Daring Greatly

Last week, I was asked to give a 10 minute lesson on healthy bodies for a women's group activity in my church. Ten minutes to talk on something I could talk about for 10 hours! I accepted the invitation and my brilliant idea was to just have a loose outline and talk about whatever came into my mind. What a mistake! I couldn't have been more disappointed in myself after. If only I had prepared I could have been sure to point out the things that really matter most to me instead of wasting those ten precious minutes with too much back story, not enough hope, too little testimony and inspiration, and too much scaring people from eating corrupt food. I must have done better than I thought because I got nothing but good feedback, but those 50 ladies were all so nice and good I doubt I'd have gotten any negative feedback anyway. It wasn't "bad." But I could have done better.

• I wish I would have pointed out that  I exercised faith that God could heal me when my health problems were getting worse and doctors couldn't help me, and instead of a miraculous recovery God gave me information as to how to heal myself, and that miracle took time, but it did occur. It is amazing to me that 1) God had confidence in me to be able to make my miracle happen, and 2) that there really are ways we can improve our quality of life with the knowledge God has given us if we work for it.
• I wish I would have stressed that though there are food corruptions, there are many blessings in the food abundance we have today, and if we just educate ourselves about what foods may be harmful for our metabolic type and set food boundaries we have no need to fear but to be grateful for all the options of good fresh food we have year round!
• I wish I would have stressed that there is a way to change your eating habits, even if I had to promote my own book a little (which I was carefully trying not to do at a church function), and the way is to gather knowledge, be aware of and fight inner and outside forces, what some of those forces might be, and reassure that it will take time to train your brain but it is possible. Then while introducing the treats had a few examples of the ingredients and talked about the importance of whole foods.
• And finally, I would have taken a few of those minutes to read the scripture that I failed to read because I had run out of time, and borne my testimony that God truly did reveal to me how to improve my quality of life and for me it was nothing short of divine intervention that I am where I am today. Isaiah 58:8 "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward." 

If I had another chance to speak I would make sure to hit those points with a little more emphasis, though I did get to some of that in my little lesson.  I need more practice. If you have any opportunities for me to teach about health of body through diet will you let me know? I promise to prepare a little better this time. Though it causes me pain, it brings me joy to share what I have been taught and what might help others. The only reason I feel I failed is that I might have helped someone more than I did had I been more wise with my ten minutes.
One thing that brought me comfort was that I failed while daring greatly. The next 10 minute lesson was about vlunerability, where my friend talked about "showing up" for life and daring to put yourself out there. I did that! She shared this quote which has always been one of my favorites:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. --Teddy Roosevelt