Friday, January 23, 2009

Completing the Picture

When I first went raw, lots of physical things happened. It was easy to notice the weight dropping, the skin changing, and the energy increasing. As I become a "veteran" and notice that eating raw food is a journey (not a destination), I see that other things are starting to show up in my life. I'm figuring out what is fulfilling, satisfying, challenging, and inspiring.

When I went on vacation, I noticed that I missed my community more than ever. Not in a homesick way, but in a "wish I could share this moment with you right now" way. And Josh and I were scheming to find a way to get our family and/or friends to take a group trip abroad. I regularly daydream of ways to encourage people to get together. Coming home was nice and I was happy to gather with family and friends, almost immediately, despite the jet lag.

In addition to that realization, that I love my family and community more than I realize sometimes, I found an awesome spiritual group. There was a little lag-time in deciding that I wanted to be a member, but once I was called out to engage, engage I did. I instantly found some awesome women who are supportive, challenging (not in a bad way, but they push me to be better), entertaining, and ultimately loving. We don't know each other well yet, but that's just about time. The intentions are deep.

If that weren't enough, I am also involved in my local SCALLOPS group, Sustainable Burien. I have had my reservations about full engaging, but I feel like in that group I can be powerful, helpful, and committed. It's a nice feeling. I've been in probably hundreds of community groups and this one is always well-attended and moving along nicely. Plus, I feel that I am valued and that I can contribute a lot, as well as gain insights.

When I first went raw, I had a heavy emphasis on being with other raw people, which I still enjoy (I'm hosting a southend meetup so I can strengthen the community down here). But I wasn't meeting my other social/spiritual needs, which is quite important for me. Raw food is only a part of my lifestyle and it was important to complete the picture.