Discussion: What Did You Bring with You into 2022?
Belinda M. Lane
January 7, 2022
What did you bring with you into the New Year? What did you leave behind that will make 2022 look different from previous years? This year, let’s make a decision rather that a New Year’s resolution. I expect losing weight, getting fit/healthy and exercising more are at the top of the list.
Many of us who made these resolutions in January 2021 bought the same weight and health issues with us into 2022. What happened that we couldn’t keep our word to ourselves? Reflect on how we feel when someone breaks their word to us. Yet, we will break our word to ourselves and think nothing of it. We entrust our body to our care. What we eat and don’t eat is in our control, or is it?
Some say “we are what we eat.” You hear the saying, “diabetes runs in my family, high blood pressure runs in my family, etc. On medical forms, we check what is in your family health history. We also check, has a family member died because of certain medical problems and at what age? I would like for us to just look at the family dinner table of our grandparents and parents. What similarities do we see? Now step back and see what similarities do we see when we fill out of a medical questionnaire. Do the same medical issues run in your present family. Again, I would like to refer to the statement again… we are what we eat!
We know that certain foods, such as ham, affect your blood pressure. In a family with a history of high blood pressure, ham sits as one of the major attractions. Especially around the holidays. The ones with severe high blood pressure often say, “I’m only going to taste a small piece.” In all fairness, I can’t leave out my favorite, which is pork chops, which tops my list at least several times a year. It is said the metabolizing (substance in) of red meat in the body may also release compounds that elevate blood pressure even more. Statistics show the rate of high blood pressure is the highest in the African American community than in any other ethnic group in the U.S. In fact, we are at a higher risk level in most diseases.
Sidebar: During slavery they gave the slave the leftovers of the farm animals. They (African Americans) ate what the masters didn’t, such as pig intestines (called chitterlings), pig tails, pig feet, and also chicken feet. Our ancestors used heavy seasonings such as salt and other aromatic seasons to change the favor of the meager foods given to them to live on. The foods kept them from starving but produced physical illnesses that still are ruining our race. Now that we can eat what we want to, we still apply the old methods of cooking to present day menus. Continuing to eat in a way that is affecting our health and saying “it runs in our family.”
I ask again, what did you bring with you in to 2022? I looked at some of the top New Year's resolutions on quite a few websites. Most had “to read more” at the bottom of the list. You can call me naïve, but I thought reading would have been near the top.
So now, do we brush off old vision boards or start a new one? Will we listen to top motivational speakers on YouTube? (For me it’s TED Talks) How far will you go this year before you stop? What will you allow to be your breaking point? Who will you let tell you, you can’t do it or be it? What will you do differently this year that will show up in 2023? Most inventors failed time after time working on their inventions. Still, they finished! We went from horse and buggy to cars. We are on cruise ships and airplanes. Medical history in the transplantation of organs. Replacing the phone on the wall with carrying one in our pockets. Who would have thought that these same phones have the computing power of devices that once filled large rooms?
Everyday people like you and I are striving to make a difference in their lives. A difference that would then affect others. Life is not stopping here. There are things beyond our imagination that are coming. Inventions that will blow our minds are only a few years away. Will they be writing about you in history? How do you want to be remembered? Life is waiting for us to emerge this year. Let’s not disappoint life or ourselves. Let’s make this the year we keep our promises to our self.
The Mindset of a Champion | Carson Byblow | TEDxYouth@AASSofia - YouTube
(Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the music and motivational speech in this video)
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Resources Corner:
Victory Talk on Fridays Her life after the trauma: Jacqueline B. Miller (known as Lady J) shares her story is in her book Mosaics… Subtitle: Made from Beautifully Broken Pieces (this book is a collaboration of six (6) authors sharing their stories).
On the web: http://Vlfministrys.org/
Facebook: @victorytalk or https://www.facebook.com/jackie.y.miller
Twitter: @JackieLadyJ1.
Psychological Trauma
GirlVictorious: Life After Trauma is a blog geared at helping women lead a meaningful, full, and victorious life after going through trauma.
Domestic Violence
National Domestic Violence Hotline can help victims, survivors of domestic violence. Call 1-800-799-7233. Chat w/an advocate on our website. National Domestic Violence Hotline: www.thehotline.org/
Aid for Military Veterans
In an attempt to cope with the pain of overwhelming emotions, sometimes veterans turn to unhealthy relationships, at-risk behaviors, or substance abuse.
Welcome Home is Celebrate Recovery's (CR) tool to help veterans stuck in hurts, hang-ups, and habits. (These statements are from CR’s Homepage). You are not alone! https://www.welcomehome.celebraterecovery.com