Do you eat healthy and exercise, yet struggle with consistency? Do you struggle to overcome anxiety from the stresses in your life? If so, have you thought that it may not be the external circumstances such as time, schedules, business, or other people, but your thoughts and emotions about the situation?
To have a consistent exercise and healthy eating program as well as not allow stress to overrule your life, I encourage you to stop for a moment and tackle what could be the root:
Is there something you need to LET GO
in order to have a life of balance
physically, mentally and spiritually?
Your Exercise
“I used to exercise every day, now I can’t seem to find the time or energy!” Sound familiar? Think back to what may have been different when you did exercise regularly. Now, how are things different today? You may be trying to follow an exercise program that is no longer conducive to your lifestyle. Is it time to LET IT GO and develop a routine that works for you now? I recently had a client say she now has a program that “fits her lifestyle.” Yea! By letting go of certain expectations, she is now exercising consistently.
God’s word says in Isaiah 43:18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
Look ahead and plan a new program that is fresh and works for you now.
Your Food
Do you ever say, “I know what I should do, but I just can’t seem to do it.” Could it be there is an underlying emotion that you have ignored that is the root cause for what triggers you to make unhealthy eating decisions? For example, is it time to for you to LET GO of
- The need to gain approval of others which leads to insecurity
- What others have said to or about you in your past which is hidden through food
- The fear of imperfection or gaining weight which leads to not eating at all
How comforting and encouraging to remember that God, our Creator, says in Psalm 139:14 that we are “wonderfully made.” When we focus on what HE says about us, it can bring comfort, peace, and confidence that meets our deepest need. We, as women, must come to the place where we not only know, but BELIEVE, what God says about each of us.
Your Mental Well-being
I remember when I came to the point where I realized the root cause of most of my stress was my own way of thinking. To manage my stress, I exercised and ate healthy, but why did I let things get to me sometime? Root cause…trying to control every situation in my life. I had to LET GO of some things. So that you can have a life of complete well being and manage your stressful situations, is it time for you to LET GO of
- The way you think things should be done
- The way you think the schedule should be
- Expectations of yourself or others
As David says in Psalm 31:14-15, we are to give our everything including our time to God and trust Him with it. But I trust you, O Lord, I Say, you are my God. My times are in your hands.
In one of my favorite books, Let It Go by Karen Ehman, the first chapter (entitled “God Called and He Wants His Job Back”) really hit me where I needed it. She reminds us it is not our job to manipulate or micro-manage the circumstances around us. We are to change our attitude and trust God for with our time, circumstances, and those who are closest to us.
My kids love the movie Frozen and are constantly singing the song “Let it Go.” I have to say, it is a great upbeat lyric—they seem to sing it right when I need to hear it. Check it out. It may be refreshing and give you a little tune you can’t get out of your head as a reminder, just like me. <Sorry!>
For today, think about the possibilities of what it could be like if you left the past, focused on what God says about you, and gave up trying to control every situation in your life.
What can you LET GO to have a life of balance physically, mentally and spiritually?
In Good Health,
Crystal
