Challenge Yourself

My teachers in Japan constantly were telling all of us, including the students and their staff, to challenge ourselves to grow. I saw them do this with me.... They were initially afraid to teach me in English, but decided to just go for it, even though they felt afraid.

Well, this weekend, I decided to challenge myself in a new way..... I've always been afraid of motorcycles, but recently, I've had the opportunity to ride on one with a very skilled driver. Despite my initial fear, I loved it!! I loved it so much that I took the nationally certified Basic Motorcyle Training Course.

Before the skills test, I was terrified.... and the only woman in our group.... What if I fell down? What if I couldn't find the right gear? Etc... etc.. I just told myself that my goal was to learn a new skill and challenge myself in a new way, so if I didn't pass the test, I still achieved my goal. I passed the test with a 95% score (hooray!), so now I can go to the DMV and get my license, and in the meantime, search for my own motorcycle.

I encourage other people to try to challenge themselves in new ways too. It's a huge feeling of accomplishment!

Warning label on the macrobiotic package

I'm lucky enough to come into contact with a wide variety of very interesting people by being a macrobiotic personal chef and cooking teacher. I very happily listen to people's personal stories while I'm in their homes working on menus for their personal conditions (or their family members), and enjoy being a part of their lives at this point in time.

One thing in particular that I'm noticing, and something that I love to see, is how people blossom and grow into themselves including with more physical beauty and this is what I believe comes from a deep inner confidence and self love. People become more radiant and happier and begin glowing from the inside out.

The other thing that people should know is that once that path of health is embarked upon, any bad relationship(s) will die, while any good relationship(s) will flourish. I'm currently witnessing several examples of metamorphosis and wish to cheer these people on.

For anyone reading out there, have you experienced or witnessed this too? Comments are always welcome.

Have a beautiful day!

A day's worth of meals... (100% organic, hooray!)

Breakfast = quinoa and amaranth with walnuts, and locally grown lacinato kale from Ma'o Organic Farm (www.maoorganicfarms.com),

Lunch = brown rice with azuki beans, arame with broccoli, kiriboshi daikon with onion, carrots, and shiitake, and organic natto

Snack = a juicy organic Valencia orange and a fleshy sweet organic aprium (part apricot, part plum!)

Dinner = cous cous with dried apricots (obviously needing some vitamin c today), ginger, and pinenuts, steamed golden beets, and organic asparagus. I meant to enjoy with lentils, but they were not ready in time...so they are part of today's lunch instead!

Questions for Self Study

In February, I did a seminar called "Ignite Your Life" with Susan Marque from LA. Here is one small part of the 3-day seminar. I have these questions printed out and up on my refrigerator to keep me self reflective and tuned into what's going on in my inner world. I hope someone else may also get something out of them.

QUESTIONS FOR SELF STUDY

What personal change could you make that would spill over into other areas of your life?

How would you tackle your horizons if you finally tackled your fear of XXXXXX?

What positive changes would you experience if you stopped XXXXXX for good?

If you decided to follow your soul (vs. your head) to build a better life starting now, what would you do?

What change does your inner voice keep advocating?

Sometimes, what we stop doing has the most dramatic impact on our emotions and physical health. What are you ready to give up or stop doing? What can you finally let go of?

What are the challenges you may face?

What are the strategies to overcome these challenges?

What is your desired outcome and by what date?

What is the immediate action you could take in the next 48 hours?

What values will this help you accomplish?