Proud to be an American...

I think this is a very overused and misunderstood statement. I don't think you would find anyone one who would say they are not. But are they really proud to be an American? Do they even know what America stands for, becuase to be completely honest with you I don't.

I love the ideas that it was founded on, but lets face it, it does not reflect any of our American standards today. So what is proud to be an American? Is it America then or now, or some time period inbetween.

This isn't exactly what I wanted talk about. I think my point is that we shouldn't SAY we are proud to be american we should BE a proud American.





























If you eat fast food thats ok. But do something, as an american, be thankful. Don't pass blame on others for our personal shortcomings and failures. Be thankful we have enoug money in our pockets get a starbucks coffee, or a samll fry and frosty. I know this picture is of a boy very far away, and many people say there is not much we can do from way over here. But your wrong, there are people that need help everyday. We have been too busy and consumed with our own lives to notice them.






























Here are two side challenges.

1. Every homeless person you see (yes even if your in your car, because that is most likely where you will see them) give him something. If you don't feel comfortable giving him money, give him a kind work or two. It is not for us to judge him, it is for us to treat him with kindness and love.

2. Listen to someone's complaint, once a day. Do not try and match it or complain back. Just be a listener. 1 of two things are going to happen. You will become thankful and grateful for your ailment which don't seem so large next to someone else's. AND you are going to realize how much people (even you at some times) LOVE to complain, about any and everything.

Lets be thanksful.

Day 2

Today was a good day. No fast food today! I tried to recruit my dad and he said I was crazy and that he could NEVER do that. Then he preceeded to tell me that he was going to omit french fries and cheesburgers and soda from every fast food place. I said "That's great!" He replied "Good, becuase I've already been doing that for two years now."

I think he missed the point, that its a challenge. Theres no challenge in doing something you already do.

~

I know I am doing this to become more healthier and the longterm goal is to incorporate 30 minutes of working out a day (for my physical health) along with 30 minutes of meditation a day (for my mental health). So far I do neither....and lets be overly honest here. I have no desire to do either. I am slightly undisiplined right now. So maybe tommorrow I will wake up at 5:30 to do YOGA or something, but honestly, that is probably the 497th time I have said that same thing...in the last week.

So day 2 down and 363 to go! I'm feeling good!

Day 1

So I've started. 365 days of fast food freedom. Why am I doing this? Well there are too many beneficial reasons, but just to start;

We are careless with our health. And we are not conscience of the things we put into our bodies half the time. I want to creat a new awareness of the things I put into my body. Our bodys digestive...and well all the other systems are very complicated things. Obviously our engineering was done by someone phenominal (that someone being God) and it really it quite beautiful. He designed us to be beautiful, and when I say beautiful I do not mean only on the outside. If you new all the biological mechnisms involved inside of us at any given time in any given location of our body, that is really beautiful too. When we put processed deep fried (and this is all I can think of to call it but I am sure they orgins of these foods are disturing) into our bodies it really can make our insides ugly.

Ok, so I probably sound like a raving lunitic right now, talking about how beautiful cell division and intestinal digestion can be. I just want to take the right step into maintaining a healthy life and I believe this is a good step.

Now, the rules. Well Obviously NO FAST FOOD!

For a whole year.

No McDonalds, Arbys, Wendys, Burger King, and all the 100's of chains tht are out there.

Now I would love if people would take up this challenge with me. Maybe you can just start on the day I started on. Or bend my rules a little bit and keep one fast food place in your list. But I am going to the whole thing.

Today wasn't hard becuase I just went to school and came home. Today did not pose any challenges.

There is so much I want to say about this. About our human desire for food, how much we pay and sacrafice for convienence! How truely lethal a poor diet can be, not only for our physical health but for our mental health. I want to get into the mechinisms in the brain that accept and streghten our addictions. How we can regain power over our lives and in turn so many other aspects of our life will fall into place.

Have you ever wanted a cheesburger...and just couldn't fight the urge?? What is that? That urge? That uncontrolable "thing" that drives to do things that it seems like we cannot even control. Now, the truth is we can control it but it is not easy. Now think of other aspects in our lives that we feel like we cannot control or we feel helpless. I know if I can fight my fast food urge (which had no power over me today) for a whole year I know it will benefit other areas of my life. So thats day 1!