My 9/11 daffodils are up. They always make me remember and honor that day. And today I saw a robin outside the window. The neighborhood peacocks are in full regalia and scream, oh, I mean call, every morning. We have eight these days. By summer there may be more. Spring in NM is a wonderful time. The trees are turning green and shimmering with coming to life. The dogs go out and romp all morning. I am filled with the same eergy. Something is waking up. My creative energy is stirring. Doing the Dopamine class is fun. We are all learning new things. I love seeing how the science is catching up to my vision, heh heh. It makes me smile. No, I was not a kook, just a little ahead of my time. And now, all of you lead the way. OK, and I have a funny thing to note this week. Let me know if you raise chickens and are concerned about Avian flu (smile). We did some interesting researching on the elders list. We might start a radiantchicken list, LOL, if enough of you are interested. Or maybe radiantfarm. Can you tell it is spring here (smile)? Don’t forget about Ranch. There are 5 rooms left. Once they are filled, I will close down reservations. And, I am planning a Ranch in Ireland in mid September. This will be our first European Ranch. Now, as you might imagine, I rather love Ireland. I will be taking my daughter on a mother/daughter visit the old family homestead trip. And since I will be there, I figured, let’s do a seminar. You can click here to check out our preliminary info. A number of folks are coming from the USA - it’s actually cheaper than getting to NM. But put in a reservation if you are interested. We aren’t doing charges until everything is firmed up, but I do need to know how many folks to plan for. It will just be a weekend. If you haven’t taken any classes, be bold. They are so much fun. The resources class was a blast. Now they are gonna do the breakfast class. There is a method to my madness. These are the classes that will begin this week. . Step 1: The Art of Breakfast is our favorite learning how to eat program food. Step 2: Journal Skillful Use is the next level of journaling. This is for those of you who know *how* and want to learn what to do with your data. Back to Basics 1 is the first class of our regroup and catch your breath classes. If you have been on step 7 and faltered, come join us. This is a warm and loving place to remember what you once knew. A number of you have asked me how the classes work. Check the class list page for more information on this. The classes are done online with one lesson each day. You do not have to be at your computer at any set time. Please note that we have added the classes to the new schedule so you can see what is coming up. And go read the questions and answers before you write to me. The classes are done online with one lesson each day. You do not have to be at your computer at any set time. If you have trouble getting through the process, write the tech forum. Please feel free to pass this week's newsletter on to your friends and family. Don't forget to let me know what you like and would like to see me cover. Be sure to visit our Radiant Recovery® website and Community Forum regularly. Warmly, Kathleen **********************************************************************
March 27, 2006 ** Quote From Kathleen **
Nothing is ever lost in the process. Every slip, every derailment is in your service. *********************************************************************
** Testimonial for the Week**
Well, the paradox is that in surrendering, I find victory. It's not so much being meek to me, but trusting and believing that
Elaine ********************************************************************
**Recipe of the Week**
We just celebrated our youngest son's birthday and this is the cake I made for him. It is originally a muffin recipe, but I am giving it to you the way I made it for the birthday cake. Kathleen asked me to share it with you, so here it is: CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE
To make the frosting, chill the beaters and bowl very well. Add the heavy cream to a medium sized bowl and whip on high until thickened. Add the vanilla and banana, if you wish, and whip again until stiff. Frost cake. ********************************************************************
**Your Last Diet: More Than What You Think**
Some of you have asked if you should wait to join YLD until after you have done step 7. Absolutely NOT! Come now. YLD provides intense support for beginning the program. Chats are fun and the team is super. This is one of my most favorite Connie quotes. If you want to know the heart of what we are doing, Connie says it. Two different questions, two different answers. (I'm a long-time 7- stepper and I'm still fat. )Ok, we are coming down to the wire getting ready for the new classes. If you have been thinking about joining, now is the time to do it. YLD Foundation for folks who are ready for weight loss but are just starting off in the program. This class takes people through building a foundation. You get steady, clear, mobilized and funny. You learn how to use the resources of the community. YLD Weight Loss is for those of you who are on Step 7 and are ready to begin your weight loss process. This is one of the most transformative classes we do. Everyone who takes it reports a total transformation. YLD Weight Loss in Action is the implementation class. Learn practical tips on how to put together the plan that suits your body best. Learn the parts of refining the basic 7 steps to lose weight. And most of all, have a blast doing it. If you are not a YLD member, come and join us. Click here if you are ready to change your life or just plain ole have fun. It is not too late to get into the classes if you come right now. ********************************************************* *********** **David's Corner ** 
One last thing. Kathleen set up a scholarship fund to help folks who need assistance get to ranch. As some of you know, she has a generous heart. I do the counting, LOL. Well, the commitments exceed the fund. I am hoping that you might extend some more of your wonderful generosity so that she does not end up picking up the slack from her own pocket. Thanks!!! Click here for the link at the top of the store page. Please send questions and suggestions. I love hearing from you and truly want to help you do your program better. ********************************************************* ***********
**Our Online Groups**
Did you know about our Geo groups? We have local groups who play and have. Many of them plan outings and social gatherings regularly. Come check them out. ********************************************************************
**Trying a New Way ** Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. People often ask me how they can sort something out. You say, “Kathleen, I just can’t figure out what to do.” Often you are desperate and feel that you have to know NOW. Well, first of all, the haziness, that sort of fog and cloudy sense of not knowing, is often induced by what you are eating, or by when you are eating. Skip a meal and get dumb. Have sugar and whites, and get foggy and not be able to make sense of anything. These are the times when you push forward trying to find answers and you feel as if you are pushing into cotton. Nothing comes, even if you wrestle for hours. The first way out, of course, is doing the steps. I know you thought that doing the food would just deal with cravings and your weight, and maybe mood. But there is a huge payoff...you get clarity as well. The fog lifts. Things make sense. Answers come unbidden without thrashing. They come in the shower or on the way to the bank or on a walk with the dog. But let’s say you have a problem now. You can’t wait for step 7. You need some practical skills today. So let’s do some of those. Usually, sugar sensitive people munch – this means you say, "Is it this? Is it that? Is it this? Is it that?" You never find anything, you just fret for hours. The task is to go under what appears to be the question and seek a deep answer. Go under the surface, see what it conceals. When you start you will often think you are too busy to sit with it. Or if you sit, you just munch so why bother. This is different. You take one issue, and you decide to focus on it. You call a sense of clarity. You basically decide to leave the munch and ask the real question. Let me give you an example. I recently had a discussion with a friend who is trying to figure out some major life choices. Should she go to graduate school, what if she gets the new job she was interviewed for, should she stay with the old job, what if she has to move, how will she have enough money? Sound familiar? So I suggested this technique of going under the munching. I asked her what she wanted in her life in 5 years. I asked her to sit with that in stillness for maybe 30 minutes and let all the “stuff” quiet. This is going under the surface. Not the munching, but the real question. She did. And she discovered that she really, really wants to be an art therapist. You might imagine that all the munching faded away. Once she was clear, the choices were clear. She didn’t have to wait for step 7. And she realized that she had been munching for weeks and had never stopped to ask what was underneath. And I know this sounds too simple. But that reaction is a function of biochemistry. Nine times out of ten, things are simple and we complicate them. Once she was clear, she focused her energy and in 3 days, all those issues were settled. Concentrated focus is a mighty tool but we rarely use it. We dissipate it with sugar or munching. This is a learned skill. And skill coming with doing. In this case, the *doing* is getting quiet. Remember that your molecules know what is best. But the sugar static gets in the way. Quiet the static and answers will come. Warmly, Kathleen ©Kathleen DesMaisons 2006. Here are the folks who are helping put the newsletter together: Gretel, the liaison for the recovery list and the webmaster puts it all together Naomi, liaison for step 4 gathers the recipes David, who runs the Radiant Recovery® Store talks about what new products we have. You are getting the weekly newsletter from Radiant Recovery® in response to your signup. A copy of this newsletter may also be found posted on the web at http://www. radiantrecovery.com/weeklynewsletter.htm. ©2006 by Kathleen DesMaisons . All rights reserved. You are free to use or transmit this article to your ezine or website as long as you leave the content unaltered and use this attribution: "By Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. of Radiant Recovery®. Please visit Kathleen's website at http://www.radiantrecovery.com for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction." Please notify me at kathleen@radiantrecovery.com to let me know where the material will appear. Banner Photograph by Geraint Smith |
