Motivation

[Dane]

What do you all do to keep motivated to not only stay raw but live a healthy lifestyle in general?
I've been off and on raw for many years. I always feel better when Im raw and I often donÂ’t even know how or why I go off.

Thanks,
Dane

[smasty]

Birds of a feather! I doubt there's a rawie within 400 miles of me (ok, I'm probably wrong)...so I try to find online communities I can be a part of. It's so inspiring to see how people have changed their lives with raw...the impact on their minds and bodies.

I also find a lot of motivation by just looking around. I *see* the amount of floor/shelf space devoted to sickening foods at the grocery store. I *see* what's in the carts of people who don't embrace health, then I *see* the person. I used to be that person, and I've proven in my past that I'm only one bad decision away from becoming that person again. I know how that person feels, and I know how I now feel, I don't want to go back.

[Alissa]

I talk to people all the time! That keeps me motivated, hearing peoples stories and how they feel after being raw as compared to how their lives were before.
Many people are afraid to share their success and their process with raw foods and tell people about this diet because they think people wont understand, but I think its so important to share with people. Everyone wants to feel good! Most people are so receptive to this when I talk to them about it. Its very rare that people donÂ’t want to hear how to make them selves healthier, lose weight and heal a problem.
Best,
Alissa

[Kristi]

I keep looking at my before and after pictures (see Alissa's site - raw in progress) and sometimes I need to read my story as a reminder.

[Bob]

Do something out of your normal everyday habits. when we get into a rut and begin to do the same things and dont allow ourselves to be open to new and exciting events in life then we tend to fall back in to our old habbits.

~Bob

[Froggy]

I have a peace of mind about me that's dramatically different when I eat raw. There's a lot of emotional aggravation detox going on under the surface but somewhere in me I sense a calm that I just don't get eating cooked. So, I would say my spiritual growth is my greatest motivator. I don't know if there's a brass ring to this, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding?, and obviously, growing spiritually happy is a long, slow process, but if I keep my eye on the prize of peace of mind, I'm sure to grow in that direction.

Eating raw is the healthiest thing I can do but as far as a healthy lifestyle is concerned, I have to be moral and loving in everything else I do, pleasant groups, pleasant activities, pleasant communication, peaceful rest, good job. I've been off and on raw since the early 90's too and I always feel better when I'm raw, much, much better. I've gone off because of irresistable urges for cooked food or disappointments of one kind or another, or just the boredom of eating and growing in this lifestyle and wanting to mind alter on cooked. But, I guess, in the big picture, I don't really know a whole lot about how or why I go off. I hope to stay on this time. ;) :)

[SamL]

I'm tired of feeling awful. There's so much more I can say about that, but I like now to focus on feeling well. I truly am desperate to feel completely well again. I only get one life, I know this isn't a dress rehearsal, I've already wasted so much time in despair, i'm literally desperate to truly embrace what was mine to begin with, my health.

I'm keeping my eye on the prize. When I slip, I'm learning not to be so punishing of myself and to keep on moving forward anyway.

I have a peace of mind about me that's dramatically different when I eat raw. There's a lot of emotional aggravation detox going on under the surface but somewhere in me I sense a calm that I just don't get eating cooked. So, I would say my spiritual growth is my greatest motivator. I don't know if there's a brass ring to this, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding?, and obviously, growing spiritually happy is a long, slow process, but if I keep my eye on the prize of peace of mind, I'm sure to grow in that direction.

I feel the same way.

[flutterfly]

I am starting up a Raw Food support / potluck group in my town. I also like to keep taking new pictures so I can compare them to the old ones.
It takes time to become 100% raw but when you finally get there you feel soooo good!

[askcassyfirst]

To keep my eye on the prize, I left my old career, and started a new life as a nutritional consultant, and digestive care educator. In this way I can spread the word about a healthy lifestyle, and at the same time have a daily reminder of what it is I believe in.

It has taken a lot of time to find a niche, wherein I can get paid for what it is that I love. But the years of struggle were well worth the gain. THis is how I remain on track.

Good luck on the journey as well!
:) :) :)


Cassy.

[Froggy]

I hear you SamL. I'm tired of all the despair and aggravation I've had my whole life. I just want to be well and happy, is that so much to ask? Seems like it. I've felt sick or crazy, one way or another, for a long time. I too, am truly desperate to feel completely well, I don't know if it's again though, I don't know if I've ever been well. But that's all I want, is to be well, I don't want anything else. I just have to stay strong to that resolve until it comes true. I've wasted, wasted, wasted much of my time in despair. This shouldn't happen to a dog as they say. I hope to embrace my all around health again someday.

The last time I slipped, I couldn't get out of it for the last six months of last year. That's the longest I've ever gone without trying to get raw again in fifteen years. I beat myself up and was pretty depressed for a long time there. If I slip again, hopefully I'll start over right away, within a day or two. It's just food, it's not like I can't start over the next day. It's unfortunate that I'm so obsessed with this diet, but I just can't get it out of my mind that this is the best way to eat. I really want to do it, I'm not sure why I have to do it so badly or collapse mentally, with no motivation to do anything physical either. Surely it would be defined as a mental illness by the mental health community, but I've never been able to see it that way. I just don't seem mentally crazy at all, I'm just trying to do the right thing with my eating. But I'm into spirituality a lot, New Age channeled books, so I consider my mental difficulties spiritual in nature. I hope to sort this all out someday, I'd hate to die with all these issues unresolved.

Rich

I'm tired of feeling awful. There's so much more I can say about that, but I like now to focus on feeling well. I truly am desperate to feel completely well again. I only get one life, I know this isn't a dress rehearsal, I've already wasted so much time in despair, i'm literally desperate to truly embrace what was mine to begin with, my health.

I'm keeping my eye on the prize. When I slip, I'm learning not to be so punishing of myself and to keep on moving forward anyway.

I feel the same way.

[Froggy]

I wish I could be as devoted to working as to patiently pursue what it is I enjoy doing and not give up for "years of struggle." I give up after a few days or a week of struggle at whatever I try, at least that's been my pattern to date. I'm hanging in there with the raw food thing and my work field has always been accounting. Maybe I can find something I enjoy in it again, I can't imagine trying to do anything else. It's a particularly repulsive thought to think about training in anything else. I haven't come anywhere near taking an academic course since I graduated college in '87. But maybe that's just because I like accounting, if I can ever find a job I enjoy in it. Of course, the stress of a job puts a challenge on staying raw, but I've done it before, hopefully I can do it again. Why do I have to fight uphill with my sword ablazing, while events continue to conspire against me and make me feel awful and challenge my commitment to raw on a lot of the steps of the way? I don't know, but I'll try to hold my chin up and be positive. :) ;)

It has taken a lot of time to find a niche, wherein I can get paid for what it is that I love. But the years of struggle were well worth the gain.