There is a lot going on in the world. More issues to focus on than we have the bandwidth to possibly process. How do we choose? What do we do? How do we help? And how do we not feel like giving in under the weight of the issues and just retreat in defeat?
I have been actively working on my own personal development for almost 17 years now, and I have to say, I believe everything starts and ends with US. We can’t keep looking outward at the issues before we go inward and resolve what’s coming up for us time and time again.
The world is a byproduct of its citizens. Our countries, cities, towns and villages are made up of people. The health of those people–mental, emotional and physical–makes up the moral structure, the values and the beliefs of a society.
What I have come to realize is that if I truly want to create change in the world, it starts with me, in my home, in my personal relationships and with my thoughts.
Something I have been diligently trying to improve is my knee-jerk reaction to things. I am a recovering blamer and so, I tend to want to find the reason or the person for whom I can blame my circumstances. I am a work in progress and I’m certainly not alone. Just recently, I shared with a student of mine that if they chose to blame their family member for all that has gone wrong in their life, then they also needed to be grateful to them for everything that’s gone right, too. The point here is that we can’t pick-and-choose when it comes to blame–if we are going to give our power away, we have to give it ALL away. And if we are, instead, going to remember that we alone are responsible for our lives, then we have to take responsibility for ALL of it–the so-called “good”, the so-called “bad”, and everything in between.
Recently, I had a HUGE breakthrough in my relationship with my mother. As with all personal development, I didn’t need my mom to change a single thing (or even know I was working on anything!); this work is all an inside job. So, I shared with an amazing healer that my mother valued things over people; money over relationships; appearances over the truth. And do you know what this healer told me? She said, “GOOD!! You had the exact mother you were supposed to have! She taught you to be wealthy. She taught you to value money, because money has value in the physical realm. GOOD. Thank her! Be GRATEFUL for her! She wasn’t supposed to be the lovey-dovey mom who doted on you and listened to your every woe. You wouldn’t be who you are if she was that way! That was not her JOB. She has fulfilled her role perfectly. So, thank her. Love her. And realize that she is a spiritual being wearing the cloak of ‘your mother’, but she had a much bigger role to play.”
WOW.
Yet another layer of the onion falling to the ground, allowing me to lighten up and free myself just a little more. I wept as a way to let go of the vision of the relationship I’d always wished I’d had and make space for the immense feelings of gratitude that welled up inside. For all she did to prepare me for the world; for the sacrifices she made; for the lessons she offered and for all she means to me, I wept.
And then I called her to ask about her day and to tell her I love her.
I think that’s how we do it.
We start inside. We work on healing ourselves–mentally, emotionally and physically. And we extend that healing into our families, our relationships, into our communities and, then, into our towns, villages, cities, countries and our world. We stay mindful that in each and every moment, we have choices to make and that the very first one is the way we choose to react to what’s happening inside our own lives.
Let’s all seek to heal our stuff and in this way, we heal the world.
Because I want you to love your life one bite at a time.
P.S. So, what do we do after we’ve tended to our own stuff? If we want to be in the arena, having the conversations, we need to be clear about our values and our beliefs, and that takes educating ourselves on the issues we want to pursue. And that means listening to others who have opinions different from ours as a way to see all sides. From there, it’s about having civil discourse and the confidence to say, as Sister Joan Chittister guides us, “I think differently about that.” Listen in as Sister Joan takes us to church on what REALLY matters most. https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/d/sister-joan-chittister-on-why-its-important-to-find-the-courage-to-speak-up/vp-AABNRrR
P.P.S. If you’d like to work on your own development around food, sugar, weight, and body image, I’ve put together a 12 week program that gets to the root of our worthiness issues and we develop a plan together that will help you to treat your body with greater compassion, love and respect. It’s awesome. And I’d love for you to experience it. One Bite At A Time. Visit OBAATCoaching.com to learn more. Registration for my next round will open soon.
P.P.P.S. If you’d like to learn a little more about me and the things we focus on, I did a live training recently called:“The Truth About Sugar and How To Live A Life Of Freedom Around Food.”
P.P.P.P.S. If you’d like to prioritize your health for 14 days, I’d love for you to sign up for my 14 Days of Wellness. Simply enter your name and email address up on the right to begin receiving the messages today. It’s FREE, with no diets, products, challenges or catches…just a chance to remember how amazing you are…for 14 days.
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