Getting lean is a practice in patience and faith. Most of my life I have not owned or subscribed to either the P or the F. Like many, I want it fast and now.

Support is a strange thing. There is ‘verbal, going-through-the-motions’ support and there is SUPPORT.

So, now to “Getting Through the Hard Days in Your Marriage”

1. Duck.

2. Sleep it off.

3. Play dumb.

4. I am kidding on all of the above.

Mantras. This is going to be a doozy.

I have heard, read and been taught conflicting things when it comes to what mantras are and how they are used. And when it comes to using them in the traditional sense, I have little experience.

I wasn’t the new mother who didn’t shower or have crazy 8-day old hair. I wore makeup when I wanted to, showered regularly and other than a sweet bald spot from post-pregnancy hair loss, sported pretty good hair most days.

I don’t particularly want to share this shortcoming, but it is something I am wanting to work, so it would seem counter to my goal if I don’t — and that is giving without expectation.

Time to clean house of all the cobwebs. Time to walk away from things that keep me in the past. Time to say goodbye to people who would like to see me down or dampened. Time clean house — the whole house.

Friends are the worst. They ask you to do things that will move you past the gunk that holds you back from forward progress. They ask you to take part in things that open up your eyes to the possibility that your soul may be closed for business unintentionally, or that your inner voice isn’t connecting with your real-world message…