This past month I began seriously abstaining from foods that bloated me. I liked waking up with a flat tummy and feeling lean, flexible and strong throughout the day. I told myself…I want to feel this way all the time. I’m tired of dealing with inflammation, stomach pain and digestive discomfort. I only want to consume foods that positively strengthened and nourished my body.

And then it hit me.

I wanted to start feeling that way about everything. I began to detox. I silenced my world – just like I silenced my body’s system…and I began listening to what served it and what disrupted it.

I noticed some people energized me, while others drained me. I noticed certain activities brought joy, while others brought annoyance. I noticed what triggered creativity, passion, sadness, frustration, peace, inspiration, anger and laughter.

I am leaving 2018 convicted. I choose to only consume and be around energy that bring joy, love, gratitude, inspiration and value.

I took inventory of everything – from my marriage, children, family, friendships, career and fitness level. I even looked at the not-so-obvious-culprits, like the people I follow on social media, the music I listened to and the clothes in my closet. I thought about the things that irked me, exhausted me or negatively influenced me. However I felt, whether it was feeling lack of appreciation, reciprocation or communication, I realize fully that whatever I felt both good and bad, was all my doing.

I took accountability for my world and took responsibility for all my actions that led me to this moment in time.

Everything in my life at this very moment, is what it is, because I allowed it to be. If I do too much, it’s because I chose to do too much. If I feel taken for granted, it’s because I allow people to take advantage of me. If I feel devalued, it’s because I allowed someone or something take more precedence over how I positively feel about myself.

I don’t want to be an enabler anymore.

I don’t want to blame a person for pissing me off, just like I don’t want to blame ice cream for giving me a stomach ache.

We know what’s bad for us.

So stop consuming it.

Stop being around it. Stop eating it. Stop allowing it to surround you. Stop feeding it. STOP accepting it.

A famous Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu wisely said, “You will only get better, when you are tired of being sick.” I loved that quote. I repeated it throughout my life. I knew I wouldn’t stop making bad choices until I was literally sick of being sick.

The only problem is when people don’t realize they have a problem. What if, you can’t get better, because all you know is sickness? What if you think inflammation, belly bloat and indigestion is normal? What if you think stress, frustration and sadness is normal? What if you don’t know how it feels like to physically, mentally and spiritually FEEL GOOD?

Detox Your Life. Document how you feel after you eat something, or speak to someone or go somewhere. Determine what good feels like – and go there.