Loving Yourself Thin

I am still making my way through Geneen Roth's Women Food and God

and I keep finding all kinds of wisdom nuggets. It is a wonderful book that really gets to the heart of emotional eating.

Here is the quote that got me thinking today:

"Although the very notion that hatred leads to love and that torture leads to relaxation is absolutely insane, we hypnotize ourselves into believing that the end justifies the means. We treat ourselves and the rest of the world as if deprivation, punishment and shame lead to change. We treat our bodies as if they are the enemy and the only acceptable outcome is annihilation. Our deeply ingrained belief is that hatred and torture work. And although I've never met anyone - not one person - for whom warring with their bodies led to long lasting change, we continue to believe that with a little more self-disgust, we'll prevail."

When I read that passage it cut right to the bone. How many times have we looked in the mirror with hatred at the reflection staring back at us? How many times have we looked down at our stomach or our thighs and shuddered with disgust? How many times have we made derogatory comments about our bodies to our girlfriends?

So often we tend to beat ourselves up. We are never thin enough, pretty enough, or perfect enough. It is only when we begin to accept ourselves for who we are on the outside and well on the inside that we can begin to see a shift in our attitude and amazingly we see a shift in our weight as well.

I've worked with women who were so hard on themselves and when I would bring up this topic it seemed so foreign to them. They couldn't imagine loving themselves just as they are...they are fat, they are lumpy, they are ugly...don't you see?!

It is only when I get them to look deeper, to see who they are beneath the exterior that they can see that yes, they are perfect just the way they are. It may only last a brief moment, but that moment is the beginning of the shift. It takes time but soon enough they catch their reflection in the mirror and instead of being repulsed, they think, hmmm, not so bad. And soon after that, they start smiling at themselves in the mirror and before long they are truly happy with what they see. And all the while, the pounds seem to melt away.

My words are from experience. I've been living this truth for a while now and I can honestly say that the majority of the time I look into the mirror and like what I see. I am not perfect. I could definitely lose some more weight and firm up but I don't focus on that anymore and let me tell you, it is freeing. I am happier and I am content. Because I am appreciating my body and loving it, I want to feed it good foods. It's no longer a struggle or a battle or a exercise in deprivation. It's just what I do.

So, if you are stuck in a negative relationship with your body, begin to find the things you love about yourself and focus on them. Make it a daily exercise and be gentle with yourself. Treat yourself like you would a small child and see if it makes a difference.

Thankful Thursday!

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.

-- Eileen Caddy

In an effort to share a bit of the joy and laughter Eileen speaks of above, this blog will be dedicated to moments of gratitude each Thursday. I invite you to share the things you find yourself most thankful for throughout the week.

Just send note, a photograph or both to me by noon on Wednesdays to be featured on Thankful Thursday. If you didn't get a chance to submit your thankful moment this week, don't let that stop you. Just leave a comment down below. I am so excited to be able to share these special moments with all of you!
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I love yoga! Seriously I just love it. A while back I was doing yoga at my health club about twice a week. I would leave the club feeling so good.

Then I got sick. I got some strange virus that made it difficult for me to do much of anything. It lasted about 6 months and I put my membership on hold.

I got better and could have gone back to the gym but I never did. I don't know why. I know I had some good excuses...the woman who taught the class was gone and the I heard the new girl was no good, I was too busy, I don't know, I just didn't go back.

A couple of weeks ago one of my friends introduced me to 40 Days to Personal Revolution. In the past I always stayed away from books about yoga. It didn't seem like it would be something I would be able to do easily or something I would enjoy. But this time I felt differently. I was drawn to it.

So today I am on Day 4 of my personal revolution. I am thrilled with it. I love waking up and spending a few minutes meditating and then jumping right onto the mat to wake up my body with the beautiful yoga moves.

When I finish the session my body is humming with energy and I feel like I could burst with energy and excitement. I have gotten more done in the last four days and I have felt good doing it all.

So that is what I am thankful for this Thursday! What are you thankful for? Scroll down and leave a comment.

Thankful Thursday!

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you. -- Eileen Caddy

In an effort to share a bit of the joy and laughter Eileen speaks of above, this blog will be dedicated to moments of gratitude each Thursday.

I invite you to share the things you find yourself most thankful for throughout the week. Just send note, a photograph or both to me by noon on Wednesdays to be featured on Thankful Thursday.

If you didn't get a chance to submit your thankful moment this week, don't let that stop you. Just leave a comment down below. I am so excited to be able to share these special moments with all of you!


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I am a mother of a seven year old autistic boy. Since his diagnosis four years ago, life has really taken turns I never imagined. I'll admit there are days when I'd like to wish all the difficulties away. Going places like the mall, or a movie theater, and even a restaurant are at times impossible. The stares and comments about my "misbehaved" child almost seem too much to bear.

I have no doubt that I was given this child directly from God. He is the most amazing individual I have ever met. Who do you know, at such a young age, could be given so many obstacles to overcome and to do it with so much enthusiasm? He is one of the most admired people in my life. If he didn't have this disability I don't believe I would have the honor to truly know this fantastic little boy. What was impossible yesterday is a reality today. That makes me happy. It tells me that he's going to be the best he can be.

I feel I am blessed with the ability to see the strength in happiness. It allows me to focus on the little things that will add up to the fulfilling life that I desire. I am reminded of the movie The Lion King. In it, one of the characters said, "you can either run from it, or learn from it". My son is my greatest teacher.

-Siobhan Arnott

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Have you noticed that the world is engulfed in this blanket of negativity and a doomsday attitude? Everywhere you look there is something horrible. The news is one bad thing after another, television shows are filled with cheating, stealing, lying, killing, and hatred. Even the funny shows have children that are disrespectful and irresponsible.

Albert Einstein once said that the most important decision you'll ever make is to decide whether you live in a supportive universe or a universe that is hostile. The power is this statement comes from our perception. When we believe the universe is out to get us, we see things in a negative way and we respond accordingly. This is the media's model of the universe.

When we see the universe as supportive and friendly,we begin to see the little events that occur, like someone holding the door open for a woman with her hands full or a shining employee that has a smile and a kind word for every customer. This shift in perspective uplifts us and bring us joy and in turn we begin to radiate that attitude out to those around us. This is the model of the world I am striving for.

When the above Thankful Thursday contribution came in, I was so moved that Siobhan would share her beautiful thoughts with me and all of you. It reinforced my belief of a supportive universe and inspired me to keep sharing these moments of gratitude with you so that you may experience life from this place of gratitude if only for a moment out of your day.

So my gratitude goes out to all of you who have contributed to these Thankful Thursday posts and who have read it. I invite you to share the energy of this supportive universe with you friends and family today. And don't forget to send me your thoughts for next weeks post.

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you. -- Eileen Caddy

In an effort to share a bit of the joy and laughter Eileen speaks of above, this blog will be dedicated to moments of gratitude each Thursday.

I invite you to share the things you find yourself most thankful for throughout the week. Just send note, a photograph or both to me by noon on Wednesdays to be featured on Thankful Thursday.

If you didn't get a chance to submit your thankful moment this week, don't let that stop you. Just leave a comment down below. I am so excited to be able to share these special moments with all of you!
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This week I am so thankful for all of the learning opportunities I have on the internet. It is so amazing to me how easy it is to connect with so many people from all over the world and to gain their knowledge and insight.

I have been learning about spirituality, forgiveness, healing, self hypnosis, law of attraction, the power of the mind in relation to weight loss, shadow work, compression and expansion, and so much more. All of this in one week! Some of these things I resonate with and others I do not. But the amazing thing is I have access to it at the click of a mouse. So cool!

Through these connections I have been able to do some real healing this week and to feel inspired to continue to create the life I desire. It has been so inspirational and I encourage all of you to search out your group of people to connect with. If you like art, stamp collecting, gardening, or Elvis, there are people just like you!

For you women out there you might want to check out the Inspiring Women Summit. It has already started but once you register you can listen to the pre recorded calls and even download them for free.

To be honest, I haven't listened to any of them yet because I've been busy listening to calls that have a time limit on them. I have downloaded them for future enjoyment though. The topics range from leadership, spirituality, sensuality, empowerment and relationships. I expect to find some nuggets of wisdom in these.

Searching for Happiness

You’ve got to love kids! This morning I was driving my teenager to school and I had my 2 youngest sons in the car with me and we were chatting. My 9 year old says, “Mom, next year I will be closer to having a new school.” I laughed because here he is in third grade and he is already thinking about getting into sixth grade.

We talked a bit about the next two years in his elementary school and then I told him, “Well Liam, just enjoy your time in this school because once you get out, you can never go back.” I went on to say that it is important to focus on every moment that you are living because when you do that, it makes that moment the best ever.

Do you know what his answer was? It’s really so funny. He said, “So this moment, sitting in the car is the best moment of my life?” I smiled to myself about the simplicity and honesty of children and then I replied, “Well, yes, actually. We are alive, we have a car to sit in, it’s a nice day, and we love each other. What could be better than that right?”

At that point he let out a big sigh and said in his truly happy voice, “Yeah Mommy!”

How often do we sit and wish for something more, for something better? It seems we are always chasing happiness, looking for the perfect moment when we will finally achieve that happiness. I have been guilty of this myself and I know that there will never be a perfect moment or perfect circumstances. Every moment has the potential to be perfect depending on your perception.

This was proven to me recently when I was in Miami for a conference. I had set aside a half of a day to be by myself and I sat on the beach for a while just soaking in the sun and then I decided to go for a walk. I walked about a mile on the beach and enjoyed seeing the sights and listening to the waves.

I knew I had to get back so I could make my plane so I decided to walk along the boardwalk on the way back. It wasn’t as nice as walking on the beach but it was more practical. As I walked along I was looking around and kind of wishing I was back on the beach. It was so much nicer there.

But then I shifted my perspective and I started feeling how the warm sun felt on my body. I zeroed in on all the sounds that were around me and I really saw the people and the things that surrounded me. I took a deep breath and got a full sense of the smells that were wafting around me. I got in touch with my senses and I fully immersed myself in the moment.

Do you know that it was like a surreal moment? It was almost as if time stopped. It was the most amazing experience, one that I haven’t even shared with anyone because I wasn’t sure I could explain it and do it justice. In that moment I was filled with the most amazing gratitude for that exact moment and tears began streaming down my face. It only lasted for a brief moment but it was powerful and showed me the power of living in the moment.

As Eckhart Tolle says in his book, A New Earth, “How to be at peace now? By making peace with the present moment. The present moment is the field on which the game of life happens. It cannot happen anywhere else. Once you have made peace with the present moment, see what happens, what you can do or choose to do, or rather what life does through you.”

I encourage you to practice living in each and every moment of your life and see how it changes things. Leave me a comment below to tell me how the experiment goes for you.

Thankful Thursday

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you. -- Eileen Caddy

In an effort to share a bit of the joy and laughter Eileen speaks of above, this blog will be dedicated to moments of gratitude each Thursday.

I invite you to share the things you find yourself most thankful for throughout the week. Just send note, a photograph or both to me by noon on Wednesdays to be featured on Thankful Thursday.

If you didn't get a chance to submit your thankful moment this week, don't let that stop you. Just leave a comment down below. I am so excited to be able to share these special moments with all of you!
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I am thankful for my new haircut. I got a mohawk and I got my baseball number carved on the back. Now when I go to school everyone is calling me number 7. I like it.

Liam age 9
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I am thankful for my gecko Rocco. He is cool looking. I like to take him out of his cage and let him crawl on me.

Aidan, age 7

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Last weekend I was lucky enough to take a trip to Florida with my hubby. We got last minute tickets on Spirit Airlines for $37 each way. We called my mom and she agreed to watch the kids and then I called my dad and he said we could stay at his place in Florida. Everything fell into place effortlessly.

We had a relaxing trip. We hit the beach and the pool when it was sunny and we stayed in and talked and read when it was raining. We saw a couple of movies, ate some amazing meals and just connected. It was fabulous!

Michelle

Thankful Thursday

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you. -- Eileen Caddy

In an effort to share a bit of the joy and laughter Eileen speaks of above, this blog will be dedicated to moments of gratitude each Thursday.

I invite you to share the things you find yourself most thankful for throughout the week. Just send note, a photograph or both to me by noon on Wednesdays to be featured on Thankful Thursday.

If you didn't get a chance to submit your thankful moment this week, don't let that stop you. Just leave a comment down below. I am so excited to be able to share these special moments with all of you!
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I am thankful for Facebook...for me, it's given my authentic identity a re-birth :)

Kim Kogut Bronk

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I am thankful that I was able to spend the whole day with my dad yesterday during his experimental drug infusion for Alzheimer's. We watched Second-Hand Lions while we were waiting, and he enjoyed it thoroughly.

Melissa Kaiser

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I woke up this morning to the sounds of birds chirping. I looked out my window at the fresh, green earth, trees in blossom, and a parade of hyacinths, daffodils and tulips; it felt great to be alive. After saying good morning to Mom and my little bird, Pookie , I made a cup of coffee and went outside. What greeted me was a wheel barrow full of dirt clods, mud encrusted work gloves and shoes, shovels, rakes, edgers and other assorted yard tools, myriad plants in pots waiting to be planted, and a trail of dirt that led across the driveway and all the way up the front sidewalk. Where do I start?

The fact that I'd spent the past few days planting, edging and moving a whole lot of dirt didn't change the fact that there was still a lot left to do. My back was aching and my legs were sore but still . . I felt happy. I realized just how lucky I am to be able to be outside working in the garden on such a beautiful day. I felt grateful to be able to fulfill Mom's passion for the garden — she is 88 and can't get down on her knees anymore, but she can enjoy the garden through my efforts. All the more reason to be grateful that I still have the physical capacity and energy to get the job done.

It is 6:00 PM and the garden is shaping up. I am tired but jubilant, and Mom is excited to see things popping out of the ground. Tomorrow is another day, but already there is much joy in it. These are the grateful moments I wanted to share with you.

Pam Pulice

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I am thankful that spring is here. I am so lucky to be able to drive down this street that is lined with these gorgeous trees. I love waking up to the sound of the birds singing, and the sun, oh the sun! It is so great to have it back, shining down and warming me. I can't tell you how thrilled it makes me to see a blue sky instead of the dreary grey one that I have grown so accustomed to over the winter. It's glorious. There is something about the air in spring. It is full of inspiration and excitement. It makes me want to do a happy, spring dance!

Michelle Geoffroy
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Thankful Thursday

Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you. -- Eileen Caddy

In an effort to share a bit of the joy and laughter Eileen speaks of above, this blog will be dedicated to moments of gratitude each Thursday.

I invite you to share the things you find yourself most thankful for throughout the week. Just send note, a photograph or both to me by noon on Wednesdays to be featured on Thankful Thursday.

If you didn't get a chance to submit your thankful moment this week, don't let that stop you. Just leave a comment down below. I am so excited to be able to share these special moments with all of you!

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This week I am most thankful that no one on my street was hurt when a young, 19 year old boy crashed into a tree while he was driving drunk.

Normally there are kids all over the neighborhood outside playing. Within a 10 house radius there are over 25 kids and they are always out playing ball, riding bikes and all that fun stuff.

On Tuesday, the only one out there was my 7 year old. He was playing basketball in the driveway. He came running in and told me what had happened. I went outside right away and it was immediately apparent that the boy was altered in some way. A neighbor called the police and the boy was arrested. The above picture was taken over an hour after the accident happened.

I couldn't help but be grateful that my son's basketball didn't roll out into the street while the boy barreled down the block. It was quite apparent he was going very fast by the looks of the car. It was totalled.

As I stood by watching what happened one of the neighborhood teenagers said, "Thank God no one got hurt. This would have been a whole nother situation." Truer words were never spoken. It really makes you think about what is important and how things can change in a blink of an eye.

That night as I tucked the boys in bed we sat and talked for a little longer than normal. I just didn't want to let it end, so grateful for having them.