Simply Authentic...Your Soul Voice is Calling. Step out of Old Habits Like a Worn-out Pair of Undies. (Meatloaf, forgive me.)

Step out of Old Habits Like a Worn-out Pair of Undies. (Meatloaf, forgive me.) As a proponent of living in the Thriving Zone, I’m embarrassed to admit how often I fall into rote habits. I wrote a cookbook, for crying out loud, but how often do I make meatloaf, baked potatoes and a salad for dinner? Maybe every other week? (Granted, I do make really good meatloaf. Just ask George.) Watching the news, however, has never been one of my habits. I take it in small doses as I generally don’t feel good, empowered or positive after watching the news. Sarah Ban Breathnach http://www.simpleabundancepress.net/ says, “You think you’re only making a meatloaf, when you’re really ministering to hungry bodies and weary souls in need of love and nourishment.” Jennifer Powers http://www.ohshift.com/blog/2016/4/12/blog-44-i-heard-it-on-the-tv wonders how we can save ourselves or anyone else when we’re agitating in a fearful state about how the world is falling apart and people are terrible…which nicely sums up the content of many news programs. I come from rural heartland farmer family stock. News-watching runs through the veins because Mother Nature’s weather patterns are integral to a farmer’s livelihood. One hail storm or tornado can wipe out months of sweat-wrung cultivation along with the anticipated harvest and revenue. I first invited George to join me on my annual trip to South Dakota over Labor Day Weekend, 2013. We had a fantastic time exploring the Black Hills, Rapid City, visiting Mt. Rushmore and spending quality time with my family.

Three weeks after we left, a massive blizzard hit Rapid City. An estimated 75,000-80,000 cows and calves died in this historic stow storm. A deep loss of bovine life like this can mean bankruptcy for the farmer. There were many news stories about that blizzard - of course some were more accurate, some less. In my opinion, 60 Minutes is a consistently unbiased investigative news program, meant to inform rather than rile. My parents like watching 60 Minutes, too, and we aren’t necessarily of the same political leanings. My parents are now retired, yet Mom and Dad still watch the news so they “know what’s going on in the world.” When Dad mentioned an awful weather calamity on the other side of the world I hadn’t yet heard about (apparently I hadn’t checked my Facebook feed in a while), I told him I prefer not to dwell on things I have no control over and can’t change. My intelligent, well-read and inquisitive father replied, “Well, that seems to be a smart way to look at it,” and we moved onto another topic. When you dissolve the false beliefs that once held you prisoner, people around you can’t stay connected with both the New You and their old patterns of behavior… Alicia, for example, just couldn’t keep reciting lines in the familiar scenes of her life, with her old familiar characters. When loved ones called to initiate the drama, Alicia would feel as though she were watching reruns on TV. She could join the soap opera again, but it would mean deserting her own truth, and that was no longer an option for Alicia. When her mother called to say, “Marjorie is out of control! Do you know she refuses to go to PTA meetings?” Alicia knew that her line was, “I just don’t know why Marjorie is so selfish.” But what she said was, “So?” –Martha Beck, Steering by Starlight What habit no longer serves you? What would you like to replace it with? Let us know on the blog. If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends! Authentically Yours, Laura