OMG!! I can't believe it's been a week since I've last blogged. Wonderful Rockn' Purpose followers.. will you please forgive me? I'm so excited for this journey, words can't even express the gratitude that I have for all of your stories that you wrote to me over the past few days. I hear you. I see you and I understand your pain.
The passion for transformation is true. Our desire to be healthy, wealthy and whole is real and often seems distant and unattainable.
I was recently looking at Jennifer Hudson's ads for her Weight Watcher's campaign and I wonder what it would be like to hear the REAL STORY of why she chose to say yes to that opportunity.
I'm certain there are monetary and co-branding exchanges that every business person desires but my heart can't help but to remember when she was on American Idol and that wonderful judge Simon said to her... (paraphrased) You don't look the part. You aren't thin enough to be the part. America will NOT embrace someone that looks like you. WOW!!!
Was I the only one that was shocked, stunned and overtaken by such harsh words? I remember being a young girl in 5th grade and weighing 110lbs. I was scared to do our public weigh ins with the nurse, I was teased by other children because I didn't look like every other thin, young and bouncy girl in my class. I was different and the difference was not celebrated but taunted.
The taunting became a haunting inside of me. While I'm 32 years old today and my drive, energy and passion in this program is real, so is the taunting.
Each time I am scheduled to meet with Heather King, my nutritionist with Spectrum Health Clubs to go over my food choices - good, bad and indifferent... the fear rises. Will she yell at me, will she call me Fatty, Fatso, Lard Butt? Will she discuss my differences to the world as though it's something bad and unacceptable. It's funny because if you knew Heather, you'd know that she would never speak that way to me or to any of her clients but that doesn't stop the fear from Chapter 10 in my life that began on a playground, in recess, in Social Studies or even in the lunch room of my elementary school.
I don't know where you stand in the this journey but I want you to know the negative chatter has an OFF SWITCH. You have the power of choice to begin a NEW CHAPTER!
Acceptance is not about being skinny, sexy, alluring or even a certain size. Acceptance begins from within. Whether the conversation is weight, promotion on your job, creating a new business, whatever current desires may be...our initial place of advancement has to begin with a challenging look in the mirror to know and accept the authentic, true and real parts of who we've been marvelously created to be.
Statistics show us that over 190 million Americans are dealing with the disease of Obesity. I beg to differ. The daunting epidemic of EXCESS in our lives exists with each and every one of us. Excess in our spirits, our souls, excess in debt and even excess in self-doubt and fear. The issue of OBESITY does not just live in our weight challenges.
Confessional: I've been on the road for the past 10 days and when I began the journey, I had my protein shakes packed, I stopped for deli meet, fresh veggies and everything I could think of to be healthy. The longer the days became and the more tired I was mentally and physically, I started to make unhealthy choices. My excuse, I deserve it. You've put in a hard day, encouraging others to change their lives and choose differently. Here's a reward for you.
HMPH!!
The question I had to ask myself was, "When will you believe that you deserve a reward that DOES NOT DAMAGE YOU?" Yes, I ask myself the hard questions. As I move forward in this journey, it's not fair for me to be the teacher and not the student as well. I had to remove myself from the coach, the speaker, the author, the teacher and sit on the other side of the classroom as the student.
I've decided that the best way to release agreements with the taunting of my past and fears that I'll never fully understand how to make healthy choices for my life (in every area) is to begin a new reward system; rewards that add value to my life.
PARTICIPATION: I want to hear from YOU! What are the rewards that you believe would be good for you and I? As "we" embrace this wonderful love fest of a
challenge, what can we do to celebrate our successes and stay present to the challenges so that we can OVERCOME? You can post your answers here and now on this blogsite and let's see what exciting suggestions we get from all over the world.
I am your Sister in Possiblity and your Partner in Holistic Success!
Allyson
You know, I think I deserve a lot of rewards that damage me...food, cigarettes, alcohol, just sitting around and doing nothing...I'm anxious to hear other people's ideas about positive rewards so that I can start enacting them in my own life.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate you Allyson for allowing us to peek into your life and see behind the curtain. Thank you for helping all of us see that we are not alone in life, as well as our own individual journeys to health and wellness. I'm excited to join you!
ReplyDeleteI find your words so true to my heart. I was so inspired by you when you spoke at the NKF conference in San Antonio. It is so wonderful to hear someone speak so openly about wieght. I to live with the fears that you have stated. I remember all of the years of taunting in school.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I am still not the "ideal" wieght. I do understand that first we must accept ourselfs and relieze that if we have a strong faith in our father it can begin to lighten our souls which and help us enlighten ourselves to have our own positive rewards.