Cleaning up and clearing out

Part of the Shape Your Life challenge I'm doing with Chris Linnares involves getting parts of your life to where your ideal self would want them to be. That's a hard thing to describe, but essentially, however the ideal, "real" me would want my desk or closet to look is how it should be.

My first task was my handbag. As I drug it from the floor of the kitchen into my bedroom, the heft and inner chaos of it became such an obvious metaphor to my life lately: Cluttered and overwhelmed; loving and enjoying most of the stuff going into it, but constantly searching and digging to find the most important things.




I'm not a messy person — it's just not me. But somehow my purse and desk tend to get cluttered, largely because I'm working on a lot at once and not taking the time to regroup and take a step back.

Emptying my purse on my bed, I was a bit appalled by how much crap spilled out — crap that I'd been carrying around for months and weighed me down, piling onto an already heavy load. Why was I hauling so much extra around when it was completely useless?

In just five minutes time and with very minimal effort, I cleared the clutter. Not only did it lighten my load, it lifted my mood and outlook on where I'd bring that handbag next.

SaturdayChallenge: Shaping my life

So I mentioned last week that I was starting a new healthy-me journey.

On Friday, Chris Linnares (she's sort of like gorgeous Dr. Phil of Brazil) came to my home to help me start my transformation by shaping my life. For the next three weeks, she and I will work together through a number of challenges.

Her visit really made me realize how much resentment I've harbored toward myself for all these years because of my weight. Chris is amazingly positive and insightful, and is helping me gain more of that for myself.

I think I've always told myself that I have to be strict and this is going to be so hard, but the more I evaluate what I've done in the past, the more I think I've continuously sabotaged myself with those strategies.

Yesterday, Chris and I went though all of the diets and programs that haven't worked to help me lose weight or view food differently, and she gave me some great challenges for the upcoming week. I'm even debuting my new last name: Heidi Vibrant. I'm going to live the next three weeks like Heidi Vibrant. Feel free to join in with me.

Challenge No. 1: Spiritual Cleansing

Make sure your home, closet, desk, purse represent the Heidi Vibrant you truly are — a happy, energetic, inspiring woman

•  Give those old clothes that don't fit anymore to a nice charity like the YWCA.

• Choose more vibrant color of cloths to wear this week.

Challenge No. 2: Express Gratitude to your Body

Remember that you don't diet, you express gratitude to your body.

Your  body is a sacred temple, so love your body. This week be your best lover by developing a Sensual Life Style.

Sensual comes from the Latin word sensualita that means connect with your sense — listen to your body, respect your body, make your body happy this week by:

•  Eating Energy Food: Food that makes your body happy: The best energy foods don't come with a food label. A Banana has just one ingredient: banana!

• Diva Grocery Store Runaway - Sunday and Wednesday: Treat the grocery store like its your personal runway and walk around the store, avoiding the processed junk in the middle.

• Move your body: Move your body the way that makes your body happy: walking, biking, dancing.

• Sensual Massage: Three times a week massage your body and express your love and gratitude.