willpower vs. willingness

rather than willpower
which tends to have a negative connotation
and usually means success or failure
with not much in between

think in terms of willingness
understanding your behavior
learning to practice self care
making inquiries with an open mind
resolving those underlying conflicts
using all that you have to live

willingness = not avoiding
and it’s a far more valuable ally

you cannot control events or change them
but you can control your reactions to them
you decide, you’re in charge

questions:
1. what is “the next step” that you’ve been avoiding?
2. what keeps you from just going after it?
3. other than eating, what do you do to avoid?
4. how can you create a life that is so fabulous you don’t want to avoid it?!

do it today
give yourself a chance today
don’t throw away the opportunity of today
don’t decide you won’t try today
“just do it” (nike)

remember, today is not promised 
“we must live each day as if it were the only one we had” (elisabeth kubler-ross)

today does matter
“how much of human life is lost in waiting” (ralph waldo emerson)

regarding personal issues . . . 
what to do with them, about them?

there is fear around opening the floodgates
but we can approach our issues one at a time, in doable amounts

we all have “issues”
they are part of the human condition
as fellow human beings, we are all on the same page, on the same path

the difference is how they manifest in our lives

and there is an added difficulty when your issues manifest in food-related ways
they are visible to the outside world
society is able to witness some of your pain
and, since it is publicly displayed, it can become an “issue” in itself
then there is one more thing to work on, to deal with

but rarely are the problems about food or eating

they’re about finding answers to the questions that you have
learning to confront those emotions that you’re hiding from
feeling good about yourself
living a better life

i would like for all of you to be at your individual “happy weight”
but even more . . .
i want you to truly appreciate how unique and valuable and interesting you are
i want you to take good care of yourselves
and say nice things to yourselves

i want you to find and nurture your essence