“Off the Cuff”… behind the scenes of a Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner
Where do I start? How do I keep my head above water while it seems everything around me is imploding.
My mind keeps saying “stay in the green zone,Leslie, take things in stride day by day, stay in balance, how do I keep the fires around me from engulfing my every day being?”
I will tell you how, years of discipline, staying healthy, prioritizing my children first, my family first, embracing life and seeing that the cup is half full.
Gaining resilience and strength losing my father at 22 to an instant heart attack, not knowing then how it would create a stronger outlook in life not to sweat the small stuff, losing my best friend to cancer last February, losing loved ones to Covid, and now facing reality that my mother is slowly wilting in front of my eyes at 88, my husband is dealing with chronic sleep insomnia, anxiety, shifts in his jobs not traveling as he did for 20 years, and I ….”staying in a green zone”, being the optimist the beacon in the family, the solid foundation to keep my 22, 20, and 15 year old sons in balance over the years communicating, showing them healthier ways to express their emotions,not sweating the small stuff, letting them fall but being there at their side for them to gain the strength and respect and wisdom to thrive as young adults to see a parent that is void of mental illness but can build within the fire to keep one going coping with a loved one with the ebs and flows of anxiety and sleep deprivation, getting the therapy they would need, keeping in check with them, keeping in check with myself…. My outlet for putting things into perspective is visiting my mother at the assisted living /skilled nursing home sitting among her peers. They can’t quite remember what they did in their lives but knew that they did something great, they made changes within their circle and now their life force energy is ever so slowly dimming… The reality of embracing what you have today because you don’t know what tomorrow brings.
This is how I create that resilience, the driving force, the fire to keep plodding on to help others embrace their life and become their own hero young or old. Sharing my story to empower others to share theirs and know that we are all not alone we are one.
As I wipe the bittersweet tears from my face, I am also only human even though I’m a practitioner, I put on a smile every day, show the strength within me that I will persevere…..
Leslie Dowling Certified Functional Nutrition Lifestyle Practitioner Board Certified through AADP Certified Reiki Practitioner Bachelor of Science/Business East West Functional Training, LLC 610-413-4779 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastwestfunctionaltraining/
Leslie Dowling ~ Moxie Partner