Journal Day \\ Thirteen

This week, write a “State of Me” address. Write about how you’re really doing- what you’ve been thinking, what you’ve been up to. What have you accomplished lately? Where is there room for growth? Where are you right now in life and where are you headed? Current joys, currents sadness…write it all out. Discuss the current state of YOU. 

I had really good intentions to write this post a few days ago…& then I kind of just let it slide. That says a bit about the state of me lately, I suppose. I try to shy away from responding with “busy” when asked how things are. I am a generally busy person (& I like it that way), but so is everyone else. & although I think it’s a cop out response, I am guilty of responding with it. Maybe that’s why I dislike it. Whatever. Let’s get back to the point.

I’m usually busy doing things I like &, more than likely, so are you. Currently, life feels particularly hectic. On top of wedding planning, I’m trying to get back into consistent workouts (I have unlimited CrossFit for the next month! Yes!), eating well, & maintaining some kind of social life. I slacked off a bit over the last couple months, so now that I’m getting back into some more healthy habits, it feels like a big undertaking. I’m sure things will level out in some ways, but we’ve also got a ton of plans for this entire summer. Between our wedding, wedding-related events, Stampede, & visits from friends, we are booked solid. I’m excited, albeit a little apprehensive.

We’re also full steam ahead with our honeymoon plans. Of course, by we, I mostly mean myself. Planning is totally my jam. I consult with N on any decisions, but the research is mostly me. I love it, but I definitely find myself getting lost in the internet sometimes. Hours can go by without my even realizing. I’m definitely one of those people who likes to weigh all the options before settling on one. Thankfully, the trip is 75% planned & booked, so there’s not a lot left to do except be excited! 

This summer, I’ll need to learn to say no sometimes. As is, we have a lot planned & as much as I love going for drinks with our friends or enjoying a night out, I think I’m going to have to scale that back. I’m making CrossFit a priority this month, but I’m also trying not to spend every night in the gym. This box offers a few morning classes as well as lunch ones, so I’m going to try to take advantage of those when I can. It’s nice getting a workout in before the day starts. 

We’re in an interesting place right now. Our wedding is less than two months away, which is a big symbolic change in who we are. We’ll see what other kind of changes it brings. September will certainly free up a lot of time for other endeavors, though. I’m looking forward to having the time to seriously look at houses, as one of our goals is to become homeowners. This crazy market should  make that an interesting challenge. Overall, we’re moving forward. In a lot of ways we know what we want, but we’ve also still got a lot of figuring out to do. 

As for the state of me, personally? I’d say I’m pretty darn happy right now. There are so many things I’m excited for, not only in the next few months, but in the years to come as well. It’s the last year of my twenties & I plan to make it great. Things are never perfect – it really is the overall journey that puts this into perspective. (I know talking about the journey is so cliche. Bear with me.) There are always going to be highs & lows, but I can honestly say that it’s all generally good.  & for that I am incredibly grateful. 

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This post is in response to Danielle’s prompt on her blog, Sometimes Sweet. Find the rest of my responses in this series here.

Journal Day \\ twelve

Let’s talk about love. Do you believe in the idea of a soulmate? Do you think there is one person for everyone- and do you think that no matter what, if you’re “supposed” to meet that person you will? This week, talk about your experience with love and discuss what you believe, and also be sure to touch on what helped shape those beliefs.

Photo by 3haus Photographics

The idea of a soulmate is both beautiful & tragic to me. On the one hand, the notion that you could find that one person, the yin to your yang, is quite lovely. That is, if you find that person & manage to hold on to them. Life likes to throw a wrench in beautiful, well thought out plans & losing your soulmate (or worse even , never finding them) is cruel if you only get the one. I like to believe that life isn’t quite that cruel.

By the same token, I do believe that N is the right person for me & I can’t imagine feeling this way about someone else (for the skeptics out there – yeah, I know everyone says that about their current relationship. Maybe we’re not all wrong?). Maybe it’s more of a choice. I don’t think I know the answer, & in all honesty, I’m not really sure I care to know. 

What I do know for certain is that I love N. Sometimes that love is crazy & inexplicable. Sometimes it’s beautiful & unwavering. Sometimes I can’t keep it to myself while other times, it sits subtly under the surface. It’s in the every day as much as in those special moments, in the good as much as the bad. So whether I chose N or he chose me or it came from somewhere else entirely is irrelevant to me. I’ve chosen to be present in this relationship & in this love & to work at making it the best it can be.

These things are important to me – the working & being present. We recently met with our officiant & one comment he made really stuck with me because I’ve thought the same for a long time. We were talking about some of the significance behind different rituals at weddings & he said that like life, love has it’s ups & downs. It’s like a wave. Things will never stay tough for ever.  

So while I do have many romantic (perhaps, naive) notions about love, I hope I keep these things in mind as we continue to grow & evolve together. Our relationship is still young (5 years, this Saturday. Happy Anniversary, N!), but I hope we continue to choose this love, soulmates or not.  

I’ll leave you with my favourite quote about love: 

“On ne voit bien qu’avec le coeur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.” (Antoine de St Exupery)

  

I’ve translated this as: “It is only with the heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.“

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This post is in response to Danielle’s prompt on her blog, Sometimes Sweet. Find the rest of my responses in this series here.

Journal Day \\ eleven

Sometimes it can be hard to hear criticism from others. I know for me it’s something I may always struggle with- being a people pleaser, etc. At the same time though, constructive criticism can be very helpful, and allow us to look at ourselves in a new light and maybe even grow and change. Take a step out of yourself. If you were on the outside looking in, how would you critique yourself? What things do you see that could change or work on? This isn’t about tearing ourselves down; it’s about really looking at ourselves and seeing where there’s room for growth.

I think I’m a bit of a people pleaser myself, so hearing criticism isn’t something I’m a huge fan of either. I know that it has it’s place, but I truly hate to disappoint people. While I thought sharing what I was good at was hard, it’s just as difficult to put my shortcomings out there, despite it being easier to think of areas where I fall short. These last two prompts are more alike than different in some ways.

The very first criticism that comes to mind will probably sound positive at first: I have pretty high expectations of myself. That’s a good thing, right? Mostly, it really is a good thing. I think it’s part of the reason I have the ability to motivate myself as well as others. But I also wind up feeling guilty about silly things – like buying my lunch or sleeping in. What weird things to feel guilty about! But I often do –  I should have gotten a better start on the day; I should have packed a lunch. Shoulda. Coulda. Woulda.  

This then translates to my expectations of others. I expect a lot from people – in group projects, at work, in my friendships. The problem with this is that my expectations aren’t always realistic. Furthermore, they may not even align with that person’s priorities. Can I really expect people to have the same priorities as I do? Regardless, they fall short in my mind & that’s not really fair. I’ve been working on going easier on myself & trying not to feel guilty about the little things, but it’s definitely something I continue to need to work on. 

Another big one is that I can be pretty opinionated. Again, this can be a good thing. I’m really passionate about a lot of things &, chances are, I just want you to understand why I think x is “the most amazing thing everrrr.” This also lands me in some trouble sometimes. Not everything is black & white & everyone is entitled to their opinion. I know this, but I’ll still probably argue with you & get a little intense about it.

Since I’m posting this almost a week late, I’m going to leave it at those two things. How about you? What things do you see that you could change or work on?

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This post is in response to Danielle’s prompt on her blog, Sometimes Sweet. Find the rest of my responses in this series here.

Journal day \\ ten

Quite simply, what are you good at? All of us have particular strengths- what are yours? This week, talk about these talents, big or small. Ideas: discuss how you use these things in your daily life or job, how you discovered a knack for this or that, perhaps even touch on whether or not you are passionate about the things you’re good at.

Photo credit to KG

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this prompt this week was swimming. I am undeniably better than the average person at swimming. For a long time I used that as an excuse for why I wasn’t great at other sports. Swimmers have a reputation for being awkward outside of the water. While this isn’t exactly true, I fell back on it from time to time. & it’s nice to have something that you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you’re good at, especially when you’re younger. (It probably sounds weird coming from someone who runs half marathons & organizes Fitness Friday at work, but I’ve never considered myself very good at other sports. I don’t think I’m bad at them – I just don’t think I’m really good at them either. I do them because I enjoy being outside & I’m extremely competitive.)

I find it hard to talk about my strengths. While weaknesses easily spring to mind, I still have to really think about the things that I’m good at. I think it’s just human nature to be critical of ourselves so this is definitely a good exercise. I am good at things other than swimming. I’ve had people tell me that I’m good at motivating others & that I give good fashion advice. While I probably wouldn’t say these are skills I possess on my own, I am flattered to hear that. Those are things I’m happy to be good at, if in fact I am. 

Let’s talk about what I think I’m good at though. Even as I type this I’m struggling to actually list my strengths. I don’t entirely know why, but in the back of my mind I can’t help but wonder what people will think. Will they agree? Will they disagree? Most importantly, why do I care? Here goes…

I am good at writing. This is something I question often. Having a blog forces me to focus on writing more, but that doesn’t always mean I’m happy with the results. Usually I just need a little distance to come around to it, but it can definitely be difficult to put your words out there on the internet for all to see. But I am a good writer. A large part of my job involves writing & I know that what I put out is well done. 

I am good at research. This may sound like a weird thing to say, but I can actually confidently say that I’m good at this. I am great at asking the google the right questions. I think this partially transfers over to being good at problem solving. Having worked in Customer Service for ten years, this skill is a huge asset. It also transfers over to little everyday things like finding out new recipes or looking up new restaurants. I’ve got all that under control. Me & the google, we get along real well. 

I am good at planning. This is kind of cheat since it goes hand in hand with research, but I’m a planner. I love planning trips & making sure I include everything I want to see & do. I’m good at making a meal plan every week so that we know what to shop for & what we’re eating every night. I’m a little bit Type A there, as my manager pointed out last night. I love to be organized. 

I am good at making people laugh. Sometimes it’s at me, sometimes it’s with me, & sometimes I’m actually funny. I think. Either way, people tend to laugh when I’m around. 

I am a good cook. I haven’t always been the best cook, but I’ve definitely learned & gotten better as time goes on. I like to experiment & try new recipes so I definitely think that’s been the key for me. 

I’m a good teacher. I coached swimming & then taught lessons for a long time & I genuinely think I’m good at this. It’s funny because I can’t picture myself teaching in a school. I think I was good at teaching swimming because I’m a good swimmer & I love it. Teaching something you love is so rewarding.

I’m a good friend. I’m good a keeping in touch & making people a priority. If you’re important to me, you’re probably stuck with me unless you try really hard to escape. 

I’m sure there are other things I could come up with, but this is feeling like a really long list. I feel a bit full of myself, so we’ll stop here.

Do you find it hard to talk about your strengths? Try it out in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you’re good at! 

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This post is in response to Danielle’s prompt on her blog, Sometimes Sweet. Find the rest of my responses in this series here.

Journal Day \\ nine

How would you say your upbringing or background has shaped your idea of beauty? Were you taught to apply makeup or do you hair by your mother or friends? If not, where did you observe what is now your norm as far as beauty practices? And although most of us have been inundated by different cultural beauty “norms” via the media, would you say that television and magazines have had a strong impact on shaping what you think of as beautiful? This week, write about your idea of beauty- how your background has shaped it and what that means for you today.

Your upbringing certainly shapes much of how you view the world – your perception of beauty included. My family was mostly blessed with good genes & my mother has never needed to wear much makeup. I remember her always looking very put together, a feat she continues to achieve to this day. That didn’t necessarily mean a lot of makeup but it did mean dressing well & taking care in her appearance. She always told me it’s better to be too dressed up than to be too casual – & that’s something I find myself believing now, as an adult.

I was not allowed to wear makeup until midway through Junior High. Even as my peers began experimenting with makeup, I did not. I think I first wore a little makeup in the eight grade. In fact, I saw my grade eight photo recently & I am definitely wearing a terrible shade of brown lipstick (why was brown lipstick ever in? It looked terrible.). I swam throughout Junior High & High School so makeup never became a huge priority. I did sometimes take the time on my days off or if I was going to a party or dance, but it was never a daily ritual. 

Even once I hit University, it didn’t become a priority. I taught swimming lessons as of third year & often couldn’t be bothered to put makeup on if it meant I was going to jump in the water later that day. I spent more time on my hair & makeup as I started going out to clubs & bars with friends. My girlfriends & I would turn on music & have a few drinks together as we got ready for the night. I think that’s a fairly natural evolution for girls my age. 

In my last few years of University & in the year following graduation, I worked at Starbucks. My shifts often began before the sun came up & I prioritized sleep over makeup. I was not & will likely never be a morning person, despite my penchant for taking early shifts (I’d rather have my evenings free.).

Now that I work in an office, I spend a lot more time on my appearance. I basically went from spending no time to a little time. Living in Montreal & France shaped my clothing choices too. Both place more importance than Calgary on dressing well & that has translated into my life now. I actually like dressing up a bit for work. I love heels & I love nice clothes, especially silk dresses and shirts. So it always feels fun. I also wear more makeup than I used to. I still wouldn’t say that I wear a ton & I’m not afraid to go without, but I like playing with a bit of eyeliner & find false lashes to be a fun addition to a special event. I’ve gotten into the habit of curling my hair every day & that’s definitely something I’d like to try to break a bit. Especially in the summer, it’s good to let it do whatever from time to time.

I like to think that I don’t look to magazines & the media for examples of beauty, but I think that would be a lie. To a certain extent, there’s always a bit of influence from them. With the fairly recent addition of CrossFit to my life, I’ve gone back to how I used to think of beauty in high school a bit more – strong, fit, & confident are some of the most beautiful qualities a woman can have. I’d still like to get to a better place in terms of confidence in my appearance. I think that’s something that most women unfortunately struggle with to some degree. 

It’s funny to think that my idea of beauty evolved over the years to wind up right back where it started. I love the idea of finding beauty in strength. I’ll never have tiny little toothpick arms but these arms of mine do a lot of awesome things. I’m learning to love that. 

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This post is in response to Danielle’s prompt on her blog, Sometimes Sweet. Find the rest of my responses in this series here.

Journal Day \\ eight

Would you consider yourself a religious person? Quite simply- what do you believe happens when you die? Have you always believed this? Do your current beliefs align with what you were taught as a child? And if not, what was the turning point? This week, talk about your religion or spiritual beliefs (or perhaps your lack of), and try to sum up, if you can, what you believe happens “next.”

Religion. Oh boy. I wasn’t going to post a response when I first saw this prompt. I’m always a little bit hesitant to discuss religion with anyone. While I’m not generally shy about my opinions, this is something I try to think twice about before offering my thoughts. Danielle posted this morning though & her response inspired me to write something. I’ve posted a Journal Day response every week so far & I think it’s silly to censor myself in regards to this. I know not everyone will agree with what I have to say. So as Danielle did, I will just preface this post with this disclaimer: I don’t mean to question your beliefs or lack thereof. Please do not take offense to what I have to say here – I don’t want to judge you & I hope you won’t pass judgement on me either.

Religion is an incredibly interesting topic. I can’t think of many other topics with so many different variations of belief (or disbelief). There is so much emotion tied to this topic that it’s a little intimidating to put my thoughts out there, but here goes…

I do not consider myself to be a religious person, at least not in the sense of organized religion. This idea does not come from a place of disrespect or rebellion. This is something I’ve come to realize in the last 10 years. I don’t have a problem with other people believing or not believing – I think as long as we are respectful of each other & of others’ beliefs, we’re on the right track. 

We grew up with some knowledge of the Anglican faith. As a baby, I was baptized in a beautiful Anglican Cathedral, the same one in which my parents were married & my brother would later be baptized. We attended church around both of those events, but as we got older services took a backseat to swim meets & soccer practices. I was never opposed to church as a child, but I was also happy to sleep in or play sports. It wasn’t a priority for me. 

I had many friends of different faiths & backgrounds throughout school. I attended public school in a province that offers a non-private catholic school option so most of my religious peers were either Christian or Jewish. For the most part, we didn’t discuss or think about religion much. The public school system is meant to welcome any & all religions. There was one exception at the end of High School. As I spent more time with a Mormon family, I did think of religion more. Although I never really discussed my own beliefs with them, their discussions with me about their beliefs caused me to focus a little more on the topic. I think that’s when I came to the conclusion that, although I had never identified with my atheist peers, I didn’t identify with organized religion. I was somewhere in the middle of things (oddly enough, this seems to be where I fall on the political spectrum too…)

You hear this often from non-believers: I like science. Or I like facts. & I can identify with those statements. In order to believe, you have to have faith in the unknown &, while there are some things in which I trust completely, a higher power isn’t necessarily one of them. Now, I’m not saying I don’t believe in a higher power at all. I’m just also not saying I do believe. I don’t know if there is, but it’s not something I generally occupy my time thinking about. I’d rather just be. & be present. 

Sometimes I think it’s easier to believe in something then to wrap your mind around nothingness. Having faith in a world after death is comforting. It means there’s more to life than just what’s going on here & now. It means that life doesn’t just end when you die. It means good people will go to a good place together. (Or maybe it means something different to you. That’s ok too.) I just don’t know if I genuinely believe that. I’m not going to write it off, but I’m not going to spend a lot of time thinking about it either (beyond the thinking I’ve already done, I suppose). For me, either possibility is valid – something might happen next or it might not. 

The point is that I don’t know the answer to what happens next. I don’t think anyone does. & instead of worrying about it, I’m going to do my best to enjoy my time in this world. I hope you can respect that, whether you agree with me or not. 

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This post is in response to Danielle’s prompt on her blog, Sometimes Sweet. Find the rest of my responses in this series here. 

Journal Day \\ seven

Do you use social media in your daily life? Do you think it adds to your relationships with others, or takes away from them? And furthermore, do you think social media adds more positive or negative to your life? Write about your relationship with social media, and talk a bit about how you got started, and what role it plays in your world.

Oh, social media. I feel like this topic comes up often in conversation. I use many different forms of it often: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. I was one of the first of my friends to get a Facebook account, after the American friends I met in France insisted I join so we could easily keep in touch. I think I jumped on the Twitter bandwagon in 2008 & I joined Instagram a few year later when I finally got an iPhone. 

I have to say that I absolutely love Instagram. I love the communities & challenges I’ve been exposed to because of it & I love following friends & making new ones. It’s fun catching a glimpse into people’s lives & I enjoy capturing little moments of mine that I might otherwise overlook. I enjoy Twitter for the same reasons, in addition to being able to follow news & other forums. 

I do think it can be a double-edged sword though. I’ve found myself opening Instagram without even realizing I’m doing it. I usually try to take a break & put my phone away when that happens, but it’s remarkably easy to get caught up. N & I have had a few spats over our phone usage. I don’t like when he plays games on his all the time & he doesn’t always like when I’m on Instagram. In that regard, it doesn’t add to my relationship. 

I think in a lot of other ways it can add to relationships though. I’ve inspired and been inspired by fitness friends & challenges, found great new recipes, & kept up with relationships I may not have otherwise. I don’t use Facebook much anymore aside from posting photos, blog posts, or creating events, but I do find it really useful for those purposes, as well as for keeping in touch with friends overseas. It keeps things organized & I like that aspect of it. 

Going forward, I’d like to get better at putting my phone away & shutting off social media from time to time. I’d also like to learn to be more effective when I do use it. I think it can be a great tool when used properly & in moderation. (Ha! Everything in moderation, right?) 

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This post is in response to Danielle’s prompt on her blog, Sometimes Sweet. Find the rest of my responses in this series here. 

Journal Day \\ six

Everyone has different things that keep them going. Sometimes it’s the people around us, other times it might be what’s waiting for us on the other side of hard work. Whatever it may be, there’s usually some sort of motivation to get up every day, get things done, or maybe even go the extra mile. With that said, what would you say is your biggest motivation in life? Has it always been this way? 

Photo by @wanderingseth

I read this prompt on Sunday & have been thinking about it since. I knew that many people would post that their children are their biggest motivation, but I know this isn’t the case for me. We’re not there yet. I hope that someday it will be my biggest motivation, but that’s not what either of us wants right now.

I think everyone goes through a phase in life where they’re a little bit selfish. Every year, I find I’m less so, but my life is still primarily about me. What I want, who I want to be, what I want to do. It’s evolved from those angsty teenager days of true selfishness & it will continue to evolve as I add more pieces to my puzzle. One of the more recent additions has been N. 

This guy motivates me in many ways. He’s my example of patience & the calm to my storm. He reminds me not to make a mountain out of a molehill (although I often still do). He’s the easygoing, optimistic one, & this inspires me to look at things from his perspective. Think before you speak, you know? 

Another big motivator was born of Fitness Friday. These Friday workouts started over a year ago & I honestly never expected much to come of them. I honestly kind of figured it would remain the couple of us in Solutions, being goofs at the end of the week. Somehow, it took off though & when I don’t feel like writing up a workout, these people that show up every week motivate me to do so. It’s for them that I keep doing this & because of them that I look forward to Fridays for a reason other than the weekend. 

My biggest motivation in life is myself though. I’m happiest when I feel strong, healthy, and successful. There are so many things that contribute to these feelings – eating healthy, spending time with family & friends, working out, finishing a project at work, having people enjoy something I’ve written…so. many. things. I guess in a way that means that what’s waiting for me on the other side of hard work motivates me as well. I think that’s a big reason why I love CrossFit. Why I love cooking (& eating, & thinking about food, & planning travel around eating). Why I love being busy. Why I love planning. 

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This is my sixth post in response to Danielle’s Journal Prompt. For the prompts & other responses, check out Danielle’s blog Sometimes Sweet. Learn more about the project here. 

Journal Day \\ five

We all encounter challenges on a daily basis. You may consider yours something small, like having enough time in the day to accomplish everything you set out to do, or it may be a bit bigger- perhaps something you have to overcome mentally or emotionally, or even a struggle when dealing with a difficult person. Whatever the case, take a look at your daily life- what would you say is your biggest challenge? Or if you have a past struggle you were able to overcome, how did you do it? This week, write about a challenge you currently deal with on a day to day basis, or discuss one you managed to get past.

I find this question a difficult one to answer. Are there people I find challenging to deal with? Yes, of course, there are. I’m not always an overly patient person so this is definitely something I struggle with regularly. I also tend to let go of that type of thing very quickly though. In the moment, I express my frustration, but it usually doesn’t carry over into my day to day. (The only person I see literally every day is N anyways. We tend to get along most of the time.)

I’d definitely say I sometimes struggle to accomplish everything I’ve set out to do for the day too. For the most part though, I’m fairly successful in my endeavours. Every once in a while I’ll overload my expectations, but I wouldn’t say this is a huge challenge for me.

I’m hesitant to write about a past challenge as I think it’s easy to fall into a cliché & I don’t want this to be that kind of post. Let’s say in the present, shall we?

As a twenty-something, I think I struggle most with whether or not I’m choosing the right path. I’ve graduated University & have been working for a few years now, but am I working towards the things that I want or or am I just working? Am I taking steps to unlock the doors I want opened? Or am I sitting back & letting things fall into place? These are hard questions to answer, but I think at some point we all stumble across them. 

When I say the right path, I’m talking career-wise. As a couple, we have goals for ourselves. Things like owning a house in the inner city, taking the time to travel together while we’re young (especially, but not exclusively), & enjoying wonderful meals together. 

There are two reasons to work towards the right career. The first one is for our own happiness – to feel a sense of accomplishment & joy around work. You spend at least eight hours a day doing it so hopefully you enjoy it to some extent. That’s the dream anyway, right? The second reason is to have the ability to achieve our personal goals. & that’s the big one. Life isn’t all about work, so I hope everyone has some goals outside of it. 

I think this challenge is an important one to think about, but a difficult one to overcome. As someone who always strives to improve, sometimes I struggle to look back on my decision without criticism. 

This post took a different turn than I was expecting, but that’s what I’m enjoying about this Journal Day. I’ve been tempted to censor some of these entries for fear of how someone may react to my thoughts, but I’m glad I haven’t yet & hope to continue with this. 

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If you want to check out Danielle’s post this week or follow along with the prompts, check out her blog, Sometimes Sweet. 

Journal Day \\ four

If you had unlimited resources, what political or social issue, or area of scientific or medical exploration would you fund? Do you have a cause that is dear and near to your heart that you’d put your time, energy, and money into if you had the means? Tell us about it, along with a bit of background explaining where you’re coming from.

3haus Photographics

When I first read this prompt, I thought for sure I’d find a social issue to write about. That seems very me for some reason. I’ve always gravitated towards the arts side of things so science and medicine aren’t something that naturally jump out at me. I was never bad at science. Really, I was never bad at school. Most subjects came fairly easily to me so even though I regularly say I’m bad at math, that’s not entirely true. I’m disinterested in math. I didn’t excel at the subject because I decided I didn’t want to.

But this post isn’t about whether or not I was good at science or math or even english. This post is about something I hold very near and dear to my heart: health. In a world where we are, literally, surrounded by illness, it’s easy to see how important health is to happiness. If you don’t have your health, things can get pretty grim, pretty quickly.

I read a lot of research on the subject & find it very interesting. It also really bothers me that there seems to be so little being done to treat the cause behind an illness. Sure, we have lots of treatments for the symptoms, but I can’t help but think how great it would be if we could treat the root cause.

I personally believe that what we put into our bodies directly influences what we get out of them. & not just in terms of energy & competition. Proper fuel in sport & fitness does tend to generate more favourable results, however, I think there’s more to it than that. That may be slightly controversial, but I really believe it’s worth looking into. It makes sense to me that what we put in our bodies could be having an effect on some of the illnesses we’re seeing. & I think that’s worth exploring.

So if I had unlimited resources, I would dedicate them to that research. It’s currently not feasible to do these types of studies involving food since the necessary funding for such a thing would be huge. There are so many things you can’t control as well. It would definitely be a huge undertaking, but one that I think is worthwhile. I know I’ve personally benefitted from changing the things I eat & thinking about what I put in my body so I think having a better understanding of what’s truly happening could be a step in the right direction.

While there is a lot of information out there on the subject, there aren’t a lot of studies out there. I think the medical community would be more accepting of diet as a form of treatment if there were.

It’s hard to choose just one issue, of course, but this one is a big one for me. Having seen huge changes in people I know from changing their diet (& in myself as well), it’s hard knowing that it’s still not widely accepted in the medical world.

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You can check out Danielle’s response over on her blog & find the links to many other posts in the comments.