Many people say that being healthy or having an organic lifestyle is expensive, or use money as a decision maker for things related to their health and can miss out from all of the benefits that lving a healthy and organic lifestyle can bring. I get it, we have budgets, we have obligations, and we have a limited supply of money at our disposal….or so we think. Being an entrepreneur my entire life has taught me that having the money or not having money all comes down to a mindset. If you think that you have a limited supply of riches to use then guess what the universe says supply and demand leave you tight, crunched, and stressed clinging on to every penny in your bank account for dear life. I have not always been financially free. In fact, there were days that I was fearful of where and when the other shoe would drop. See, I married young at the ripe age of 16 years old to a sweet, but not incredibly motivated hippie who enjoyed the taste of Bud Light more than water. I had stars in my eyes and naivety in my heart thinking that I could be a great parent with an alcoholic, as a savior and a happy codependent. Why not? What could go wrong we all need love right. Well, Dominion Power also requires payment every month on time. Alas, every day I woke up and told myself if I could continue to live this way then I would continue, piecing things together, being the model parent for my little two years old and trying not to get in my husband’s way. He was never mean just not incredibly lovely or pleasant to me when he drunk. I guess he was a little mean. I love him and am grateful to have a daughter with him. She is indeed a beautiful young girl, yet the responsibility of caring for her in a healthy environment drove me to leave her father and to move back home to California, one of the most expensive places to live in the country.
With no child support, working on a divorce, and caring for a toddler by myself while also caring for the burning desire of becoming a doctor I forged ahead to create a life for myself. So when I say I get it, I mean it. It wasn’t pretty. I worked three jobs, I painfully took public assistance of food when I ran out of money to feed her, I could not depend on anyone to help me and not leave me disappointed and often felt on my own to take control of my life. This was, in fact, such a blessing, because then I discovered how powerful that I really am in my ability to create an experience I love. I knew three things; I wanted to be a doctor, I wanted to work for myself, and I wanted to be a good mother. I was determined. I made sacrifices. I worked round the clock. I sent my daughter to excellent preschools. I went to school. I paid a mortgage payment in nannies and aftercare. I was unrelenting. I used my money to feed my daughter healthy foods because I recognized it was a choice. Sure, I could have saved money by buying boxed Mac and cheese, but I knew the damaging effects of processed foods and prefered the organic lifestlye. I wasn’t raised that way. I was raised with an understanding of whole foods as a vegetarian (and not a pizza and pasta vegetarian).
I didn’t have a budget, because I had no money. No matter what you divide zero by it still makes zero, so what was the point. Count my pennies obsessively. Freak myself about where the next dollar would come from or worse think that all the money I was making was a result of me and only me. Spirit carried me through, G-D created miracles for me that I couldn’t even imagine. Against all the odds, he opened doors, and he showed me the way. I trusted in him immensely mostly because I couldn’t trust anyone else. I didn’t have anyone else I could depend on, because so many people had failed me. Without my faith and my relationship with our creator, I would not be who and where I am today and for that, I am eternally grateful.
We talked about mindset, health is a mindset. It is a mindset that you prioritize. Not everything can ever be all done at once. You won’t just magically wake up with your bank account filled or living in your dream house. It requires focus, dedication, and intention. I intended to not settle for anything less than health in my life. I was only willing to invest in my health and not subsidize my illness. That meant clothing shopping at thrift stores in order to go to organic stores. That meant spending money on chiropractors and holistic practitioners over waiting until I got sick. That meant not running to the doctors every time I got sick but rather learning however to heal myself using natural remedies. I was fortunate to be raised more naturally, and having an understanding and importance of health and an organic lifestyle at an early age. I am grateful of this experience and use lots of practical education to help my patients transform their lives.
So once I made up my mind that regardless of any outside circumstances I was going to live a healthy and organic lifestyle, I let it go and gave it to G-D for further guidance. Practically speaking, I prioritized the things I purchased. Things like food, supplements came well above new clothes, etc. I opted to walk local places rather than driving my car all of the time to conserve gas. I took my daughter to play dates, and park trips for entertainment as well as looked for many free to no cost things we could do because I privatized many of those dollars to her education and after school nanny. I got referrals for after school nannies from people I knew well and negotiated flat fees up front. I would supplement my gratitude by giving them gift cards at the local spa I worked at when I could to say thank you. Being grateful goes a long way when others are helping you. I consolidated, and instead of renting an apartment I rented a large master bedroom with master bath with groups of women, that way I could save on rent because again my childcare expense was literally a mortgage payment. I did not depend on any financial support from the government as I made too much money to their standards, my ex was still (and is still) getting his life together so could not consistently pay any child support. So, it literally was just me and G-D, taking it step by step. That is how I lived my life, in order to not succumb to my friend overwhelm which whom would show up anytime I would want to pull the victim card. I acknowledge my fortitude, my dedication, and calculated tenacity. Some of your reading this choose not to make the sacrifices necessary in order to get to where you want to go. Some of you are already coming up with excuses in your head and mentally tell me that I couldn’t possibly understand the position you are in, and in a lot of ways you are right. I am not there with you. I don’t know your situation or circumstances or the product of your choices at this point in your life. All I know is that there is life on the other side of the victimhood. There is life on the other side of the chaos. There is a peace and a calm that you could only dream about and it is possible for you to create the life of your dreams with all the organic food you could imagine…. as I now learn to grow my own hydroponic produce to again reduce costs and have further quality control over my food.
Recognize that your food is your medicine and living an organic lifestyle doesn’t have to be expensive. What you have in your fridge and in your home to eat can hurt or harm you. Choose health over bottom lines, take a leap of faith and surrender your life over to a source larger than yourself because he can help you. I am not speaking religiously, I am speaking spiritually. Walk with him, rest in him, and he will help show you the way. He did me, and I am eternally grateful for his messages and his calling to see me through eh darkest of times. I can help you show the way if you are stuck, and help you get back on track when it comes to living a healthy and organic lifestyle. I’m just a phone call away.
*All information contained in this blog post is intended for informational and educational purposes only, and is neither intended nor suited to be a replacement or substitute for professional medical treatment nor for professional medical advice relative to a specific medical question or condition.
