The guts to SpeakStrong
No doubt about it. Speaking Strong takes guts. I know that, because when I have digestive issues, it’s very difficult for me to know what I mean, let alone say what I mean and mean what I say without being mean when I say it.
Recently I had one of those crucial, seminal conversations on a day when my digestion wasn’t working so well. Actually, it wasn’t much of a conversation. Every word I heard led me to sink further into despair. It was like there was a mud wall around me, keeping me from hearing well or speaking. Confusion that probably would have been cleared in a moment on a better day got thicker and immobilizing.
What did I do? I needed to back off and get clear before I could speak. It didn’t take me too long to figure out that what I was hearing wasn’t what she was saying.
In the bigger picture, keeping your digestion healthy helps you SpeakStrong. I’m looking forward to having fewer of those disempowered moments as my digestion heals.
In the smaller picture, sometimes you have to wait for a fog to lift to move forward. It’s good to know when those moments are.
I never did find out what the fight was about. I’m sure she would have told me had I asked. I was more interested in the fight she was having with herself. She revealed that clearly with the language she used talking about just about anything.
I could have dialed it in, but the conversation felt important enough for me to drive into town and meet face-to-face. I’m glad I did. Instead of a 15-minute quick check, my medicine woman (health adviser) gave me an hour that offered some pretty key insights. When she had told me to have a protein snack before bed, she didn’t mean for me to have a piece of chicken alone. “No one can digest animal protein by itself. There’s not enough fiber,” she told me.
The Crucial Conversations authors have an 
“You’re an electric,” the consultant concluded, handing me a palate of color swatches. “Take this with you when you shop.” It had been a toss up between pastel and electric, and I agreed with and was pleased by the outcome. I liked all the colors on my wheel.
Interesting that all this happened while I’ve been discovering what foods work for me, and how they like to combine. My tummy is happy that I’ve taken the time to sort my foods, and when I look in the mirror, I’m happy that I took the time to sort my clothes.
When my Lean2Life year of sorting, straightening, maintenance and creating productive and nourishing routines came to an end, I wasn’t anywhere close to complete. But I celebrated the plethora of positive changes I had made over the year. One area I noted that hadn’t been untangled was my digestion. Not only had I not solved my life-long digestive issues, they were getting worse. I used to be able to avoid digestive upsets by avoiding carbs, but that wasn’t working anymore. I never knew what might trigger indigestion. 
A good friend told me she and her hubby have a policy to never go to bed angry. It has worked well for them, so I have no argument with it. But that doesn’t mean I need to do what works for them. In fact, I lean more toward a policy of not expressing an anger I haven’t slept on. Hiking on an anger works well, too. That gives time for some alchemy.
In my quest to heal my digestion, I’m exploring food combining. Bob and I listened to a CD about it from the 80’s that a friend had recommended to him. His friend, a healthcare professional, told Bob it was the only thing that helped his daughter after having tried many things at great expense. 
I can’t say I enjoyed watching the Superbowl last night. It’s painful to watch your team trampled, even if you’re not that invested. The loss was a much bigger deal for my hubby. I could tell from the low tones in his voice, it was personal for him.