June 21, 2011 Written by Leila Ruth Novales

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. – Eleanor Roosevelt
June 20, 2011 – Monday
Breakfast: 1 c. muesli with soya milk, 1 c. hot chocloate wth Lifestream’s Ultimate Greens
Lunch: 1 c. cream of mushroom soup, small tenderloin steak with porcini mushroom sauce, 1/3 c. mashed potatoes, 1 c. boiled vegetables, 1 small slice tiramisu, ginger ale
Dinner: leftover Fusilli in tomato sauce with sardines and sweet corn kernels from Saturday; apple banana orange smoothie made with yogurt and soya milk, no sugar
Physical Activity: 15 minutes walking
Medication: Yes
Sleep: 6 hours
Positive Thoughts: A fresh start to a fresh week!
Blood Pressure: AM: I forgot to take it PM: 155/96
It’s the first day of a fresh work week! Well, I must have been sleeping so soundly asleep because I did not wake up to my alarm clock. It was a good thing my daughter woke up at 6:45AM on her own and woke me up. Or else, I might have slept until who knows what time! Since I was kinda jolted into wakefulness, I totally forgot to take my morning blood pressure, which I’m supposed to take as soon as I wake up. Despite not waking up at 6:00 AM as I had planned (I wanted to get in some morning meditation and fix myself a nice, fruit smoothie but I got to make it in the evening instead which wasn’t so bad), I did not let it get to me and I just calmly went about preparing for work and making sure I ate a healthy breakfast. I am trying to be more adaptable to situations I might find myself in. As an almost obsessive-compulsive person, I have a tendency to get into a fluster when things do not go as I had originally planned. I made it my intent today that nothing will set me off in spite of things that might go wrong.
I guess because of this positive and go-with-the-flow attitude I was having at the beginning of the day, it turned out to be a relaxing morning in the classroom. I was determined to continue to be relaxed and not be affected by any stress or pressure at all from work today. In the afternoon, as my students took a nap, I was able to catch up on some emails. It is so heartwarming to receive so many replies from an email update I sent to practically everyone I know who I haven’t been in touch with for quite a while! I resolve to continue to keep in touch with these people and nurture my friendship with them! I firmly believe that relationships are crucial to living a healthy, fulfilling, and meaningful life. By relationships, I mean relationships that are loving and harmonious.
I don’t want to jar my body so I’m taking baby steps and taking it slow. I am trying to listen to what my body is telling me especially when it comes to food and physical activity. I don’t want to push my body too far. So if you’ll notice, I only did 15 minutes walking today and I can almost hear some of you saying tut-tut upon reading what I ate for lunch. But I felt really good today–relaxed and peaceful and happy, as if nothing could shake me. With this positive attitude, I am hoping that some inspiration will strike me in the next few days about life and work.
What were your positive thoughts today?