Like myself, many of you made new year’s resolutions in 2014. One of mine was to create a blog and use this platform to share ideas and learning in the area of wellness. As you can see, I didn’t post too many entries in my blog throughout last year. I want 2015 to be different.
Instead of viewing this lack of blog posts as a failure, I contemplated why I didn’t post more information on nutrition and cooking. Many times during the year, I wondered why I wasn’t being more committed to blogging. During my contemplation, it dawned on me that many of us already read tons of blogs that focus on food. Did I want to add to the chaos with one more blog entry? I wanted to share a new perspective and discover my unique voice. Only through my personal authenticity would I offer something new and real to readers.
The other reason I “fell off the posting bandwagon” was that my life became out of balance. In a well-intended effort to heal with whole foods, I became successful at the cost of other areas of my life. It took stopping my eating plan over the holidays and embracing my family and friends in non-food areas to realize this. During this same time, I took the first step in pursuing my goal of becoming a health coach by enrolling at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
One concept IIN emphasizes that sets it apart from other similar programs is the concept of primary food. The foods we eat are important, but they truly are secondary to the areas of our life that contribute to our overall happiness. This “primary food” includes everything from career, physical activity, social life and even spirituality. This knowledge prompted me to take a truly honest look at my own life’s primary food. Wow! I have existed in an imbalanced state which has obviously been contributing to my discontent in a real way. Using tools provided at school, I am now working on areas that were deficient to add balance to my overall life. This is a dynamic process, and one I will review periodically to stay in check with my goals.
What is your primary food in life? What activities, hobbies, pastimes and people contribute to your happiness? What areas of your life need more balance or improvement? What things are you cutting out in 2015? Life is a journey and this is a lifelong process. Start with one area and take steps to increase balance in this part of your life. For me, it is starting the process to cultivate a new career life which more closely aligns with my personal beliefs and passions. There is no wrong answer. Just start with a small step toward balance!
