When we don’t have the money to buy something, there is, truly, only one RIGHT choice to make.
We do not buy that thing.
But what about the times when we do buy that thing? Even when we don’t have the money?
The truth is, we may tell ourselves we own it, but it is not ours. Not really. It is not our possession, but rather, our debt.
We owe for it.
Until we pay for it, it is someone else’s.
So, what compels us to decide that what matters more than being able to afford it, is our desire to possess it? What series of decisions do we need to make for us to reach for our wallet, pull out our credit card and purchase that item…without having the money to pay for it?
What allows us to ignore our current reality–not being able to afford it–and yet buy it anyway?
Well first, there is the lie we are told by powerful marketing that we will be happy when we get things.
There is social pressure to keep up with our peers and uphold a status, which, we believe is kept up by the things we possess.
There is also the feeling of self-indulgence and self-care by “treating” ourselves to nice things. We convince ourselves that we deserve it.
We are worth it.
It is also a habit; one that can be broken by replacing the behaviour that isn’t serving us.
Because the truth is, we are making ourselves miserable by focusing on outside things to do an inside job! If you’ve ever saved your money and begun to see your bank account rise, it can be exhilarating to imagine a life free from so much financial worry! A life where you can pay your bills on time! A life free of credit card debt! A life free from constant stress and worry about money!
But we are a society that wants what we want and we want it NOW. We aren’t willing to work for it or wait for it; we want to make a withdrawal without building up the bank account.
We want the “quick fixes”, easy outs, and shortcuts. But the reality is, we have to get clear about what we want and then make strides, every day, to get us there.
I believe the way we treat money says a lot about the way we feel about ourselves.
And I believe the way we treat our health is a lot like the way we treat money.
The diet industry alone is a$64 billion dollar industry, flush with diet pills, crash diets, rapid weight loss cleanses and all sorts of other hyped-up promises that will see us get into our “dream body” in only a few short days or weeks.
But it’s a lie.
Because, just as it is with money, until we pay for it, we don’t possess it.
Until we pay with our thoughts, our beliefs, our choices, and our habits, we will continuously live in a state of deficit. We will remain frustrated with the way things are and we won’t get to experience the joy of creating a life we love.
And creating a lifestyle we love isn’t just something we dream about in the future; it is something we do every day, through the choices we make.
We start with the foundation; not the roof.
Over 14+ years, I have created a lifestyle that I am proud of. And I am finally sharing what I’ve learned with others.
The deposits to my health include self-care of many sorts. Meditation, yoga, deep breathing and gratitude are big for me. So are hot baths, at-home facials, taking time for relaxing and curling up with a good book, wearing my fluffy socks and PJs.
So is sleep. I work hard to make sure I get enough rest each night, and while I don’t always get my preferred 8 hours, it is high on my list of priorities. Because I know how important it is. I take 20 minute naps in the afternoon when I’ve been short on sleep the night before and I feel zero guilt or shame about it (I used to push through for fear of appearing lazy or unproductive). Now, I realize that after I have some time to refresh, I can double my workload in the hours following. I encourage you to try it if you’ve also fallen into the belief that napping is a sign of weakness. There is a ton of research around it and a simple Google search will provide you with myriad examples.
Every single day, we make over 200 food choices alone. 200! I make deposits daily when I choose nourishing foods. Every single morning when I wake up, I drink warm water with lemon. I hydrate my parched body after its 8 hours without water. For breakfast, I eat vegetables. Every. Single. Day. I also make sure I get a healthy dose of protein. Doing so sets me up for the day with energy, hydration and a feeling of fullness that carries me through my morning.
Throughout the day, I make as many choices that serve my body as possible. I prepare my meals and snacks, I move my body, and I break a sweat daily.
When we go through our lives unprepared, choosing foods that don’t nourish us and remaining sedentary, we haven’t built up our bank account. Our minds make us believe that we have to have that thing. Our habits keep us stuck. The addictive nature of sugar and junk food has us coming back for more, no matter how crummy it might make us feel. We imagine the happiness we will feel by having it. But just like the new car, handbag or house that we truly can’t afford, the joy is short lived. We eat the food and then, within minutes, we wish we hadn’t.
Now before you go thinking that every time I eat cookies (which I do!), I feel tremendous guilt, please know that this is certainly not the case!
Why?
Because I have planned for it. I have saved for it. I have made many, many deposits so that when I want that treat, I can go for it and feel absolutely zero guilt about it….I’ve earned it.
I’ve paid for it through the currency of my lifestyle; through the habits I create and the choices I make on a daily, hourly, moment-to-moment basis.
If you want more money and less financial stress, start making more deposits than withdrawals.
If you want better health and a body you feel great in, start making more deposits than withdrawals.
But life happens, celebrations come up, events occur and we make choices that don’t always give us the most energy but they taste dammmnnnn good in the moment! And that is part of enjoying life.
Honestly, I tend to mainly enjoy treats that taste good and also won’t hurt my body (like the amazing cookie recipe below), but there are times where I choose to go for the junk food and I enjoy every single bite.
Because I choose to.
Because I’ve earned it.
Because I’ve paid for it.
I want you to feel this same kind of freedom around food.
Because I want you to love your life one bite at a time.
P.S. Thank you so much to everyone who said YES! to joining me on the journey with The 6 Week Sugar Freedom eCourse. Already, the transformations have been amazing, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for my students over the coming weeks. If you missed the Course this time around and want to be alerted as soon as the next one opens, sign up to the waiting list, as I will be running it again in the coming weeks. Visit SugarFreeCourse.com.
Here is what three of my students had to say:
“Love this! We get to learn so much about respecting our bodies and what we put into it! My mind is blown and loving the adventure!!!!” ~Linda
“I’m sort of feeling like this program is rocking my world right now… To be honest, I didn’t really know what I was signing up for when I enrolled. I have felt that my sugar addiction has been an issue for awhile now, but recently I just reached my breaking point and KNEW I had to actually do something about it. Okay, so now… WOW… I mean, this feels right somehow… I feel like I’m getting all of the right messages so far… Primarily, I feel like this is about actually being healthy, which has always been my goal, but somehow has eluded me over the years. But, this… THIS… Hmmmm… It’s resonating with me. I like the messages that I’m receiving; I like the answers that I’m getting to my questions. I feel like this actually makes sense and it FEELS healthy so far… I know we’re only 2 weeks in, but I just felt like I needed to share how I’m feeling right this second, because I’m sort of overwhelmed by it all (in a good way).”
~ Kristine“Thanks Sarah for helping us and being such a force and for being so intensely committed to your message. I know I say it often, but you are such a blessing for me. I am one of those that needs constant reminders so last night was a great one. Have a wonderful day! Love you dearly Sarah Roberts 🙂 xo ~ Louise
P.P.S. COOKIES!!! If you’ve been following my work for a while, you will know what a fan of The Detoxinista I am. These cookies are absolutely delicious and whip up in minutes in the food processor. They call for dates as the sweetener, so they are much lower glycemic than cookies sweetened with sugar, and dates are a whole food, which I love. I enjoy making these when I want a treat but don’t want to put ingredients in my body that won’t make me feel well, namely flour and sugar. The use of walnuts gives this recipe a protein kick that really satisfies and it also slows the release of insulin, so you don’t feel that “rush” and “crash” the way you do from typical cookies. Let me know if you try these, and if so, what you think! xo
Here is the link to the recipe again.
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