Why?

Why stroll along the shore when you can walk on the water? With faith, nothing is impossible!

And this is my Daily Cyn............

Two Choices

You have two choices when you reach the middle of the sea.
You can turn around and go back to familiar territory or keep swimming to the other shore.

And this is my Daily Cyn...........

VEGAN Transition

If you have been following my blogs you know that I am a Vegetarian who once was a Vegan who went back to being Vegetarian.  I loved being Vegan (no animal products- no meat, no fish, no dairy, no eggs) but it did not fit well with my hectic, stressful lifestyle at the time so I needed to add some animal products to my diet.  It has been a few years now and I decided to make the transistion back to Veganism again. I knew there were still some changes I needed to make, however, in order to accomplish this and reap the true benefits.

Over past six months I have been doing some major work on my inner temple.  By this I mean- my heart, my mind and my spirit.  I had an unexpected, personal tragedy occur this year that turned my life upside down. I was slipping back into some of my old habits again and I knew that wasn't good.  I recently began seeing a therapist to help me deal with all of it.  Stress comes and stress goes but it is something we all must deal with. Most of the time, I just try to drown it out by turning up the volume on everything in my life. I recognize this about myself now and I know how it nearly killed me a few years ago. Once again, I began reading books that nourished me.  Instead of turning on the TV for company when I came home from work, I began playing music that was uplifting and filled my house with peace and joy.  I stopped falling asleep on the couch in front of TVevery night and climbed into my nice cozy bed with a good book at a decent hour. I started a morning exercise routine. I lit candles, burned incense, and sipped sparkling water from a wine glass. I cut back on coffee and started drinking more herbal tea. I stopped drinking alcohol and reserved it for special occassions.  That was quite a challenge! Anyone who knows me, knows I love my vodka but every gathering, every occassion, and every weekend involved drinking and lots of it! I was eating more and more carbs, cheese and fish to absorb all the liquor and as result, I was putting on weight. NOT GOOD!  The positive changes I have been making over the past several months became habits, the habits became my lifestyle and finally......I was ready for the Vegan Transition. 

My diet now consists of tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, hummus, tahini, fresh fruit, lots of green vegetables, unsweetened almond milk,  homemade soups, a minimal amount of rice and soy cheeses, some vegan meat alternatives (burgers, veggie sausage), water,  and the occasional treat (emphasis on occasional). I have been eating this way for a week now and I FEEL FANTASTIC! I want share with you some of the changes I have noticed in this short period of time:

I have unlimited energy...........
I already am pretty energetic but now I have energy to spare.......... 

I have taken off weight already......
Yep! This is great side benefit.  I bought a great pair of jeans this summer but never wore them because they were too tight!. I could not even pull them up over my hips two weeks ago!  This morning, I slipped them on and zipped them right up without sucking in my gut! How exciting is that?

I have a few pimples on my face.......
Hold on! What? Aren't zits a bad thing? Not necessarily. I never break out so when I do, I know it is my body's way of eliminating toxins. That's a good thing!

I feel clean.......
Everything I am putting in my body is fresh, clean, whole, nutritious.  No artery clogging, mucous producing cheese or junk food slowing down my body now.

I am satisfied.......
I am not starving by any means.  I am full and content and have no desire or need to snack between meals.  This might sound like a boring way to eat but trust me.....it isn't!

Is a Vegan Diet for everyone? Not neccessarily.  It happens to be working very well for me but it might not work for you- at least not as a permanent way of eating. Can I do this permanently? I would like to but I will listen to what my body has to tell me concerning that.  So far...so good. 

If you are looking to cleanse your body you might want to consider eating this way for a few weeks or so.  It can't hurt, especially when you do it correctly. Eliminating meat and dairy is not going to benefit you at all if you do not make other changes to your diet and your life, as well.

If you would like to learn more or are interested in improving your diet for any reason: weight-loss, health issues, or just because you want to start eating well and don't know how to start, send me an email or contact me on Face Book. I am at your service...........

And this is my Daily Cyn...............

Get Out of the Box!!!..

Regardless of how hard you try, you will never be comfortable in a box that is not made for you. Stop trying to make yourself fit!  Never allow anyone else to make you fit where you know you don't belong.  

Perhaps you have been crammed inside a box for so long that you don't even realize how miserable and uncomfortable you are.  Step out of the box, stretch your legs, and find a place that is comfortable with room to breathe and move.

And this is my Daily Cyn..........

Most of our doubts, apprehensions and limitations are based on the fears, experiences and beliefs of others.  It is only when we decide to leave them behind on the shore, walk into the water alone and teach ourselves to swim that we truly begin to live!

And this is my Daily Cyn.............

You never really know someone until you walk a mile in her shoes!!!!!!!!

And this is my Daily Cyn............

Dancing on the Edge.......

Yesterday morning it was COLD.  It was raining, snowing, and sleeting.  The minute I walked out of my nice warm house I felt as if I had been slapped in the face. The temperature and weather conditions were shocking!

Inclement weather means train delays-always. Harsh winds knocked a crossing gate out of service at the Brentwood station so of course my train sat idling on the tracks for almost thirty minutes.  It couldn't be the earlier train or the one after--it had to be mine. This meant I would miss my connecting train and I was going to be late for work again.  What a way to start the work week after a great weekend!

Thankfully, here in New York there is always another train.  They run every fifteen minutes or so during rush hour.  When you commute daily, LIRR delays and cancellations are something you must learn to deal with. They occur almost every single day and you have to roll with it.  It's not so bad when the weather is pleasant but on a day like yesterday--it is almost unbearable.  It was hat, gloves, and scarf weather and all I had on was a light jacket.  I was freezing.  Those of us who use mass transit must dig out all our winter weather paraphernalia much earlier than those who get to sit in their warm, cozy cars. Try standing on one of those raised train platforms with the wind whipping, your teeth chattering, your knees knocking. Five minutes feels like an hour. Yesterday was only a sample.  It's going to get colder!

Eventually I arrived in Hicksville to wait for a connecting train.  I can't even describe how cold I was.  I had also just finished drinking an extra large cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee.  I don't need to go into details about THAT but I am sure you can imagine.  Every single train was delayed but I was afraid if I ran down to the rest-room, my train would miraculously arrive and I would miss it.

I noticed a young guy standing on the platform nearby.  He was dancing and singing along to the rap music blasting from his I-Pod.  It was so loud I could hear it clearly.  I watched him for a few minutes and began to smile.  He glanced over at me, removed his headphones and said "Hey! What you lookin' at?"

" I don't know how long you have been waiting here but I do know you are as cold as I am," I replied. " I am just watching you make the best of a bad situation!"

He laughed and moved closer to me so I could hear his music even better.  There we stood, two strangers, dancing on the train platform.  I lost track of time and forgot how cold I was. Other commuters stared and frowned at us as if we were insane.  They were cold, aggravated and late, just like we were. The difference was, we were getting warmer as we danced up a storm and they were too tired, too embarrassed or too conservative to join in with us.  I didn't care and neither did my new friend. We were free!  

I was almost disappointed when my train finally did arrive.  All my worries and the fact that I was ridiculously late for work had faded away . I felt happy, warm, and filled with anticipation of a great day. All it took was a simple dance on the platform edge to make me feel this way.  I was thankful to a kind stranger for sharing his music and his joy with me.  

Life is what you make it, folks. You can stand there and shiver, whine and complain or you can dance without a care in the world and feel the warmth spread into your heart and soul. It's your choice.  I choose to dance..........

And this is my Daily Cyn.........