We are one week into our journey! How are you doing? Is it easier or more difficult than expected? Are you feeling any shifts — emotionally, physically, spiritually? I know it’s early in the game, but sometimes the push-off can be dramatic, making us aware of our habits and triggers. And awareness is a big part of this transformation process. Take a look back at your journal from this past week, if you’ve been keeping one, and see what your days looked like. I’ll give you a few insights into mine:<\/p>\n
Things were not as peaceful or as mindful as I would have hoped. Home life was crazy; work was crazier. And\u00a0sometimes I am my own worst enemy, making things more difficult than they need to be by getting in my own way. I plan to go for a walk but I haven’t taken the time to get out my winter boots and hat, so before I can go anywhere I have to dig through boxes in the basement and through baskets in the hall closet. By the time I was ready to leave I was frustrated and about ready to quit. I get up early to do some yoga, but struggle to get the Apple TV going because I never commit the dreaded remote-control routine to memory. I pack\u00a0breakfast and lunch to take to the office but race through work at such a frantic pace that I forget to stop for breakfast at all. I did manage to eat my lunches more mindfully this week, even when I was splurging and eating a big plate of eggs and grits with friends in the office dining room on Friday. Laughing with them and being away from my desk was as nourishing as the delicious food, a reminder that what feeds us is not necessarily confined to our plate. In fact, most often it has nothing to do with what’s on our plate!<\/p>\n
This past week I definitely feel like I had a few take-aways:<\/p>\n
Now we begin week two, Chapter 2 of Cravings<\/em><\/a>: Dieting Delusion: Food Is Not the Enemy<\/em>. As we move through this chapter, stop to think about the diets you’ve tried over the course of your lifetime. I’m sitting here shaking my head as I write this just thinking about some of the crazy plans I’ve tried over the years. In the end, none of them really worked. Why? Because those were just temporary patches, surface changes not meant to last, and everything hinged on the almighty scale. Sometimes it still does. Which is why I’m here, and maybe why you’re here.<\/p>\n From Chapter 2:<\/p>\n Even today, the control myth can take hold of me. I can feel totally confident and positive about myself and my life if my clothes fit a little bit loose and the scale shows me the right number. A few pounds in the wrong direction an my mood, my day, my life can take on the aura of unhappiness and dissatisfaction, not only with my looks but with just about everything. And that’s the crux of what we’re dealing with here. Whether we have to lose a hundred pounds or ten pounds, our self-worth should not \u2014\u00a0cannot \u2014\u00a0hang on a number or a diet plan. It has to be rooted in something deeper, something true, if we can ever hope to put a stop to these endless efforts to mold ourselves into someone else’s image of beauty or health or perfection. The first step toward that freedom is the acknowledgment, in the words of Alcoholics Anonymous, that only “a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This week, as you keep your journal and take note of your moods and foods, start paying more attention to your beliefs about yourself. What is the tape that plays on endless loop in your head? Does your self-worth teeter from one extreme to another based on superficial changes or events? What are your triggers? Can you push\u00a0pause when you feel\u00a0things starting to head in the wrong direction? \u00a0Try to pull yourself back from the brink. Breathe, say a quick prayer, grab your journal, go for a walk, do something to shift the playing field and try a different approach. After all, the old ways haven’t been working, right?<\/p>\n If you have a minute, check in and let me know how you’re doing here in the comment section. If you have questions, feel free to ask them. If you don’t have Cravings<\/em> and you need more information, tell me that as well. And if you just have a story to share, please do so.<\/p>\n Oh, and before I go, I have to announce the winners of the book giveaway! Two people were randomly selected from those who filled out and submitted the online form for official membership in the Cravings Tribe. Each will receive a copy of my book Everyday Divine: A Catholic Guide to Active Spirituality.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>I will contact you directly by email to get a mailing address. And the winners are….drumroll, please…<\/p>\n Amy S. of Lafayette, La., and Kathleen A. of Lakewood, Pa. Congratulations!<\/p>\n And, now, here’s your musical inspiration for the week. I wanna see you be BRAVE!<\/p>\n