A lot of things have happened in my life since the last time I blogged. The biggest news is that I finally took a leap of faith and gave notice at my day job in retail job as a wine buyer two weeks ago, and will be diving into entrepreneurship full time to pursue my passion in health, fitness and transformational life coaching.  A fellow female entrepreneur and colleague told me “Get comfortable being uncomfortable!” A famous Jillian Michaels quote, which I found ironic and yet perfectly suitable, as Jillian Michaels’ online program was what first got me back to fitness after a hiatus of a few years, and I consequently lost 30 lbs.  That line really hit a chord with me, because it is what is necessary in all ways of life, in order to change and grow as a person.  Let me give you some examples below.

• why are diets so difficult? It’s because we are uprooting our routines, we are changing the way we eat, and perhaps think, about food, about life, and ourselves.  The food we are used to and have grown to love so much may not be available to us when we want it.  Food is also strongly associated with memories, more so than the actual taste of it. How often have you not thought about that dish your mom made you regularly while growing up you love so much, but when you think about it, was no gourmet meal, and not really THAT great, but brings back a sense of comfort that you crave? Diets are also hard because instead of going for that bag of potato chips or glass of wine (or five) to soothe us when we’ve had a stressful day, or just want to forget about everything and watch the tube and mindlessly snack on junk, we are asked to grab a healthy salad and go for a walk/run. Wtf?! Where’s the fun and comfort in that? Because we, as a society, want to be immediately gratified in that very moment, we don’t think very long term about how our rash choices we make in that instant, can affect our future health and well being.

• as most of you know, I’m a big advocate of a whole foods, plant based diet. I do encounter resistance to this way of eating, mostly because people are not comfortable with their lack of knowledge about this lifestyle, and they are threatened because they don’t like that I will take away their favorite foods. “But chicken is healthy”, and “There is so much protein in Greek yogurt and it is my favorite afternoon snack”, “only rich people are vegan”, and so forth… They can’t fathom that plants can actually create far more exciting dishes, that not only taste better, but that are better for your health and easier on your wallet. Health and fitness is not just about what you look like on the outside, but it’s how your body is treated on the inside. I believe the latter is something most people down prioritize, because it’s not something they can see with their eyes, until of course, they become gravely ill and are forced to pay attention.   Eating a whole foods, plant based diet also will help billions of animals each year, as they are being abused, tortured and killed daily for the sake of people’s few seconds of pleasure on the plate. This is highly uncomfortable to think about for most people.  They desperately cling to terms like “grass fed”, “organic” and “free range” and claim that the meat they eat come from animals who have lived a happy life on a romantic farm, while the truth is so far from that. All animals end up in the same, horrifying trucks along with factory farm animals, being denied food and water for as much as up to 36 hours, and end their “wonderful lives” in slaughter houses that reek of blood, horror and death.  All living beings want to live. Nobody wants to die so they can become your steak. Animals feel pain, happiness, love and fear. Yes, this is indeed very uncomfortable to think about for most of us, but I think the animals suffer a much bigger level of discomfort than we do, so don’t we owe it to them to at least look into how the meat and dairy industry operate? How our demand for these products, no matter where they come from, encourages an industry which contributes not just to unnecessary killings, but to global warming and world hunger?  When there are thousands of plants available and only a few animals, why is it so hard to consider going plant based? Oh yes, that’s right… it’s uncomfortable. It takes a little effort. It will break up your belief system, challenge your daily meal plan and make you feel upset. I’m sorry, but get comfortable being uncomfortable. The animals will thank you.

• I recently lost my pup, Dallas, to cancer. The day we had to say goodbye was the most difficult day in my life since the day I got notified that my five month old nephew, Mark, had passed away from that very same disease.  “Uncomfortable” is probably not the word to use in these situations, as much stronger emotions were in place, but what struck me , is that I was highly uncomfortable seeing my loved ones around me grieving and in pain. When my husband is going through a difficult time, I immediately want to make him feel better, rationalize the situation, and almost undermine his feelings, and deny him the time he needs to go through the motions, just like I need to do the very same thing for myself. It’s much “easier” to just take all the sorrow and grief on my own shoulders, than to see people I love having to suffer.  It’s uncomfortable, in a big way.  But I have to go through being uncomfortable to give other people the space and the respect they deserve to sort through their own feelings so they can move on in a healthy, timely way.

• and lastly, of course – giving up a steady income, risking everything to live the life you were meant to live, to follow your passion.  Not many people dare do this, but I believe everyone wants to do it.  Instead, they come up with a million excuses as to why they can’t. “I’m too old”, “I don’t have the savings or funds to build a business”, “Nobody is going to want what I have to offer”, “My idea is old, it’s been done a million times before,” “My spouse doesn’t support me”, “I’m too busy with the kids”, “I’m not smart enough” or “I’m not cut out to be an entrepreneur”, and so on and so on… Excuses are much easier than being uncomfortable right? Not knowing what the next month is going to look like, constantly having to ‘hustle’ to find clients, feeling unsettled and knowing that YOU are the only one to blame if things don’t go well.  It’s easier and much more comfortable to blame others if something in your life goes wrong. It’s more comfortable to throw out one of those lame lines above than to actually start working on yourself, take responsibility for your own life and happiness and stop hiding.

So think about these points for a few moments, and ask yourself “Why am I really not ready to make a move?”  Is your mac and cheese more important to you than those love handles that you keep crying over in the mirror each morning you put on your (too tight) pants?  Or could you perhaps find the creativity in you to make a similar dish with better ingredients that would make your taste buds just as happy?

Would you rather be on autopilot and go to a job every day that you hate but don’t have to think about much, rather than feeling alive and trying to make a difference in the world?  Or can you devote perhaps an hour a day to “me time” and do things that you love, or used to love, but claim you no longer are ‘able’ to do?  Because trust me, you are!

Are you ok with just living a mediocre life being miserable or slightly unhappy, not feeling like you’ve lived up to your potential? Then by all means, continue what you’re doing and have at it. But don’t complain….We all have the same 24 hours in the day, we all have talents and a purpose here on this earth and the opportunity to pursue what we truly are passionate about… it just takes making a decision, making a plan, and of course… being willing to be uncomfortable for a bit until you achieve your goal.

But if you are in the slightest bit curious about what greatness lies in you that I can help show you how to revive, then get in touch and I would love to chat with you!  I believe in you – and the world needs what you have to offer!!