Inverting the Circle of Allowance

It's like they took the bubble and turned it inside out. The self pity and letting it be OK to break your own rules every day needs to give way to trusting in the Lord and being obedient. It is a new way of living.

What used to be inside the circle needs to be outside the circle. 

This is a new game plan.  If you want to reach a certain goal, you have to play the game that will get you there. You can't go to the Olympics if you are not training. And you can't break your training every single day and get to the Olympics.

It seems so obvious when writing it down but when you are living it, the perspective is different. The writing it down allows you to see the perspective. The absurdity of not following the plan and expecting to reach the goal.

I think praying and asking the Lord to search my heart and show me the way to seek Him and to be close to Him.... He is giving me this inspiration. God is so GOOD!

Remember that: Put what does not work, outside the circle and put what works inside the circle. What is the circle? It is the circle of my own personal space. The circle of what I allow in my own life today.

I've been watching "Extreme Makeover, Weight Loss Edition" where super-obese people take a year out of their lives to focus exclusively on loosing as much weight as humanly possible. In the last episode I watched, a lady in Oklahoma lost 202 pounds in 365 days. She exercised for 5 hours every day, counted calories, ate veggies and fruit in an unlimited fashion and did it. Can you imagine 202 pounds gone in one year?

I look back and think, what if one year ago today I had started to stick to my plan.... I would be in a much different space than the one I am in. Granted I had some rather large illnesses to cope with but the Lord has blessed me and I am nearly beyond them now. Thank God! When I recall the reason, I know I don't have to beat me up. I can forgive me and be compassionate without going into self pity.

If I simply take stock of where I am right here, right now -- this can be my new starting place.

Question for the day: What is inside the circle for today? What is outside the circle for today? And then keep them straight.

Here are the things I used to say to allow me to break my own plans in the past:

1. Eating just one or two of "these" should not make that big of a difference. What could it hurt?
2. I can always get back on the wagon tomorrow.
3. I am too tired to do what I really think I should do right now, I will do the right thing tomorrow. Right now I am going to eat.
4. This is the plan I have chosen, but on this other plan, they do it this way -- so that is OK for me to do right now
5. I probably should not cook so much for me to eat, but I'm going to ignore that thought because it would make me anxious to reduce the amount of food I am already cooking in the pan.
6. I've eaten just enough, my body is full -- but there is another one laid out for me to eat. I will ignore my feelings and eat the additional one even though I don't really need it. Or want it.
7. I not only like the feeling of being over full, I seek it -- it is familiar and satisfying. Even I am surprised at how much I can eat -- and do eat.
8. I'm picturing a particular food in my head, I will go and get some. In the past it has been useless to fight it. In the end, even a day or two later, I will make sure I have it, anyway.

What can I do to put these outside the circle? I was going to say I needed to address each one individually, but they are part of a "group" which I may be able to redirect to the outside of the circle based on the fact they are meant to help me, to assist poor pitiful me, to have what I want, rather than sticking to my own plan.

So there is the base: What I want vs what will help me to reach my weight loss goals.

Possible response: "I see. This is what I want. Is it part of the plan? Will it help me to reach my goal of losing weight? If I am going to reach my goal, what should I do right now? Follow the plan. With patience, I will put that aside and run the race that is set before me."

...I will see how it goes.

Be back soon,

Marcia