Wow, more than halfway through! How did your fruit fast go? Enlightening in so many ways, am I right? Naturally, there were some temptations but I knew enough to head a few of them off at the pass. Like this birthday cake that has been sitting on the counter. A couple layers of freezer wrap and a freezer door between me and it should silence that chocolate siren song. I will admit that the day before I started the fast I had a bit of a refrigerator Mardi Gras and indulged in things that were yummy and “needed” to be eaten. Or drank. No alcohol on the fruit fast since it has to be fresh fruit, not fermented.
I think my body would enjoy eating this light fare for quite a bit longer. I certainly enjoyed the simple meal prep. None of that, “what should I fix for dinner,” stuff. I know what is for dinner and can decide how I want to mix it up. My savvy daughter reminded me that guacamole can be made to fit the fruit fast. Last night I had my regular salad and a bowl of guac and I was stuffed!
Guacamole is legit fruit fast 
Using mini-peppers in place of chips for the guac
I actually love how simple this style of eating can be. I have a lot of other things on my mind right now and simple food is such a relief. When you are managing situations that may or may not have a positive resolution it is so nice to know that at least dinner will work out the way it is supposed to. No wondering if the sauce will thicken, the middle will cook before the outside burns, if eating half a block of cheese is really that bad… (yes, it is, and yes, we have all done it), simple fruit fast meals let you relax. And you get to feel great about taking such good care of your temple-body for three days. What a great reset!
I will be carrying some of the fruit fast meals into my regular eating. I think a lunch of zucchini noodles is perfect. It fills me up and no after-meal sleepiness.
I have always loved carbs in the form of breads, crackers, and noodles. Having to bake gluten-free with all those processed flours has not been very appealing because I feel like crap an hour or so after eating. I am going to figure out how to do more whole-grain and add more fruit to my baked goods so I can feel this light when I go back to “regular” eating. For me, this fast has been one to help me push the reset button on eating. To be fair, I actually eat pretty healthy as compared to a typical American diet but I indulge in things that are good only for my taste buds too frequently. Like cheese. I love cheese so much I would marry it. My biggest challenge with cheese is how animals are treated in the industry. I was talking with my savvy daughter about cheese and my fantasy of having my own cow to make my own cheese. Then I would know she was treated well. Maybe goats would be easier, though.
I digress, as usual. Back to our topic. Restoration. Did those excavation questions bring up anything for you? Did you find any old ideas that no longer serve you? Are you ready to let it go? That is such a strange question on the outside. “Are you ready to let go of the things that hold you back, that keep you trapped, that prevent you from blooming?” What a silly question! Of course I am, why do you think I am doing this whole 40 day thing?
We are doing this 40 day thing because it is NOT easy to let go. The old ideas and stories are frequently a cornerstone of our identity. Many times we are not even conscious of how we are driven by those old stories. Recognizing them is the first step in releasing them. Meditation is the tool to recognition. It helps you recognize those false stories and beliefs and also helps you recognize who you really are. Tara Brach has a great meditation that has you imagine yourself 20 years from now and who that person is and how they interact with who you are now. Give this a try for a mini-meditation today. You don’t need to label anything about future you and present you, just feel how the interaction goes. Sometimes words limit our learning about the greater truths. We take unfathomable truths and try to make them fit into neat boxes of learning, naturally that is impossible. We can only understand small parts of the whole. Because of this, I suggest we not even bother trying to understand intellectually. Just feel what is and go from there. Our practice is to know the difference between moving forward under divine guidance and being driven by old fears and habits. I suspect this takes at least one lifetime.
The theme for this coming week is Centering. Our focus is to be and stay present in our daily life. Having practiced this a few times I can say that while it is grand to decide to be centered on every moment of your life, it is nigh on impossible. I recommend picking one or two times in your day that you will be 100% present. For me it will be when I brush my teeth and during meals. Phones are a huge distraction from the present so during these times my phone will be in a different room. I suspect the tooth brushing could become a meditation of sorts if I adhere to this centering action this week.
I will work to be conscientious of staying present in other moments of the day, as well, but anchoring to these two spots will give me pause. It is in the pause that everything is possible and God can be heard. That is my experience, anyway.
Big hug, my fellow 40 Dayer! Through ups and downs, we are making amazing progress in the very act of capital-B Becoming. Ride the ups and the downs, it is what makes us human. Oh, and I will be forthcoming and admit I didn’t journal from Tuesday through Thursday of this past week. No reason other than I didn’t do it first thing in the morning. For whatever reason, that is my struggle to do the daily journaling. I know what to do (first thing in the morning) and yet I skip that frequently. Looks like maybe this won’t be my last 40 Days journey! But that bridge will be crossed when it comes up.
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What’s that you say?