Friday, July 5, 2013

Have Cake!

It is funny how I have been wanting to paint foods that I can no longer eat due to food allergies. My most recent grouping includes coffee, cupcakes and a big birthday cake! I have fond memories of eating and drinking these foods and beverages and decided that if I couldn't eat them myself I could still paint them. And hey by the way they are calorie free, they never get stale and I don't have to feel guilty by just looking at them. This was a huge change in my life and I had to basically relearn how to cook and feed myself all over again because all of the rules for me had changed. I had to eliminate all grain, almost all dairy, caffeine, sugar, alcohol and vinegar or fermented foods. I laugh because most people say what's left? I eat a lot of meat, veggies, nuts and seeds and a small amount of fruit. Don't feel sorry for me, it is something I have learned to live with and I feel much better eliminating all those things from my diet, but most importantly it taught me that I could make drastic changes and survive well!
Now this scenario can be connected to most things that happen in our lives. We have all had to adapt and change as things move forward and develop. I have found strength in challenging situations and even though it may not be painless to go through, I will not let detours stop me from going forward. Don't let your road blocks shut down your dreams. I have used this philosophy in all that I do....and I have had many road blocks along the way. It just forces me to seek out other solutions and to create multiple plans of action to get to where I need to go. I have learned many new skills and adopted new behaviors from these detours and gained in so many ways personally, I can't even count them all.
Don't let the fear of change stop you! Fight back by learning some new tricks, you will be proud of yourself and you will continue to grow personally and professionally. As I say to people Have your Cake in whatever form that might be!