Mental motion--Forward! MARCH!

The road may look dark right now, but the sun is shining just up ahead! (Photo by Monty Stevens)

Living the dream has been no cakewalk this week. I felt as if I had been plopped right back into sepia-toned Kansas with the twister headed straight toward me and Miss Gulch riding away with my little dog. When your health suffers, it's hard to focus on doing what it takes to achieve the dream.

Some sort of detestable virus started toying with me nearly two weeks ago, but I was able to keep going--even walking for exercise around the block (in accordance with my dream of being in Madonna-like shape). I would have an okay day followed by a yucko day, as far as how my body felt. (Every day above ground is a good one, relatively speaking!)

By the beginning of this past week, the days of utter exhaustion/queasiness/achiness were outnumbering the days of recuperation. Yet still the virus seemed to be playing ping-pong with me, never hitting with a magnitude that would knock me off my feet yet making life slightly miserable as I kept going. I took Tuesday as a day to simply rest and commune with my Maker, and by the next day, I felt much improved.

But Thursday dawned with the familiar queasiness and abnormal exhaustion. Today wasn't much better; in fact, now the membranes in my eyes and the back of my nose and throat are stinging.

I'm not telling you all of this to have a pity party or to solicit sympathy. I, who haven't had so much as a Tylenol since Dec. 2000 and who had my last two babies at home with no medicine, am not one to play up sickness or pain. However, I am a firm believer in using hardships to learn lessons and grow stronger.

Yes, it was a bitter blow to have been healthy all winter and then get started on my "living the dream" regime only to suddenly be stricken in such a way that I COULDN'T carry out my grand schemes. I wanted to keep up the exercise routine I had started but literally didn't have the strength. (Hard to walk briskly up and down "hills and hollers" when your legs are shaking just from walking from the living room to the kitchen.)

I wanted to transition more and more to healthy eating, but it's tough to prepare what you need when you don't feel like moving from the couch. It's easier to eat Super Bowl leftovers like sausage balls and party mix. It takes effort to clean and juice organic carrots. It requires strength just to fix your hair, put on some makeup and go on a grocery shopping spree for healthy foods for a pantry that has been inhabited for years by canned ravioli, Vienna sausages and sugary cereals.

But here's what I learned this week: even when you can't PHYSICALLY move toward your dream, you can still MENTALLY keep moving. You can still keep the dream alive by focusing on it mentally, by visualizing where you want to be in a month, six months, a year.

"Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be." (Joy Page)

In other words, you've got to see it to be it. So when life's inevitable blows try to knock you two steps backward, in your mind don't you dare give up. In your mind, don't you dare give in to the thoughts of failure. In your mind, see yourself as the you that you want to be. And when the tide turns (as it always does), then reset your physical motion to match your mental motion.

I remember my little sister loving that old song by Little Eva, "Do the Loco-Motion." I say that we dreamers need to "Do the Mental Motion." Don't focus on the negative, such as "I don't want to be fat and bulky." Focus on the positive, "I want to be slim and flexible." Not "I don't want to get sick," but rather "I want to be healthy and whole."

I've always said that Christianity often misses the mark by being so negative--warning people not to be bad in hopes that fear will motivate change. If we would change the focus to wanting to be good because of our love for the Lord, I believe we would see greater change--change that is lasting.

So let's change our mindsets. Let a setback actually be a slingshot that pulls you back before it propels you forward.

Yep, it was a tough week here over the rainbow. But even Dorothy had to fight the Wicked Witch in Oz. And those flying monkeys? Please. Those things creeped me out.

I may feel set back, but I'm on track. I may feel delayed, but I'm a dreamer on parade. I may feel discouraged, but I will be encouraged. I may think I've been slack, but I'm coming back!

Mental motion is where it's at.

I am healthy, I am whole, I am blessed!