Spirit

Lose to Win

Remove the blessing blockers and win big!

by Brandi Harvey

When I was a freshman in college, I had a professor named Dr. Lee. He was vegan, wore his hair locked, and was always eating fruit. I thought this man was the epitome of strange. One day during a class discussion, Dr. Lee talked about why he didn’t eat anything that had parents or any animal byproducts. He said he never chewed gum or used brand-name deodorant because they contained chemicals that were known to cause cancer.

I was sitting in the back of the class laughing at him, thinking he was a complete joke. After he completed his laundry list of things he didn’t eat, I raised my hand. Hoping to get a laugh out of the class, I asked sarcastically, “So, what do you eat?” His response was simple: “I eat food.” There I sat with the dumbest look on my face. The joke was on me.

I walked back to my dorm thinking this man was a complete idiot. I thought about all the ways I could withdraw from his class. Dr. Lee wasn’t equipped to teach me. I mean, the man didn’t eat meat, use regular deodorant, or chew gum. What was wrong with him? I would much rather die, gripping my box of Popeyes, than be subjected to the teachings of a man who had lost his mind and his taste buds.

Fast-forward 17 years. Here I am with locked hair, haven’t chewed gum in years, use natural deodorants, and don’t eat anything that had parents. It is incredible how time will teach us all the things we have to lose in order to win in our lives.

Dr. Lee and his beliefs seemed so foreign to me as a teenager. The more I became

committed to my health and wellness, the more I started reading about the effects of food on our bodies. I began uncovering all the dangerous chemicals and cancer-causing ingredients that were infiltrating our body products, toiletries, and food supply. Dr. Lee was right all along.

Often when I speak to groups, I get asked the same question that I asked Dr. Lee. Many people tell me all the things they will never be able to give up and let go of in their lives. They say they would much rather die happy and satisfied than live deprived. I smile and nod, thinking that I, too, shared those beliefs once upon a time.

Losing some of our beliefs doesn’t mean we turn our back on our family or all the things that have made us colorfully human. Losing some things means we are making room for God’s goodness in our lives. Losing doesn’t always mean defeat; sometimes it is the set-up for our triumphant victory.

Never in a million years would I have thought I would be living a plant-based lifestyle. When I started down the path over five years ago, it was rocky. I couldn’t fully commit and I fell off numerous times and thought I wasn’t disciplined enough to see it through. The more I felt I lost, the more I was pushed to win.

To win, you have to lose the story you keep telling yourself. Those stories usually begin and end with excuses. They keep us stuck at the intersection of stagnant and complacent. For us to have next-level blessings, we have to lose the blessing blockers in our lives.

Dr. Lee planted a seed in my life that day that took time to blossom. Over the years, I had to lose my ego, my beliefs on health, and the way I showed love to myself. Losing these things didn’t take anything away from me, they just added more to who God was calling me to be.

The journey beyond begins the moment we become okay with losing those things that no longer serve us. Be it food, relationships, or a career, our lives should be a reflection of our constant strivings to reach higher. Eat your fruits and vegetables, drink your water, and keep calm. Our greatness is just waiting for us to start losing, so we can start winning big.

23 Comment

Join the discussion and tell us your opinion.

  1. Hi Brandy I love what I have read, I would love to go down that path but I need help how do I start

  2. Hello Brandy

    your story Bless me. I’m starting today with an positive out look on everything im going to change. Thank you so much.

  3. Hello brandy my mind has gained a great deal of knowledge and understanding from your message.I’ve had my fair share of losses and bad luck, but thew it all God has been there for me. Ive let go of so much in my life be it family, friends, relationships, and just forgiving and trying to assist people when I can. Now that im homeless there is no help from any of those people. I’m praying that God restores my drive to my goals and my direction in life. After reading this its time to give up on some of the foods that I love. I know its going to be hard but I gave up on starchy foods for 30 days I can try to refrain from eating somethings child lol. Again thanks for the inspiration and continue to be blessed and encourage others.

  4. Hi Brandi,

    Can you please share some of the information regarding the ingredients we put in our body?

  5. Hello, This is so true! And I will be sharing this page with my friends and family. My vegan journey started a year ago. I have been doing great with it. I lost 23 pounds and of course I’ve maintained it because I stick with it. Ig@sirenasstyles will posting about this today. Thank you!

  6. Thank you. The words are very comforting and motivating.
    I look forward to being in great shape on time for Christmas.

  7. Awesome to hear about your new outlook on life. I’m also in the mist of making that change. Food is a great start. If we can change how we eat. We change anything. Stay the course! Continue to keep others encouraged!

  8. Hi Brandi, I love what I just read and it’s not hard for me to give up eating food that’s not good for because the food will make me I’ll. I drank water fruits and vegetables and that’s my respond when people’s ask me what I eat. I say I eat food.

  9. It will b nice to read something each day to keep yur spirit up. Thnkz.

  10. I love your testimony. Great inspiration

  11. I have tried using natural deodorants and haven’t found one that works on me. I strictly use clinical strength deodorant with baby powder under my breasts to make sure I’m odor free. I’m 57 years old hormones maybe the problem. I drink 2 quarts of water with limes daily. Very clean organic food daily. Anyone else have this problem with switching deodorants.

  12. Life lessons; what powerful information to live by! Thank You Brandi!!!

  13. You are so Amazing!!!! Thank You

  14. Brandi, I appreciate what you are doing
    to get people to move in the right direction of improving their health.
    Thanks for the tips that you have
    provided. I feel that I have a lot of tips
    to get me on the right path.

  15. Hi Brandi.. A wise man is Dr Lee. Lessons learned sometime take years to apply in our livelihoods. I am 71years old. And, I have founded to be victorious at whatever – it takes -making a commitment to our God first…, in such that we as individuals will be obedience in his(God) eyes; not to disrespect, mistrust, or stop caring about oneself ever again at whatever we are trying to achieve.

  16. Beautiful article and very meaningful!!!
    Blessings!

  17. Reading your message has totally blessed my heart. It is an eye opener as well. I agree if we can stop thinking what we can’t do without and actually do without it then we’d be better off healthier and intelligent men and women of God. To have an abundance life we must first give God is totally so that we can line up with his work equally. Thanks for your great sharing and I look forward to many more. Be blessed on your journey.

  18. thank you Brandi Harvey for sharing your personal life experience. It could be my next challenge too ! why not ?

  19. Brandi you are absolutely beautiful

  20. This was beautiful, thanks for sharing.

  21. Hi Brandi, you are brave and beautiful and encourage you to keep it up. My journey as a vegetarian was a rocky one because it began with me being Rastafarian and it was quickly associated with my weed smoking habit (not knowing that I smoked weed long before becoming Rasta).
    My entire family was against it and were not even prepared to know Y I’ve decided to stop eating meat and any animal products. It was very hard and emotionally draining since I was still living at home with them.

  22. Hello Brandy. I think you are amazing person. Wished I could meet you so you can tell me what I need to do.

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