Patience

I have ONLY lost 21 pounds since January. (1.5 pounds this week) OK, I say that in two ways. The first way I say it is with pride and excitement. The second way echoes some of the frustration I have felt along this journey that began in January of this year. I have averaged one pound a week. There has not been many two pound weeks no matter how hard I worked. The way that I live with the one pound a week syndrome is to realize that this is a journey that is meant to be long. I have an inner sense of acceptance about the fact that it will likely take me to 2009 before I am anywhere near my goal. I am learning the fine art of patience. I have found that patience is something that can be learned, but it is something that constantly needs to be worked on. Joan Borysenko, PhD , is a scientist, psychologist, inspirational speaker, and author of Inner Peace for Busy Women and Inner Peace for Busy People says in a Prevention article,

"The prefrontal cortex of your brain inhibits impulsive actions and helps you make choices that ensure later success. If it's functioning well, you'll be able to walk right past that bowl of potato chips and wait until dinner to eat. But even if you'd normally grab the chips, you can retrain your brain. The nervous system has plasticity--it can create fresh neural pathways in response to new behaviors. So as you practice patience, you'll gradually develop the internal hardware to make it second nature. These suggestions can help you nudge your nervous system into a more patient mode."

My brain can create new pathways for more patience! Yes! This is vital information for this journey to better health. Perhaps someday, I will have the neurons that will keep me from stealing a bite of everything my children eat. Joan Borysenko, also points out that patience can be learned and fine tuned while we wait. Whether we are waiting in line at a bank or if we are on a journey of weight loss that may take a very long time, these are great times to develop inner calmness which can lead to living a more patient life. In a bank line, one might use deep breathing exercises as for inner calmness and outward patience. In the context of this very long journey I am on, I am using the wait time to feel more peaceful and more loving toward myself and others.