My husband does listen to me!

I now have proof that my husband does, in fact, actually pay attention when I am talking to him! Here's the proof!

So, I've been gluten-free since just after Thanksgiving last year (just over 5 months) and started a Paleo diet in January of this year. I've been frustrated at the results, but I don't think it's the diet to blame. I think it's that my body just has so much healing to do that it is taking longer than I anticipated to start seeing some results. I have expressed this frustration to my husband several times but I never thought he was actually listening. I recently listened to a talk about going up all grains, sugars and bad fats. I've been pretty good not eating processed foods and gluten, but when I "cheat" on my diet, it's usually with some tortilla chips (grain and bad fats), candy (sugar!!), or sweet potato chips (cooked in vegetable oil). And then there's my diet soda addiction that I just haven't been able to kick (ugh!).  So, I was thinking that maybe I need to stop cheating in these areas and I might see more results.

We have all been a little sick the past week or so. We all have a cough, my husband's seasonal allergies are full-swing and I have my first-ever sinus infection. Fun times. So two nights ago my husband had a dream and he share it with me at dinner last night.

He is an electrician and was working at a job. The electrical inspectors showed up at the job site for an inspection and while they were there, they were talking to him about a continuing dedication class that they thought he should take. It was a one-day, 8 hour class about sugar and the affects on your body. The one inspector cut out sugar and lost 40-something pounds.

But it was more than that. My husband dreamt that sugar could conduct through metal (just like electricity) so if you touch some metal, you would ingest sugar and it would affect you just like as if you ate sugar. Weird. Like I said, he's not been feeling 100%. But the funny part is that he said he thought he had the dream because he was afraid that I was going to get rid of all of the sugar in the house. I think it is a real fear of his.

When I cut out dairy, I stopped buying milk (well, I still bought Almond Milk, but not cow's milk). When I went gluten-free, I stopped buying bread. Because if I have it in the house, chances are much higher that I will cave and eat it...especially at night after the kids go to bed.  So, I guess if I cut out sugar, I will have to give him some to keep as a secret stash!

March 16, 2013 outside US Bank Arena in downtown Cincinnati

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START!

I've been struggling a lot lately.  Struggling with my Paleo diet. Struggling with losing weight. Struggling with my multiple medical conditions. Struggling with my role as a wife, mom and business owner and how they are all supposed to interact together to make me a "whole" person.

Last night, I was invited to preview a talk by Jon Acuff regarding the release of his upcoming book, START. Jon is an author (his latest book was "Quitter"), he writes a great blog, and he is part of the Dave Ramsey team (I wrote about our experience becoming DEBT FREE by following Dave's plan).

Well, Jon is releasing a new book called START. Punch Fear in the Face. Escape Average. Do Work that Matters. Wow. We let things side instead of deciding to do things to make our life awesome.

Here is the intro to the book they have on their webpage:

source

PUNCH FEAR IN THE FACE

Growing up, we dreamed. And our dreams always painted the portrait of the adult us living an awesome life… as an astronaut, a pro wrestler, a movie star, a bee keeper, or insert your dream here. We don’t set out for average. But that’s exactly where we end up after listening to our fears day after day, year after year. Our dreams take a back seat and eventually are left stranded by the side of the road.

That’s why I’ve written Start. Your dream is calling, and it’s closer than you might think. It’s time to go after your purpose. Every awesome life goes through five stages. Learn what they are. Do them. Start.

This is exactly what I needed! I haven't read the book (it releases in 2 weeks!), but I plan to. Well, last night, they streamed a pre-recorded talk that he gave a group of people about the book. It was an hour and 40 minutes long, and included a "live chat" with Jon Acuff.  So, I listened to the first part of his talk. And then felt compelled to submit a question that I've been dealing with a long time. This is what I asked:

Comment From beth  Any tips on balancing being a mom of 3 kids under 6 and running a home based business? I feel like sometimes I do both average...and maybe I should put off starting my dreams until the kids are a little older. But then i wonder if that is just fear... 6:54

and I waited...and got a reply!

Jon Acuff:  Beth - Give yourself huge amounts of grace. I talk to moms all the time and they say, "I'm not working hard enough on my dream. It's average." I ask if they have kids and they say, "yes, 3 kids and two are twin one year olds." I immediately say, "You're doing a huge dream right now, you're raising humans!" Soak up this time and now that you only get one shot at childhood. Dreaming you get multiple shots at

Which is exactly what I needed to hear! And apparently there were others that needed to hear that as well, so I'm not alone!

Comment From Leanne  Beth - I needed to hear that too! I work full-time and have a 14 month old - my husband and I are both in ministry. I feel like I do everything average. 6:57

Comment From Kim  Jon: I so agree with what you said to Beth. I am a mom of 6. I have 6 year old quadruplets & I just recently realized that I am living my dream. I have given myself permission to live that joy. 6:57

So, from now on, I'm going to give myself permission to START. being an awesome person, wife and mom and put my "dreams" and business on the back burner. Because when I think about it, I can bake a cake any day and I can work for awesome clients any day, but my kids will only be young for such a short time. And my husband is in this for the long haul.  I should be a priority because it affects my attitude, my health and my spiritual well-being.  And in reality, that is my dream...not some some business opportunity that will wait until I have more time. I'm not going to be perfect at everything, but I can attempt to be my best.  I don't have to START. everything right now.

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