My kids and I went grocery shopping this weekend, gathering food for their school lunches. We were seeking new foods, trying to escape the “lunch box rut” of sandwiches every day. Noah wanted to try some soups and granola bars. However, as we read the labels on each item, we found hidden sources of gluten.

Noah was diagnosed with Celiac Disease this past year, meaning he’s allergic to gluten and had to drastically change his diet. He looked defeated by the end of our shopping trip, “It’s not fair - I can’t eat anything I like any more!”

I knew this day was coming. He’s been a trooper the past year, accepting his new lifestyle with a positive attitude. Up to this point his desire to grow and get healthy overrode any frustration. But now he was feeling reality.

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I was planning out my month the other day and as I looked at the calendar I realized there are a good many hurdles ahead of me. Immediately I felt overwhelmed and had to take a deep breath as anxiety worked hard to steal my confidence. I began doubting my ability to deliver the tasks at hand. My mind was then paralyzed from any constructive thought or action.

Later that morning I met with a friend who began sharing with me some books she had read on positive thinking and lent me one of them. She’s a highly accomplished individual so I quickly began reading, trying to tap into any insights and encouragement I could find. The principles they taught had a great deal of wisdom behind them. I began applying some of them immediately and was amazed to find how much more I was able to accomplish.

This got me thinking about the many arguments I’ve heard in the past that such practices are “new age” and should be avoided.