No To Negative! My Will Is Blazing!

This past Saturday seemed like a normal day except I was gearing up for my first day on the raw food diet. I was excited but nervous; could I really stick to this stringent plan? I was especially worried because I am a coffee fanatic--the darker and meatier the better. I also crave sugar after every meal, and not just one stick of licorice or a handful of Hot Tamales, no. I crave a complete super-sized chocolate bar or a piece of apple pie the size of my head, and don't forget the vanilla bean ice cream.

On top of my own reservations, the reactions from my friends and family set my doubts on fire. When explaining my idea of eating natural, wholesome vegetables, fruits and nuts to them, they didn't seem as excited as I was. My boyfriend looked at me like I was a nutjob. My sister rolled her eyes and told me to "have fun with that." One of my best girlfriends actually warned me that it might be dangerous to eat so much fresh food. I was about to reconsider my intent when I spoke to my co-worker, Wendy. She paused, smiled, and genuinely said, "that's awesome!" while giving me a high-five. Wow.

Right after that exchange with Wendy, my mentality changed and my spirits lifted. I immediately thought, "I can accomplish this! I am up to the challenge! " And it taught me a serious lesson. We are so influenced by the people we surround ourselves with and we don't even realize it. They shape the way we comprehend life and the world we live. They affect the way we understand circumstances and each other. They even transform what we believe about ourselves. These people, the people who are closest to us can either praise us and encourage us to go for it, or they discourage us and limit our ideas and dreams. And whether they deliver a positive or a negative, we listen. And not only do we listen, we absorb it and make it our own.

Now you may say, "but I am in charge of what I think about. I make my own decisions about my life. No one has the capacity to influence me one way or the other." And that may be true, to some extent. But here is the challenge: the next time you express your plans to do something, anything, to your friends and family, pay close attention to what they say. Is it positive or negative? And if it is negative, and you keep hearing feedback that is gloomy, cynical or reluctant, how does it make you feel? Because I began this idea about my raw food diet excited about it and determined to accomplish it. But after receiving negative after negative, suddenly, I didn't feel so great about it anymore. My energy had fallen. The doubt came rushing in.

So, my test is not just about getting through seven days of eating differently. It is mostly about changing my paradigm, my way of thinking. And above all, I will guard my thoughts from the dissident voices that not only threaten me from the inside, but more importantly, threaten me externally as well.