My Ten Day Fast: I Did It!

I successfully completed a ten day fast, effective Sunday, July 10 at 12:01 a.m. I'm proud of myself for honoring the commitment I made to myself. I feel good about this accomplishment. At the moment, I feel calm & serene & tranquil. Yesterday afternoon - an absolutely gorgeous day - I went to a natural food store in Harlem to purchase items for my traditional 12 noon salad: lettuce, bananas, carrots, cucumbers, green peppers, & organic honey mustard dressing. I will add croutons & cashews to the mix & go to town, baby - yes!

You see, I have a weight problem: I can't wait to eat (smile).

I also decided to break the fast by continuing to drink fruit juices & water. I bought some fish cakes, tuna salad & vegetables to eat during the first week. I'm committed to no fast foods for a few weeks (at least for the rest of the month) no matter what (not even Popeye's Chicken). One of the lessons learned when I fast is discipline. I remember blaming my father as an adult for the lack of discipline in my life.

Taking responsibility for my emotional, physical & spiritual well-being is essential to healthy living. I feel good about myself when I act in a loving, kind & compassionate manner towards myself. The road from self-destruction to self-determination has been frought w/ plenty of bumps & bruises. My emerging resilliency is stronger than I thought.

Walking down the aisles of the various health food stores in Harlem this past week, I began to ask myself some questions: why can't I eat like this on a regular basis? why do I eat unhealthy food? what will it take for me to discipline myself more often? why do I make excuses for poor food choices? The answers to these & other such questions will come one day at a time. The journey teaches me to be gentle. I don't have to engage in emotional homicide anymore.

As Deepak Chopra says: "the path to God is through constant self-awareness."