Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Required Reading

And we're back...

If you're reading this then you survived what was the first two days of classes for Montana Tech students. How alive are you really? Did your soul die a little knowing you'd be doing homework and tests for the next couple months? Are you dead tired? OR Are you lively and loving being back? (kudos to you if you're the latter!)

I am trying with every fiber of my being to be happy to back. And I am... really I am. What I DEFINITELY am doing is reading a book my mom gave me for my birthday, it is titled, "Power Thoughts" by Joyce Meyer.



The introduction reads:

"Does your mind wander? Do you have trouble trying to get something out of your mind? You may be stuck in a mental rut. Well, it’s time to get out!

In her bestselling book, Joyce will help you…

  • Take principles from Battlefield of the Mind to the next level
  • Learn 12 specific thoughts to positively affect every area of your life
  • Learn how to think right thoughts on purpose
  • Become decisive, confident and productive
  • Enjoy the powerful life God intended for you"
Sign me up!
The jist of the book is 12 Strategies to WIN the BATTLE of the MIND. Each strategy is covered in a chapter, and there are four 'ground work' chapters at the begining to lay a solid foundation of the desirable outcomes, the common struggles, and the main power concepts. I am on Chapter 3 now, but I can't wait to get to the strategies :)


You can read a sample chapter online, just click the link. Here's a little sample section that proves the power of positive thinking it an amusing little tale :)

A Positive You Is a Powerful You
An organization once offered a bounty of five thousand dollars

apiece for wolves that were captured alive. Enticed by the idea of

such money, Sam and Jed eagerly set out through the forests and

into the mountains in search of the animals that could secure their

fortune.

They fell asleep under the stars one night, exhausted after days

of enthusiastic hunting. Sam awoke in the middle of the night and

saw about fifty wolves surrounding him and Jed—hungry wolves,

baring their teeth, with their eyes glistening at the thought of easy human prey.

Realizing what was going on, Sam nudged his friend and said

eagerly, “Jed, wake up! We’re rich!”

A positive attitude enables you to make the best of every situation,

and that gives you power over your circumstances instead

of allowing your circumstances to have power over you.


In case you were wondering I did follow up on my friend Kim's advice and start the reading and DVD 6 week plan for "Made to Crave." I am only on week #1, but this book has helped me immensely already.

I knew I had a problem with food... I thought about it ALL the time, I obsessed over when I could get my "cheat meal" or eat my favorite foods like oatmeal and peanut butter or protein powder, and celebrated like I won a car when Shannon put PB &J on rice cakes on my meal plan. It is 100% OK to enjoy food, love food, and desire food. God made our sense of taste and he knows how it works! He knows we will seek foods that taste good. The problem comes in when you seek food for pleasure, comfort, security above and beyond God. I shutter to admit it, but was in that place. I mean gees, I even wrote a post fantasizing about deserts! That should have been a red light right there. There is great irony in the fact that I knew I was "Purely Indulging" in food when I wrote the post because I even titled it that; but what I didn't realize was that that I was waging war on my soul by putting something above God.

But I am on the road to recovery! The first "Power Word" of the book is "EMPOWERMENT" (funny how the power thinking idea just keeps coming up huh? Maybe God really is trying to tell me something!) Lysa writes that we can make the mental choice to be empowered by our healthy eating choices, not feeling deprived by them. And I have found this to be absolutely true! When I overcome a craving and stick to my diet plan I am proud of myself, I feel empowered, I feel free, and I feel completely full!

I am happy to report I have not had a food binge or purge since starting the reading plan, which I had been struggling with under the strictness of my Bombshell diet plan, and the stress of moving, starting school, competing, and funding it all ($!). It's a dark and embarrassing struggle, but I am overcoming it and that's what counts! I have had the revelation that I don't need the things I crave to feel full and satisfied, I actually need to resist them to feel that fullness and satisfaction! ... and by "full" I mean the inner feeling of satisfaction and peace, not only the literal physical feeling of fullness after eating. I enjoy eating the right food and making the right choice to resist my cravings much more than the fleeting pleasure of messing up my plan and eating that scoop of peanut butter. I'll keep you updated on my progress as I continue to read both "Power Thoughts" and "Made to Crave."

Other books on my reading list this Fall include "Mechanical Vibrations," "Machine Design," "Process Control Instrumentation Technology," and "Energy Conversion" ... Courtesy of my professors. Yahoo, I am going to be so smart and so efficient at reading! Positive thinking, positive thinking ;)

I hope your return to school has been going smoothly!



Ruthie xoxo

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