This is Day 3 of the 21-Day Journaling Challenge held in Nov 2011. The challenge is now over but you can do the tasks in your own time. Visit the overview page for all the challenge tasks.
Hi everyone – Welcome to Day 3 of 21DJC! :)
Yesterday’s question was this: “If you are to do something for free for the rest of your life, what would it be?“. (Read the responses here.) Some of you said you’d want to travel around the world and explore new places. Some of you said you’d want to grow and learn forever. Some of you said you’d want to pursue your passions, which may include writing, cooking, baking, blogging, developing games, motorcycling, write music, planting, fashion, recording music, coaching, caring for animals, and more. Some of you said you’d want to help others – be it to grow, to discover themselves, to be better people, or to live better lives.
3 years ago, I asked myself this very question. If I am to do something for free for the rest of my *life*, what would it be? The answer that came out is exactly what you see me doing today. It’s to grow and help others to grow. It’s to be spreading my message to the world, be it via writing, coaching, speaking, running courses, videos, or other mediums. (Essentially, what I’m doing now.) It’s to inspire others to become greater than who they are now, so they can in turn inspire others around them to be the same.
The reason why I asked myself the question is this – We only have one life to live. We have the ability in us to do whatever we want, and to succeed in whatever we want. Instead of wasting our talents doing something that we don’t even have the passion to do forever, why not spend all that energy, starting from today, in something we’re really, truly, 110% passionate about? Why not devote ourselves 110% into what we really want to do, rather than do something because we think we ‘have’ to, and do a half-assed job in it? Why not do that, and make that your career instead?
I mean, no matter how “skilled” or “unskilled” you are in it now, you only have, like, the rest of your life to develop your skills in it. It’s only a matter of time before you’re the best in that field, really. (10,000 hours is all that it takes)
In doing so, it doesn’t even feel like work. It doesn’t even require any energy to do it. It’s virtually effortless. I made that shift 3 years ago, and while there were a few months of down time to develop myself in a new field, today I’m soaking in the long-term rewards from the move. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life, and I want you to experience the joy too.
The articles in my How To Pursue Your Passion series will help you in this area.
Let’s now move on to the question for Day 3 of 21DJC! ;)
21DJC Day 3
For Day 3 today, we’re going to explore a slightly different topic from Days 1 and 2. In Day 1, we looked at what we would do if we have a million dollars. In Day 2, we delved into some of our deepest, life long passions – things we would do for free for the rest of our life. For Day 3, we’re going to look at something lifestyle-related.
The question for Day 3 is this:
What is Your Ideal Diet Like?
Would it consist of happy meals, deep fried food and junk food? Would it be prepacked, micro-waved meals from the supermarkets? Would it be laden with fat? Would it be filled with meat? Would it be rich with vegetables and fruits? Would it be specially prepared, home cooked meals made by you, for you? What would your ideal breakfast, lunch, dinner be like? How much, how often, and when would you eat every day? What would your cue to eat?
Your Task Today:
- Reflect and answer today’s question. There’s no word limit – whether minimum or maximum. Write as few or as many words as you want. It’s all up to what you want to express!
- Share your answer. After you are done writing, copy and paste your answer in the comments area and post it there.
- Check out other participants’ answers. Other participants will be sharing their answers too, so feel free to read and reply to their answers. This is a group course, so let’s support each other in these 21 days.
((Images: Empty book for journaling, Vegetables wrapped in measuring tape))
If you like my articles, join my community of 65,000 readers and get my latest articles delivered to your inbox. Your email is safe. 100% no spam.
Ok….stupid me not concentrating after a morning yoga practice……just put day 5 comment on Day 3 page…..Duh! Sorry all. :shy:
Because i recognise how foolishly selfish I am would have to say it is me. The person who affects me emotionally the most is my ex-wife – not because we have acrimonious seperation but because she is still good to me and cares about my welfare in spite of all i did to her. And what she says can still send my heart soaring like and eagle to down into the dungeons of Mordor with just a few words.
I prefer home cooked meals made by my mother; and I love to eat everything but not eating to much; I love salads the most.
Well, my diet pretty mixed. Ever since i started working out in the gym to gain weight, i’ve been eating a lot of food. I try my best to eat steam meat and vegetables outside. I also try to eat every few hours to increase the caloric intake.
However, i do have something i call the cheat day (usually once or twice a week), where i allow myself to indulge with my cravings, such as fast food, western food & Indian food. :shy:
Meat and Cheese
Random Carbs in between….
Lots of cookies
Alright, that is a joke!!!
My ideal diet would consist of lots of good tasting food. Everything in moderation. I would increase my intake of more vegatables and fruits, probably decrease the amount of sugar and processed stuff i intake, as well as coffee. Intake lots more water. Focus on health. I would try a gluten free diet and see if it helps me.
My ideal diet would be getting all the required fruits and vegetables on a daily basis with a personal chef preparing all meals. Everything would be oh so delicious, but healthy! THIS would be my ideal diet.
I’m not sure if this post is going to the right question…as I tried to do this several times and it’s showing Day 3.
This post is for Day 5! Who is the most important person to you in the world?
I gave this a great deal of thought since I consider my mom, children and siblings, friends all very important to me. But if I were to pick one, it would have to be my God! God’s blessed me with the gift of faith, and so many wonderful things in my life and lots of not so wonderful things that have helped me to grow. I truly believe all great and good things come from my higher power! As I write this though, I do realize I need to put more time into our relationship….
The most important person in my life is unfortunately not with us anymore but will always be in my heart. That person is my grandmother. She cared for me as a child, when my parents were too busy with their own lives to be bothered with me. She played endless dress up and card games. I went everywhere with her. She didn’t drive so we had to walk but it was a small town so we were able to and she knew everyone. As I grew older she listened to my every complaint, whine, and cry without ever complaining herself. When I graduated from highschool she and my family traveled from Ohio to Florida to see me and I didn’t spend a lot of time with them. Shortly after we lost my grandfather and my life spirald out of control and she never judged me. She just sat and listened. When my daughter was born she sent me boxes of baby stuff because she couldn’t be there with me. She got lung cancer and fought it so hard but it took her and I watched her go a little at a time. I didn’t get to see her much because I was so far away but I could tell every time that I talked to her she was getting worse, yet she still never complained. She was so worried about the rest of the family. She died when my son was but a month old. She never got to see him. He cooed and ahhhed all through the funeral and we swore it was her talking to us. It was a little bit of comfort on such a hard day. I think she sometimes that she went at such a hectic time on purpose so that I wouldn’t have time to mourn her but I mourn her every day that she isn’t with me. I just wish that I was able to tell her more how much she meant to me and how deeply she touched my life.
The most important person in my life remains my mother. She is no more in this world to-day. Widowed at a very young age in very tragic circumstances, when I was five , the eldest of 3 sons , the youngest being hardly a month. She had to struggle hard, very hard indeed, in a cruel and hostile environment to bring up her children. She even refused a re-marriage proposal for the sake of her children. In those days the majority of the people were poor, and we were the poorest. She had to work 6 days a week, and on Sundays try to earn a few pennies by doing odd jobs available in the neighbourhood. In addition she had to cook food , rear animals, goats ,cows and poultry to ensure basic , food and clothing for the family. What courage and willpower she displayed will remain a mystery for us and for the people around. Suffice it to say that, at a time when more than 50% of the population could not afford to send their children for primary schooling, she made sure her children studied up to secondary level. Herself, being illiterate and vulnerable.
When I completed my secondary education, I was selected to be a teacher. But the appointment letter did not comer due to administrative constraints. When my mother came to know about it she had to hide her frustration , and encouraged me to study further stressing that she could still work, and reflecting that the worst days were behind us.
As we grew up, I became a Teacher, my second brother, Police Officer, and the youngest also joined the teaching profession. And my mom continued to work towards buying a potion of land to have a house and a home of our own.
In a next phase my brothers decided with my mother’s consent that I should go to India for University studies. I completed my degree , came back to Mauritius changed job , offering better perspective and made it to the top of the administrative structure. My two brothers also persevered in their respective field. All through my mother remained the main focus, the single source of inspiration.
In between we got married had children of our own, got busy in family circumstances and professionally. It is not that we did not looked after our mother as we should have, the daughter-in-laws too being quite attentive, but we failed to understand what her priorities were , how to go about it. Deep down we remained traditional , where the situations warranted modern understanding and approach to family problems . Like how to go about attending to my ailing mother in a continuous and consistent manner where the responsibilities were shared among three brothers, each one as concerned to give the best.
Now that she is not around I keep thinking of all that I could have done but was not able to do for many reasons, the main one being my own incapacity to respond to calls of assistance and support. All I can do now is to wish and pray that if ever I have to live my life again, I want to have this grand lady as my mom, and pray that I am gifted with that strength and willpower to play my role as a son unto the end. It’s not surprising that in many societies women are considered as Goddesses. For me, my mother will remain a goddess.
Sona.
Balanced– my ideal diet would be include a healthy breakfast to start the day off right, a light yet very tasty lunch and a fabulous dinner with a glass of wine.
For example, to energize myself in the morning I would like to have a small bowl of tropical fruits like papaya, kiwi, cantaloupe and pineapple. A good sustainable breakfast for me would be an omelette with mushroom, spinach and feta and a piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter. Sometimes I would like to treat myself to a plate of French toast with pure maple syrup, bananas and blackberries. Mmm delicious!
An ideal lunch for me would be a tasty healthy salad with my favourite fixings. Seasoned grilled chicken on mixed greens, topped with sliced avocado, red onion, raspberries, goat cheese and pine nuts with balsamic vinaigrette. I also really love Santa Fe chicken salads with chipotle, lime or cilantro dressing.
Having fresh seafood for dinner on a regular basis would incredible. Sablefish, salmon, halibut, crab, lobster, coconut crusted prawns, calamari, oysters, ahi tuna…you name it, I’m in! I love a mean steak with pan-fried mushrooms, sweet potato mash and grilled asparagus, zucchini or maple glazed carrots. I could dine happy at any restaurant that serves good Mexican, Italian, Japanese or Thai food. And I have a weakness for breads and pasta – fresh basil, balsamic, pesto and cream.
I’ve never been much of a dessert person. I would rather nibble on biscotti and sip on a cappuccino after a meal. ~
My ideal diet would be:
Breakfast(8am) – Glass of fresh fruit juice without added sugar, Cereals / Oats with milk, 1 Egg, Cut fruits
Lunch(1pm) – 4 phulkas(oil free chapathis), 1 cup vegetable curry, 1 small cup dal(pulses), 1 cup of curds and 1 cup of fresh salad.
Fruits: A fruit at 11am and another at 4pm.
Dinner 7:30pm – 2-3phulkas, 1 cup boiled sauteed vegetables and a fruit or salad.
Hire a cook, consult a nutritionist and eat the best food possible. Develop a taste for food. Experience the various cuisines. Consuming the foods which keep me healthy, wealthy and wise.
What I understand from my little know how of food is-
Lots of salads, fruits and vegetables, nuts and coconut.
Anything home made because my doctor says your body gets adjusted to the oil and other things.
From less to no junk food.
My ideal diet is nothing like the way I really eat. I would love to have some more willpower, and the first step is probably admitting it to myself right here on this comment thread! Since I am on the thinner side, I am able to justify all the crap I eat by telling myself “Just this one time won’t hurt.” I have noticed a little bit of weight gain, but nobody else has (at least that’s what they are telling me, lol!)
My ideal diet would begin with a fresh fruit smoothie for breakfast every single morning. Maybe a bowl of oatmeal or cream of wheat, or some plain yogurt with a spoonful of organic jam mixed in from time to time. For lunch, ideally I would like to have a salad every day. Maybe slightly different salads each day to mix it up, but salads none-the-less. For dinner, I would like to make sure that I cook healthy wholesome dinners myself each and every night, except for when we are having leftovers from the night before. I’d like to purchase the America’s Test Kitchen healthy recipes cookbook, since I trust their recipes to always be tasty no matter how healthy. Throughout the day I would like to be snacking on fruit and nuts. I would have to always reserve my weekends to eat one meal a day whatever I want, be it In n Out or Fuddruckers (my 2 guilty pleasures), some lasagna, some delicious carrot cake or cheesecake, whatever I want. I think I could handle sticking to my created diet during the week if I promised myself 2 meals on the weekend with no restrictions.
I really don’t know why I eat so crappy when my innermost desires are revealed to be that I genuinely want to eat healthy and love what I’m eating and feel no guilt after I do. I snack on fun-size candy bars all day that are leftover from Halloween, eat Kraft Macaroni & Cheese for lunch, loads of cheese for breakfast and sneak sips of egg nog whenever I get a quick break between activities or committments. I am in the fast lane for weight gain if I keep it up! I think I am a boredom eater. Now that I have just read what came from my own thoughts and innermost desires I am really going to try to change up the way I am eating. Wow.
My Ideal diet wouldnt be anything complex…on a daily basis my ideal diet would be mainly fresh vegetables…lots of Spinach and Garlic and Carrots…Tomatoes…cumcumbers and mushrooms and beans along with some tastemakers!
Also eggs would be an essential part of my diet…
And since I like seafood…I would incorporate fishes as they are essential for bodys growth and development!
Sounds like a yummy diet! I would enjoy it as well.
My ideal diet would be one where I could obtain fresh produce and fresh meat all year long. It would also allow me to not have a budget for food, and plenty of time to cook good meals for my family. I feel better when I eat a more fresh, healthy diet. It is just the cost of trying to do so where I live. There is a a relatively short growing period, so truly fresh foods are only available for about 3 months. The rest of the time the cost become prohibitive for the greens and the fruits. There are plenty of root veggies available through the winter, but they are not great for the long term diet. I would love to get away from processed foods, from lots of refined sugar, and from so much packaged stuff.
My ideal diet would consist of lots of fruit, mostly tropical… I love fruit. As well as vegetables, whole grains, and only a few dairy products. Ideally, I should be a vegetarian because I believe that it is immorally wrong to slain another living thing, also it is better for the environment to rely on plant sources for food rather than animal sources. Although I know what my ideal diet is, the real problem is being able to stick to it. I am a sucker for sweets, and since I started post-secondary I have gaied back the 25 pounds of pregnancy weight that I worked so hard to lose over the summer. One of my lifetime goals is to try being a vegetarian, so maybe right now is a good time in my life to embark upon that journey.
My ideal diet would be to have 3 large meals, with minimal snacking- as I am doing currently.
I actually like my diet a lot currently. If I could cook the dishes I order at restaurants, that would be amazing.
But in general, a well balanced diet. I would love to eat more veggies and fruits, but outside of salads and Asian restaurants, it’s not so easy to find! Not much oils and fried stuff.
The biggest thing is I hope to reduce my sodium intake. I like things very salty and I think that won’t be good for me in the future.
This is a very hard question as I have so many beautiful people in my life.
For this one, I’ll go with my gut feeling and say it is my little sister/best friend. Growing up my siblings and I were well off, loved and had amazing family and friends around us, the only thing missing was our mother.
As we got older I assumed the ‘mother’ of the household role and did everything in my power to take care of the family.
Our father is a hard working man and always did his absolute best to take care of us all and my Grandparents were always there no matter what. My Nan, has always been the rock of the family and without complaint or second thoughts she took care of us, teaching us about life. My youngest sister was always strong, no matter what obstacles stood in our way. There are so many people that contributed to our lives in a major way and I love them all deeply.
The reason why my sister wins the ‘most important person in my life’ title is because even in my deepest darkest hours when I lost track of my life purpose and sight of my goals, she was there supporting me in an unconditional way and was always consistently honest.
She is my biggest supporter and is my inspiration, I wouldn’t be who I am today without her guidance, relaxed easy going nature. Her fun loving approach to life is something to be admired.
I would love to have a grill that could be on “fire” every dinner time, and could grill all my meals.
My ideal diet would consist on grill vegetables mainly, but also and why not, some meats and fish.
Since you start grilling the smell from the fish over the fire start waking your sences, what a delicious expirience to smell the pepers over the fire…. !
And the best of all would be to have someone to cook it for me…! ja,ja
I wish I could have a diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits, no fried food and no rice only wheat bread home cooked if possible. I love vegetables – I can live on them with fish and no meat at all. Breakfast, lunch, dinner I would want them – cooked in different ways but still coming out simply delicious.
My ideal diet would be more vegetarian that it is now. I would not give up meat completely, but I don’t need to eat meat twice a day like I do most days.
I would also cut back on most of the sweets I eat.
I don’t know why it’s so difficult to set a diet goal and keep it. My diet has steadliy improved over the years and I’m pretty happy with it, but I would like to cut back on those two things….sweets and meats!
Hmmm, always late but as they say better late then never:) Hmmm… Ideal Diet? well for me it would be a solid healthy diet full of fresh fruits, veggies, grains and nuts but not cutting out the meats either just moderating them. definitely a little junk food but just enough to curve the cravings. as one of my favorite quotes says, “Everything in Moderation INCLUDING Moderation” and of course no diet is complete without a little exercise:)
My ideal diet would consist of homegrown and/or locally grown fruits and vegetables, whole grains, grass fed beef, free range chickens and eggs, raw dairy. The majority of the time all of the meals would be home cooked with small meals throughout the day. Of course I am not perfect so I have to some “Treats” too.
21DJC#3: What Is Your Ideal Diet Like?
For those who don’t know me, I currently follow a vegetarian diet. But I avoid eating dairies, eggs, and cooked food as much as I can. So it is clear that my ideal diet is a raw food diet, which I’m gradually transiting to.
Lately, I’ve been strongly avoiding egg products. I don’t think it’s too long before I shift to a lacto-vegetarian diet.
The only thing stopping me from going raw vegan right now is my parents, my mom is still mad at me because I stopped eating meat so I think she’ll get a heart attack if I told her I’m going vegan.
Fortunately, I’m going to university next year, so I’ll be free then to eat however I want.
When I pursue my ideal diet, there wouldn’t be any breakfast, dinner, or supper. I’d be eating whenever I feel like it. (I have a high metabolism so I can eat whatever I want anyway)
Ideally, I’ll have an energizing meal when I wake up, and I wouldn’t eat anything two hours before going to sleep.
Balanced & healthy. I love fruit, yogurt, veggies, nuts…..and I also enjoy cooking/eating Mexican food (I’m Hispanic). If I were to utilize my time wisely, I would prepare more healthy meals for myself and my husband. Something that I am not too fond of is salad – I think in an attempt to eat healthier, I went the salad route. I’m kind of sick of lettuce and spinach at this point. I would eat more organic veggies (craving bell peppers and hummus right now), and organic fruit….why does everything have to be so expensive? Maybe I should go back to that question of If I could do something for free….I’d eat healthier?
So much of our food is processed, and loaded with preservatives. I have a friend who was born in Mexico, and she is always sharing how healthy and nutritious food was there, how the culture emphasized fresh fruit cups, freshly squeezed juices (watermelon, lemonade for example) and cooking with fresh ingredients.
I have a sweet tooth, but I’m beginning to wonder if my cravings for sugary treats would be eliminated with more fruit in my diet.
My ideal diet would consist first and foremost of organic fruits and vegetables. I am a rare type of man, I actually love to cook and come up with new recipes on the spot. I would use lean fat meat, I would cook with skinless chicken and high quality seafood. I would have a large breakfast every single day and work on not skipping this important meal of the day. I would completely cut beer and soda pop out of my diet by drinking only water and natural fruit juices. On a final note, I will take my daily vitamin supplements in order to stay 100% healthy and vital.
My ideal diet would be a balanced, healthy one. It would be filled primarily with fruits and vegetables, seafood and lean poultry. I would include whole grains, dairy products and healthy oils in moderation and avoid pork, red meats and processed foods. I would only indulge in my favorite cheat foods (fried foods and sweets) every now and then and select the healthiest possible option when eating them. I would try my best to keep hormones, pesticides, artificial sweeteners and excess salt out of my diet. I would also make sure to drink enough water, and have a multivitamin and fish or krill oil daily-none of which I do now. My ideal diet is pretty much what I eat now and the only things I would change is that I would be more consistent, do the water/vitamin/fish oil thing and add more variety into our menu. I feel blessed that my parents raised us to eat healthy, so I know what to do. But I’ve picked up lots of bad habits along the way, which I’m trying to rid myself of. So if I just can stop my husband from sabotaging our plans, I’ll be okay.
I don’t necessarily have an ideal diet. I do tend to eat a fairly healthy diet. I eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, fish. The worst food that I consume is probably macaroni and cheese, that has been a favorite of mine since childhood. I haven’t eaten fast food, chips, or junk food in over 10 years. I naturally steer towards unprocessed foods and healthy meals. I enjoy the taste better and I feel better about myself. Nothing beats the taste of fresh grown produce.
I’m laaaate! Had computer trouble yesterday, but did manage to write in my personal journal for a bit.
Anyway, on to the perfect diet.
I guess I’m lucky in that I normally like all the stuff that’s good for you. I love just about all kinds of fruits and vegetables and whole grains of all kinds. I love the really heavy black bread that’s kind of crunchy (maybe because I’m German). Right now, my diet is far from ideal because I’m living in a truck and often, my options are usually fast food.
To start with, my ideal diet is one which SOMEONE ELSE COOKS. I like to cook, but just not every day. I could see having a part-time chef who pre-cooks meals for me every week and puts them into the refrigerator or freezer for me to get out when I feel like it. Hopefully, I’ll have the resources to buy everything from local farmers and growers, organic and in season.
I like having three meals a day, and usually don’t need snacks. I’d probably fix breakfast myself, since I don’t mind eating the same thing every day. I love oatmeal, preferably Irish steel-cut, with brown sugar and some delicious fresh fruit. If I can afford it, I load it up with berries, like blueberries and raspberries. Strong black gourmet coffee is also a must.
I’d like to get to the point where lunch is my heaviest meal. It just seems healthier. Maybe start with a soup or salad, followed by a lean, grilled meat like turkey or mahi mahi along with a pile of grilled or steamed veggies. Some kind of fancy pasta would make me happy, too.I do like my sweets, so I’ll have a small dessert, like strawberry torte or a little bit of tiramisu.
For dinner, I’ll have a light meal. Maybe a large salad with grilled meat or a hearty soup with fresh, crusty bread.
If I have anything after dinner, it’s popcorn while I’m watching a movie. If I keep it light, I can have some every day!
Word Count: 341
My ideal diet would be perfectly balanced and include the freshest, local meats, fish, fruits and vegetables. I’m also going to throw in that I would like to have a personal chef who would prepare every meal for me and ensure I am getting all of the nutrients I need daily. I struggle to come up with consistently healthy meals on a daily basis; I get lazy quite a bit.
Where I am usually reasonably active. I would eat five to six times a day: three meals and two or three snacks when I need them. I love hot breakfasts, and I hardly ever have time to make one. So, at least three times a week, I’d want a hot breakfast with eggs, French toast, pancakes, or something along those lines. It would also be awesome to have fresh fruit with breakfast daily — that is one of my favorite parts of going on a cruise, the fresh fruit.
While I love hot breakfasts, I usually prefer cold lunches on the smaller side. Gourmet sandwiches and salads would be my rule.
Dinners are all about variety. I love trying new foods and flavor combinations, so dinner is the time to go wild with food. I want it all: meat, fish, pasta, vegetarian, pulling from different places around the world. Make my mouth water during dinner.
For snacks, I usually have one mid-afternoon between lunch and dinner. And, although it’s not the best for me, I am a dessert girl. Whip me up something sweet for after dinner.
Commenting for this post is closed.