MANILA, Philippines?Whenever the topic of change is brought up in conversations, many people tend to balk at the idea. Those who want change almost give up simply because what may otherwise be a challenge becomes a chore to them.

How to begin

1. Remove whatever stumbling blocks there may be. More often than not, the root cause of immobility or inability to get started is fear of failure. Do some housekeeping in that part of yourself that says, ?I can or I cannot?.

2. Make a list of the dreams, plans/projects, targets you have set for yourself. The best and only judge of your choices is yourself. So, decide what plans to put on hold and what dreams need manifesting. It doesn?t matter whether they are simple (like dancing) or complicated (like sky diving). What?s important is how highly you regard it. Place a deadline or actual date of completion of your dream.

3. Go on a new kind of diet. Starve yourself if you must from the following: anger, bitterness, jealousy, hate. Instead, feed on forgiveness, reconciliation, love, optimism.

Here?s an inner cleansing regimen you can do. If you need to ask forgiveness from someone but are too ashamed to face him, do this. Go to a quiet corner, close your eyes, focus on the person who has wronged you or whom you have wronged. Imagine him/her before you. Now ask for forgiveness. This soul to soul reaching out is effective. Soon, you will sense a change in the other party?s behavior towards you.

Reshaping one?s self

It?s not as difficult as you think. One can follow a medical spa?s general rules:

1. Add more veggies and fruits to your diet.
2. Cook less or undercook your food. Between raw food and cooked, raw is best. This is because cooking changes the chemical composition of food. In general, the lesser the cooking, the more enzymes/nutrients are preserved.
3. Take a rest from eating. If you declare a moratorium on food and hydrate your body with clean, purified or alkaline water, you give your digestive system a rest. This ought to help victims of migraine and chronic headaches. Flushing the system rids the body of toxins.
4. Be kind to animals. Eat no meat of any kind at least once a week. Substitute with vegetables and nuts.
5. Exercise. Any workout done three times a week is a good start. Once you begin an exercise regimen, you will continuously look for the endorphin rush that will maintain your body in feel-good mode.
6. Breathe. Daily relaxation through the process of slow breathing will bring great health benefits. It will almost immediately control the stress hormones ? adrenaline and cortisol. Thus, if you are continuously stressed, try breathing slowly (inhale, six counts; hold, 2 counts; exhale, 6 counts).
7. Stay calm. Stressed skin equals internal stress. So, smile rather than frown.
8. Load up on Vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K?the essentials to basic health. Ask your doctor for advice.
9. Compliment yourself each day. Instead of finding fault in yourself, look at your pluses.

If summer were forever, and renewal is your goal, then you are renewed all seasons.

Love and light!