Tuesday, June 9, 2009

H.O.P.E. Highlight

This week I wanted to highlight a quote that came out of group a few weeks ago and what really stirred me. I am very interested in knowing if it stirs you as well, and if so, in what way. The quote is as follows:
"I don't want anyone to come in my house and see the clutter and mess inside, just like my weight keeps people from coming in and seeing inside me."
Wow! That is one power packed statement which reflects quite a bit of truth. It seems for me that when i could not use my voice and boundaries to keep people out of my space in an appropriate, healthy way, my weight certainly accomplished the same thing! A barrier to keep people out! The problem with creating a wall with my weight to keep people out is that I wall myself in with such unhealthy stuff.


I also think that the barrier of weight really doesn't keep people "out" at all. In fact, the more weight I gained, the less healthy boundaries I did have and the less I used my voice. The other thing that really resonates with me about that comment is that my "unhealth" ALWAYS translates into other areas of my life. Remember, we are made up of spirit, mind, body and emotions. I simply cannot be really unhealthy in one circle of my life and healthy in the other three circles of my life. Just not possible. That's why I think it is fairly important to look at all four circles as we approach health and wellness.

I would love to know what you think about this comment and how you see your lifestyle change impacting other areas of your life. Make it a great week!

3 comments:

Gelina said...

It's amazing to me how clutter in my house has gone along with my emotional "clutter". I have cleaned many closets and drawers in my house on my journey to lifesyle change. At the same time I have also learned to use my voice and made some fairly good boundaries. This didn't happen all in a day or even a month but little by little, step by baby step . I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel and I feel I have accomplished something wonderful. I feel joy
I also want to say hello to everyone and happy summer! Love Gelina aka Angie

kindra said...

Wow--I totally relate to this blog!! I keep "hiding out"...yes, my weight has definitely helped me hide out, but that was a lie too! The reason why HOPE workS for me (thank you God, Julie, Cathy and others) is that it is teaching to live without that deception that weight and unhealthy eating "protects" me! I was on the treadmill at the Y last week, huffing and puffing, and this lady actually got on the treadmill next to me and said how proud she was of me. She said she had observed me all week and wanted to tell me how she couldn't believe anyone as heavy as I am could even work out at all! Gee, thanks! Before HOPE I would have "punished" her by eating all day--HA!. Because of HOPE I did NOT give her voice power over me and just kept going...I'm choosing to be healthy for ME!I love this blog!

Frances said...

Feeling guilty about all the clutter in my house and life as I go through so many transitions. Then I read this week's meditations in LOLG and come across Shame vs. Guilt, reminding me of a past meeting. GUILT IS NOT A FEELING! I am feeling shameful for the messiness. How to deal with it? Discover what I am guilty of that is making me feel shameful, then deal with that thing. I am guilty of planning / agreeing to do more things than I am physically / mentally able to handle in any 24-hour period, leading to failure to accomplish it all. What can I do so that I am not guilty of that tomorrow? Prioritize my daily to-do list, leave room (TIME) for the unknown things that will come up, and do those high-priority items first (making sure that those high-priority items include PREVENTION activities that will preclude items from becoming URGENT rather than just TO-DO.) Now, I have been proactive to offer (and do) MY BEST so that I will not consider myself guilty, THUS RELIEVING SHAME. Thanks for the tool, HOPE and LOLG.