would accomplish. Nature may have been hinting, but I wasn’t listening. So young, so cocky, so invincible—after all, I am woman, right?
At 44, I took the hint. A diagnosis of breast cancer is a dynamic wake-up call. I’m one among millions of women who have faced that diagnosis, and I’m one of the fortunate millions who have gone on to live a long, productive life after cancer. I took the hint and made some serious lifestyle changes. Diet and exercise key among them.
Listen to Nature’s hints.
Extra weight? High Blood Pressure? High Cholesterol? Lack of energy? If you’re reading The Raw Divas blog, you’ve already taken a hint or at least are starting to listen to Nature’s advice. Making changes to a diet we’ve come to love over many years doesn’t happen overnight.
Start adding some good things.
Green smoothies, big green salads, fresh fruit, drink more water. Then start eliminating things that only add weight, no nutrition. At the very least, start with eliminating all white flour and white sugar products. If you can’t immediately eliminate meat and dairy, cut down on them. And start moving that body.
Join on online group for support and ideas.
Enlist a friend or neighbor to join you on this journey. Make a point of learning a bit about how your body works and what it needs to operate at its optimal level. Vibrant, abundant health is our birthright. But we have to choose it.
Don’t be discouraged by temporary failures.
A lapse is just a reminder to try a little harder tomorrow. Keep in mind that each day is a new day, another opportunity to do something good for ourselves, our family and friends, for our community and by extension, for the universe.
Listen to Nature’s hints.
Then emulate Robert Frost: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Let’s be mature women, continually manifesting—
Like fine wine, women grow better with thyme.
Joyce Wiatroski is the wit and wisdom found on foodiefumblings blog. You can watch for her contributions on the Diva blog on Tuesdays.