Peace in 2008

Happy New Year 2008! A blog wouldn't be complete without some thoughts about resolutions. For my personal resolutions, I tend to shy away from huge behavior changes and instead lean toward positive affirmations and to continue my own journey of more love, less fear.

Some recent thoughts or mantras:

* Everyone has a story. Release judgment, focus on flexibility.
* Release anxiety and worry, open yourself to love and possibility.
* Gentle grace.
* Let in love.
* Give thanks.

These are just a few thoughts that have popped up recently in my life and in my own daily writing exercise. I'll piggyback Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, and suggest her daily writing exercise. This ritual works wonders:

* Write this sentence and fill in the blank: "I really really really want...." Don't be afraid to write everything and anything.
* Write your happiest moment of everyday. Let it remind you of what truly nourishes you.
* Write your daily mantra. It can change from day to day, or it can remain the same all week long. You can have one mantra or ten. Make it positive. Let in the love.

Peace in 2008.

Oprah, we use our spirit wars to prey on our own flesh!

Good evening. Well, I'm in Chicago training for a new job, and well, if I'm in Chicago, guess who's on my mind? Oprah! If anyone knows how to get tickets to her show, please let me know! I'll drop everything and anything to go anytime! Recently, I even had a dream I went to Harpo, so maybe I'm getting closer!

In the meantime, I just sent the Oprah team my thoughts, and believe me, this isn't the first time. But, I'll keep trying. Wonder if they read them?


Dear Oprah team,

I'm writing to express my continuous gratitude for the messages you send and to propose and idea.

I'm a single 26-year-old woman who's just trying to "figure it out" along with everyone else. One of the greatest tools I use is journaling. When I was 11 or 12 years old, I remember watching Oprah on the floor of my family den; Oprah mentioned the best advice she could give was to keep a journal, and I've had one ever since.

Writing is like breathing to me, and I'm grateful to have this creative and therapeutic outlet to seek my own truth. Luckily, through my soul-searching-writing I've discovered my passion to raise awareness of the mind/body connection. I want more people, and especially women, to respect and listen to their bodies.

Sure, we can talk about celebs' eating disorders, but what about the millions of real women suffering from bad body image and disconnect? Let's seek the root of the matter: the truth, the appetites, the self. The living fully, or as you might say "living your best life".

Please consider my thoughts:

"I think seeking your truth can be scary because we are afraid to be the best we can be, we're afraid of blooming, we fear having happiness because we're so used to pain. But, I say maybe we're here to experience our own heavens on Earth. Everyday. In our own way.

It might be hard to believe or grasp when other messages have bombarded you for years. But, I love the simple, famous quote: 'If it is to be, it is up to me.'

We shouldn't be afraid of taking up our own true space. I think we either eat to fill up the space because we're afraid our 'being' or our self is too big, so we make our bodies big; and/or we're afraid of our appetites because they reflect our selves that feel too big, so we purge; and/or we are so afraid of taking up space, we starve. We use our spirit wars to prey on our own flesh.

Think about your self. Let that shine. Let your self take up space. Put all the dieting and food obsession into the *gentle* journey of your own truth. Not obsessive but *gentle* journey. Find the support you need to step out there, ask for what you want, and work for it."

While I think you all do a wonderful job on promoting strong senses of self, let's take the fear of our bodies (dieting, aging, growing, shrinking, etc.) and focus on embracing the possibility of going beyond the body wars and living colorful, fulfilling lives.

Best,
Caroline

Saturday morning

Hello ~ Saturday morning, and I'm finally posting again. A glitch has blocked me from writing, so I hope it works this time. So many ideas flicker through my mind lately, and people and circumstances seem to be backing me. Thank goodness.

For example, I'm starting my own "gentle" on-site personal training business catered toward those with eating/image/exercise challenges -- Thursday I received a passing score for another certification, and just this morning a yoga instructor called me to discuss business and ideas! I meant to get settled in for a nap because I woke up so early, but now I'm thinking of going to the park to let the sunshine settle some of my excitement and flowing brainstorming!

In case you're wondering, things do happen, things do turn around. Last summer, my favorite high school English teacher Betty Fleming sent me Naomi Wolf's The Treehouse, and I got stuck on the first lesson: "Be still and listen." It took a few months (yes, several months) to become un-stuck, to combine my loves and passions, to know those things were true and possible, and to continue reading the book!

Since I started listening to my gut, listening to what really feels good and not just "right", I've met amazing, encouraging, genuine people. So, if you're struggling to find peace and "okayness" in the world and those alarm signals show up in exercise or diet obsession (or any obsession: men, shopping, that job, that grade, that acceptance letter, etc.), again things do turn around. If you're passionate and want to make every day count in its own special way, or if you want to experience that passion and zest for life, then listen. Get still and listen. Try to ease into the okayness of today instead of constantly yearning for the future, but acknowledge the goodness of today. Take the details and the warmth, and put them together on your journey toward your best self.

.....20 minutes later. Okay, here's the deal. I just lost 20 minutes worth of writing. Something's up with this posting section, so I want to jet before I lose anymore work. (My sister will love that I just used "jet". Now, I will know when she's read this.) I have a few more thoughts re: A) a Renoir painting Caroline Knapp highlights in Appetites: Why Women Want. B) Lisa Sarasohn's The Woman's Belly Book, and C) a story about a man striving for nirvana....

Perhaps those thoughts will come later this evening. Take care.