It's OK to be different, get acquainted with the Earth

My inspiration for this post comes from a good friend of mine whom, I've known for over 10 years. I would say we are opposites but have a mature acceptance for each other. We respect each others differences and that (including how much I value and appreciate her friendship for all these years!) is how we function well as friends.
This lady is a driven, successful, career orientated person. Her goals in life are to be satisfied in all areas of her life, including health. Up to this stage, health and fitness would be the hardest thing for her to perfect. Like many people in the same boat, health, diet and wellbeing is the most sought after yet most difficult to achieve.

She has come to the point where no amount of exercise will equal the body you desire. You need to get the basics, right down to the cellular level right, before the rest falls into place. This comes down to diet. My friend is trying to make her own food and work out what's best for her body. To me it comes as second nature but for her it's a whole new way of living. No restaurants, no bought lunches or iced mochas (she had to give up those!). In her line of work or social circle this isn't considered normal or fashionable.

My point for this post is that it's OK to be different. It's fine to make your own lunch/ dinner/ snacks, choose what you want in it and have the control of what it tastes like. It's cool to choose what style clothing you wear, how you wear your make up, what car you want to drive and what job you want. It's even better to have the choice to vote, or not too, or to believe in what you want to believe.

Society will continue to dictate on what you should be doing, what's considered more fashionable etc. but at the end of the day, if what you're doing isn't working, it's because it's not!

Being healthy and searching for more in life sets you apart from the rest. Whether you realise it or not, people will pick it up intuitively. I'm so involved with my life and self (some would call it selfish but I call it being responsible for myself) that I don't realise how people may see me. The occasional comment "you really walk your talk or you glow with health" is enough for me to stop and appreciate what I'm doing and how it inspires others. This is even more reason to keep it up.

The most brilliant and life changing people in history have always been "different" or even considered crazy. Breaking norms, challenging behaivour patterns, thoughts and ways of being are all important for personal growth. Choosing not to follow what the media advertises, the foods, the needs to fulfil, help you achieve your personal best because YOU have the choice.

I recently watched a program on pesticides and its detrimental effects on our health, the effects so extreme, that small villages in India have deformed children. I realised I have to get more serious about organic food, I always chose organic over conventional but never 100%. We hear so much about organics, I guess we've heard it all before. It's not OK to have our food sprayed with poison, not for any reason.

I figured this is a good reason to get more acquainted with the Earth and begin a garden this weekend. Starting small, so I can learn and it be easy to maintain. The plants of choice being lettuce (a couple varieties) plus kale (Russian red!) and a couple garlic's to experiment with.

The garden!

Lettuce grows all year around. It can be planted in pots or straight in the ground and as long as it gets sun, water and love, you'll have a healthy supply of fresh greens to add to your daily salads.