Anything can happen!!

Posted on 08/30/2022 by Christy

Hey, everybody!!! Long time, no see!!!

Just to catch y’all up to speed…Chad and I are in Colorado for the summer! YAY!

We are working (and living) at a campground in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and it’s SO beautiful here! OMG!

(Only problem is that one of my MANY fears is…BEARS! And they definitely call these mountains home! Ahhhhh!!!!)

Anywhooo…

We just LOVE all of the biking and outdoorsy activities in this area!!! So, we pretty much spend ALL of our free time OUTDOORS!

It’s been a looooong time since we’ve hit the mountain bike trails, though, because I’ve been recovering from some post-viral symptoms, so Chad was SUPER excited for us to finally get back out there the other day.

Sooooo… you can imagine the disappointment I felt when… just a few minutes into our ride, I whizzed by a huge mound of bear poop! Ugh!!!

Chad was riding a bit ahead of me, and he just kept pedaling (surely hoping with all of his might that I wouldn’t notice it because he knows darn well there’s no WAY I would keep riding if I did)!!!

I call out to him to wait up. Sure enough, he’d seen it and hoped that I hadn’t!! (Ha! I just KNEW it!!!)

I see all joy instantly drain from his face as he politely (??) asks if I’d like to turn back. Without hesitation, I’m like, “uhhhh…YES!”

Buuuuut…then I remembered these darn ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN bands on my wrist, and I just KNEW that I needed to readjust my perception…

I remind myself that if “ANYTHING can happen,” then it MUST be possible for me to finish this ride without being mauled by a bear…and hopefully without even SEEING one! Ya know, just like the MAJORITY of people who wander the trails in bear country.

Much to Chad’s delight, I decide to (try to) press on. It definitely wasn’t “pretty” at first…I heard a LOT of “bears rustling in the bushes”! And, since you weren’t there… you have ZERO proof that I was ringing my bike bell like a maniac! Lmao!!! But, I was out THERE riding!!

Eventually, even iiiiiii was annoyed by the sound of my own bike bell!! So, it was time to adjust my mindset even further…

I realized that…if “ANYTHING can happen,” then it MUST be possible for me to relax and enjoy this ride…without FEAR!!!! Wow…THAT proposal was a MUCH harder sell to my nervous system!!! But, eventually I got there! And, boy was THAT version of the ride WAY more fun!! (Scroll down for more pics from this beautiful ride at Lory State Park…)

Do YOU need a little reminder to stay optimistic these days? Or know someone *else* who could use a little boost right now?? My new inspirational wristband set is now available on Etsy by clicking here!!

Grab a set for yourself…or order a set as a gift…or BOTH!

Either way, keep scrolling down to see even more of that Colorado beauty I promised…

We are really trying to soak it all in because in about a month, we are heading back to Arizona for the winter!

Careful where you search for happiness!

Posted on 02/13/2019 by Christy

Oh my gosh!!!!

Soooo crazy that I would happen upon this video today!

I recorded it five years ago, but I just realized today that I’ve fallen back into this very same trap again! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!! (Maybe it’s a “winter” thing! LOL!)

Do you ever fall into this trap!? How do you handle it? I’d love to hear any tips you’ve got!

(And, again, please ignore the captions in this video…because the “Dreamers in Motion” website no longer exists.)

Simple trick to help you face your fears!

Posted on 01/18/2019 by Christy

fear

Ever wish you could break free and just face your fears?

Once we sold our home to travel full-time in our RV, we started encountering new experiences on what seemed like a daily basis! And it really became more and more inconvenient to live in fear…especially once there were so many new things that made me fearful.

Fear became one of my worst enemies, always lurking…constantly threatening to make me miss out on potentially wonderful experiences.

I’m still a work in progress in this regard, but one way I’ve started conquering some of my fears is by adopting the following super simple 4-step strategy:

1. Realize that I’m afraid of “X”.

2. Ask myself if I want to remain afraid of “X.”

3. If the answer is “no,” then I ask myself what I would do if I were NOT afraid of “X.”

4. Then I go ahead and do THAT!

I know it sounds too simple to be useful, but it works! I think it works, perhaps, because it reminds me that being afraid is a choice!!!

And then I realize that I can’t really sit around feeling sorry for myself because I’m afraid…because I am the one deciding that it’s scary.

And, honestly, I’m just sick of being afraid of things!!!

This little trick works for physical fears (for example, I’ve been conquering fears of heights, bridges, etc.) or psychological fears (like speaking in front of crowds for example) or any kind of fears you may have.

Are YOU tired of living in fear?! Then, I’d love for you to give this little trick a try and let me know how it goes!

Oh, and if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my blog for more tips for living the healthy, happy life you soooooooooo deserve!

Big diet changes for me! (Part 2)

Posted on 01/14/2019 by Christy

Enjoying some Fish ‘n’ Chips on South Padre Island (the napkin bib was just a joke for this pic FYI)

OMG! I just realized it’s been 2 years since I posted Part 1 of this article (in which I may have “promised” you more details “soon.” Ooooops!).

Well, better later than never, aye?

Okay…so…in Part 1, I explained that during the past several years of our travels, I’ve finally gotten up the nerve to lighten up a bit on my 100% additive-free diet.” I’d say I’m in more of an 80/20 sort of situation these days – 80% additive-free, 20% eating for fun, fellowship, etc.

Our friends surprised us with a beach picnic for our Anniversary!!

After about 7 years of eating only “clean” foods and not eating any typical American processed foods nor going out to eat, nor partaking in social food events, etc., I’ve started doing all of these things now…at least to some extent.

(And I’m including a bunch of photos here of things I’ve eaten during the past few years for those of you who’d like to see some examples of exactly what I mean.)

Chad used to eat Chicken Chimichangas before we changed our diet, so I took him out for one at this cute lil’ place on the beach in Santa Cruz, CA.

Throughout the many years I spent coaching folks on how to clean up their diets, one of the most frequent questions I would get from readers and clients is, “Do you ever go out to eat?” And for many years, my answer was always, “No. never.”

And, really, that fact more than any other obstacle seemed to discourage people from eating “cleaner.” At the time, I really didn’t understand that because I felt soooooo good that I didn’t even desire to go out to eat or to partake in any foods that were less “clean” than I preferred.

Buuuuuuut….a few years ago, I started to feel differently about things.

Eventually, I just started to feel like I was “missing out” sometimes. And I’d never felt that way before.

I’m a sucker for dining just about anywhere with waterfront seating.

During our full-time RV travels, we would sometimes come across cute, quirky little places that looked like they’d be fun places to dine. But I wouldn’t go.

Or we’d come across free samples of local fare, and I’d be too scared to try a bite.

Or we’d do a favor for someone along our journey, and they’d want to take us to dinner to thank us. And we’d politely decline.

And then..one day during our travels, we were on a tour of San Francisco. We landed in China Town at lunch time, and I could tell that Chad was longing for some Chinese food. (Before we started eating an additive-free diet, we used to go out for Chinese food quite frequently.)

Enjoying Orange Chicken at a Chinese restaurant

I knew I would make his day if I offered to eat Chinese food with him…in China Town.

So, I took the “plunge.” And, honestly, even as I’m writing this years later, I still can’t believe I did it. I was soooooooo nervous, and I didn’t eat very much. But it’s a memory we look back upon fondly. And I’m glad we did it!

I’m definitely not saying that any of this is good for my health, and I’m definitely not encouraging (or discouraging) you from doing the same.

Enjoying burgers with an ocean view.

But, I definitely wanted to post an update for you about how much my diet has changed these past few years.

I do, now, enjoy going out to eat (and ordering more than water!)…and I’ve eaten holiday meals (and “just because” meals) with family and friends on many, many occasions these past few years.

I’ve even eaten some regular ol’ processed candy just to see if I would like it the same as I did before I ever stopped eating it! (Turns out…not so much!)

Basically, if I feel like I might be missing out on something these days…an experience… or fellowship…or sometimes just simply the flavor or convenience of something, then I’m generally willing to consider giving it a try.

Eating “famous” BBQ Ribs on a deck overlooking the bay on Padre Island

Of course, I still fully believe it’s physiologically healthier to eat a 100% additive-free diet. And I’ve actually been inching my way back closer to that end of the spectrum lately.

I have put on some weight these past few years (which I can’t say is entirely due to the dietary changes, of course), and I don’t always feel quite as amazingly healthy as I used to. But, for now, the joy and freedom I gain from being less strict with my diet is totally worth it!

I definitely believe that our health is determined by many factors in addition to our diets…with our mental state being very high on the list. You may disagree, and that’s okay.

Loosening up on my dietary restrictions has brought me much excitement and fellowship and also encouraged me to believe that I’ll be able to travel more freely in the future (perhaps internationally?) without having to be so 100% concerned with every ingredient in every thing that passes through my lips.

And that has been so incredibly liberating!