Do you remember as you grew older from your childhood you promised yourself how you would do this or that? But the closer we grow to maturity some things morph and others just fall away!
Exercise, completion of secondary education and beyond, even finding the perfect relationship lose steam for some of us. It seems that at some point we all recon with, “well ‘this’ is enough.” Our weight becomes OK where it is. Pursuit of higher education, a better career with more responsibility sidelines best made plans of progression toward more. Even the dreams of procreation for some transforms into become a great-aunt or mentor to an unrelated younger person. Promises of maintaining health and our youthful bodies get lost in the sofa.
Once we recover from the guilt, shaming and other emotional penance we tend to ascribe to our lives, hopefully we come out onto the other side intact and at peace with what we can do better to achieve some form of progress in life. This attitude in opposition to focusing on how we fell short, missing the mark keeps the progress train moving forward.
Years ago I had the experience of attempting to shed weight. The plan was to eliminate all animal fat, processed sugar, and to implement a rigorous weight lifting plan rounded out by resuming my passion for cycling.
I started out of the proverbial gate like a dude on a mission. Eating my breakfast, power meal, fruit smoothie, meditation before work, bike ride to work and on with my day. As the weeks unfolded the motivation began to wane. Once confronted with the realities of family responsibility, stressors of work and my own desire to complete my lofty assigned goals weakened.
The occasional fresh-baked cookie or other sugar laden goods permeating the air around me distracted me from my once vigorous unequivocal resolve. These intruders taking root in my olfactory center causing battling for my mind and planting doubt toward my success of my reaching my goal. Thoughts like you rode five miles today, what is a little cookie? You deserve it. Why not drive the automobile? You have kept up this journey, and deserve a day of malingering. I had began to fall out of balance.
Something became better than nothing! Then it occurred to me. If my olfactory system is powerful enough to shift my focus with the smell of baked goods, what would deliberate stimulus with essential oils produce? I found out! Using lavender with my morning meditation for relaxation and focus helps me surmount the next challenge, mindless eating from impulse. Adding peppermint drops to my wrist, lava bracelet, and or showering with peppermint soap also quells the desire for nervous eating, specifically sugar cravings. I began to center myself again seeking to achieve more as my balance is restored.
Perspective is a wonderful thing. “A little Bit Of Soap,” by The Jarmels song lyrics was not enough to wash away the pain and memory of a broken heart. On the other hand The Archies lyrics of “Sugar Sugar” confirms the addictive nature of sugar, and its promises of “making your life so sweet!” In both instances “some” is problematic. Either too much in one scenario and not enough in the other.
Life dictates balance as the answer to sustained good stable health. Sugar is necessary for muscle use and energy production. But the natural unprocessed sugar suits our mind and bodies best. Cosmetics, and hygiene products also play a role in good health, herbs, other botanicals enter our body through our skin. A little bit of toxins can have an adverse effect on our general health. So in this instance some is not better than none!
Never settle for some peace or fragments of balanced health. Go for great health. In trying to acheive balance the very beneficial side effects are we tend to be healthier than had we not tried at all. In this instance some is always better than none. Be Well!
IMANI
The cancer statistics are staggering, 1,735,350 new cases will be diagnosed in 2018 with nearly fifty percent not surviving, crossing all socio-economic levels, ethnicities, age groups, health statuses for all different types of cancer. There exist blood cancers, solid tumors, skin, bone, major organs, body systems with treatment plans emerging to target just the disease and spare the body the injury indiscriminate chemotherapy can cause as the crown jewel treatment plan of attacking cancer cells for the last fifty years.
Who of us have never gone through the experience of making major changes in our life? There are the many fears and doubts, along with questions like how, what, why now, is it the right time? 
age-old jokes related to father’s day gifts. For instance, the one billionth tie or pair of socks I’ve received still gives me the elation of number one. Remember too they were not only gifted only for father’s day but Christmas, birthday etcetera.
m never have I witnessed a saw, saw by itself, or wall paper take itself down or even a drill sink a screw alone! Yes folks we have been sold a dream. Power tools and hardware gift cards do not say rest and relaxation at all! Then there are the, “you are great dad,” gifts that somehow still involve movement formally referred to as exercise! You guessed it, work out gear, sneakers that say running, free weights that say lift me, work out videos because great now means I’m as big as a table saw from all the lunches and in need of reduction, remodeling, renovation or just plain old work.
Imani's Secret Garden Blog 
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