My wonderful uncle, Sam, passed away last year from a long battle with leukemia. Before his death, he and I had a conversation about fear. He told me that he never allowed fear to be the reason he refrained from doing anything. For instance, he was terrified of the ocean, but in order to overcome that fear, he went on long fishing trips with his wife and three sons throughout the year. Those trips were some of the most memorable and meaningful experiences he shared with his family.
He died at the age of 46, but he lived every one of those years to the fullest. Now, my challenge to you (as it was presented to me by Uncle Sam) is to identify what fears hold you back, and to boldly charge forth anyway. In the words of the poet Mary Oliver, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
Now it's your turn--"weigh-in" below!
This post was contributed by Mallory Kimbrell, a severe coffee addict, nearly broke English major at Belmont University, and current intern for the EDCT.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
March 17, 2010: Mindful Interaction
“A person's a person, no matter how small.” -Dr. Seuss
Have you ever considered how many interactions with strangers you experience on a daily basis? Today, try paying attention to the barista who serves you coffee, the coworker with whom you've never spoken, the person who cuts you off in traffic. Each individual with whom you come in contact during your daily routine has a story, and in the same way that their behavior can positively or negatively affect you, your existence touches the lives of others. How will you use your influence today?
Now it's your turn--"weigh in" below!
This post was contributed by Mallory Kimbrell, a severe coffee addict, nearly broke English major at Belmont University, and current intern for the EDCT.
Have you ever considered how many interactions with strangers you experience on a daily basis? Today, try paying attention to the barista who serves you coffee, the coworker with whom you've never spoken, the person who cuts you off in traffic. Each individual with whom you come in contact during your daily routine has a story, and in the same way that their behavior can positively or negatively affect you, your existence touches the lives of others. How will you use your influence today?
Now it's your turn--"weigh in" below!
This post was contributed by Mallory Kimbrell, a severe coffee addict, nearly broke English major at Belmont University, and current intern for the EDCT.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Dare to NOT Compare!
Consider how many times you make comparisons in your average day. You might compare the cost of gas at one station as opposed to the cost to fill up at another. You might compare different colors of the same sweater to determine which one looks best with your skin shade. Sometimes comparing products can get you a better deal for a superior item. Comparing restaurants may help you find the best quality food for your budget. However, when one begins comparing body weights and shapes, eating behaviors, exercise levels and the like, comparisons cease to be helpful. In fact, such comparisons can lead to extreme dieting, excessive exercise and even full blown eating disorders.
Why do we engage in such ridiculous and frivolous actions? When we get involved in these mental gymnastics we are admitting that we no longer trust ourselves. We do not trust our hunger, our appetites and food preferences and most imposrtantly ... we do not trust our own minds and bodies! Dieting takes away our ability to honor our own hunger and is driven by assuming there is something terribly wrong with our bodies that can be corrected by chasing a number on the scale.
I recently had a client reveal that her most recent binge was triggered by not allowing herself to eat the dessert that was offered at a business luncheon. She was still a bit hungry, the dessert appealed to her, but the woman sitting next to her did not eat her dessert. She compared herself to the woman and noted that the woman was "thinner" than she was. In a brief moment she made several comparisons that led her to deprive herself. By the end of the day obsessing over the dessert she really wanted set her up to binge on stale cookies that she didn't even enjoy in front of her T.V.
As we continue to challenge ourselves and each other to change the conversations we have about dieting, body image, and self-esteem issues, let's dare each other not to compare!
Try some of these suggestions:
Why do we engage in such ridiculous and frivolous actions? When we get involved in these mental gymnastics we are admitting that we no longer trust ourselves. We do not trust our hunger, our appetites and food preferences and most imposrtantly ... we do not trust our own minds and bodies! Dieting takes away our ability to honor our own hunger and is driven by assuming there is something terribly wrong with our bodies that can be corrected by chasing a number on the scale.
I recently had a client reveal that her most recent binge was triggered by not allowing herself to eat the dessert that was offered at a business luncheon. She was still a bit hungry, the dessert appealed to her, but the woman sitting next to her did not eat her dessert. She compared herself to the woman and noted that the woman was "thinner" than she was. In a brief moment she made several comparisons that led her to deprive herself. By the end of the day obsessing over the dessert she really wanted set her up to binge on stale cookies that she didn't even enjoy in front of her T.V.
As we continue to challenge ourselves and each other to change the conversations we have about dieting, body image, and self-esteem issues, let's dare each other not to compare!
Try some of these suggestions:
- Love and respect that body you have, not the body of some airbrushed model in a magazine.
- When you catch yourself making comparisons to what a friend is eating or not eating, remind yourself that each individual body has differing needs for calories, vitamins and macronutrients. There is no effective way to compare, so why bother?
- Discover your own food preferences, hunger-satisfied signals, and cravings by giving up dieting and learning to trust yourself with food.
- Find physical activites to participate in that make your mind and body feel invigorated and alive.
- Compare yourself only to yourself and only to yourself at this time in your life. Optimize the body you have by feeding it food that is tasty and healthful ... but not micromanaged. Compliment that with some moderate activity and you will be the best you can be!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
America the Beautiful
A fourteen-year-old model, size four, is told by agencies that she is obese. Another teenager refers to plastic surgery as “a girl’s best friend.” Magazine editors and advertising executives deny responsibility when it comes to promoting an unhealthy beauty standard, while elementary school girls compare themselves to images they’ve seen in the media and declare with complete conviction that they are fat and ugly.
These are some of the stories found in Darryl Roberts’ documentary America the Beautiful, an insightful look into the beauty industry and how it can affect consumers. Roberts investigates this cultural preoccupation by interviewing those who perpetuate the “beauty standard” and those who are deeply influenced by it. He attends runway shows and plastic surgery consultations. An online “beautiful people” dating service rejects him after members vote against his submitted profile and photo. He takes a random sample of cosmetic products to a lab, where unlisted toxic ingredients are identified in each of them.
Throughout the documentary is the story of Gerren Taylor, whose modeling career skyrockets at age twelve. Roberts contrasts footage of Taylor walking the runway in sultry designs with images of her playing with dolls. As the film unfolds, Taylor deals with criticism about her size and jobs begin disappearing. Eventually, in a conversation with Roberts, she says she is ugly and muses about dieting and the possibility of plastic surgery. The undeniable transformation of Taylor’s self-worth puts a face to the film's research and statistics.
Whether or not we are a part of the beauty industry, we can still be subjected to its images and messages promoting an expectation of physical perfection. Does that affect the way you view and value yourself? Does America have an unhealthy obsession with beauty, and if so, is there anything we as consumers can do to change it?
These are some of the stories found in Darryl Roberts’ documentary America the Beautiful, an insightful look into the beauty industry and how it can affect consumers. Roberts investigates this cultural preoccupation by interviewing those who perpetuate the “beauty standard” and those who are deeply influenced by it. He attends runway shows and plastic surgery consultations. An online “beautiful people” dating service rejects him after members vote against his submitted profile and photo. He takes a random sample of cosmetic products to a lab, where unlisted toxic ingredients are identified in each of them.
Throughout the documentary is the story of Gerren Taylor, whose modeling career skyrockets at age twelve. Roberts contrasts footage of Taylor walking the runway in sultry designs with images of her playing with dolls. As the film unfolds, Taylor deals with criticism about her size and jobs begin disappearing. Eventually, in a conversation with Roberts, she says she is ugly and muses about dieting and the possibility of plastic surgery. The undeniable transformation of Taylor’s self-worth puts a face to the film's research and statistics.
Whether or not we are a part of the beauty industry, we can still be subjected to its images and messages promoting an expectation of physical perfection. Does that affect the way you view and value yourself? Does America have an unhealthy obsession with beauty, and if so, is there anything we as consumers can do to change it?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Rethinking the Cultural Beauty Standard
A few years ago, I was researching the role of women in Buddhism when I came across this photo of five bhikkhunis (Buddhist nuns) standing shoulder-to-shoulder, smiling and holding hands. Dressed in monastic orange robes and completely bald, almost nothing about them fit the mold of what is considered attractive in contemporary society, and yet they were the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. With today's media and advertising, we are bombarded on a daily basis with the idea that in order to meet the cultural beauty standard, we must maintain a certain look. When I find myself caught in that thinking pattern, I always go back to the photo of the bhikkhunis. It serves as a reminder that true beauty has nothing to do with age, hairstyle, a number on a scale or a clothing size and everything to do with being the loving, creative and wonderful person you are at this very moment.
Now it's your turn..."weigh in" below!
This post was contributed by Mallory Kimbrell, a severe coffee addict, nearly broke English major at Belmont University, and current intern for the EDCT.
Now it's your turn..."weigh in" below!
This post was contributed by Mallory Kimbrell, a severe coffee addict, nearly broke English major at Belmont University, and current intern for the EDCT.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Recovery Resolutions
I am sure that many of you have been contemplating the concept of "resolutions" as we begin this new year. Some of you may have already broken resolutions that you made for the year. Some of you might fear making a resolution because you have experienced your inability to keep the ones you made last year. I believe when resolutions are made thoughtfully and reasonably they can be helpful in giving us direction. However, resolutions made without resolve are useless. Perhaps you have just been going through the motions of recovering from an eating disorder, disordered eating behaviors or chronic dieting without true personal resolve. This may be the year that you actually start experiencing recovery vs just doing recovery.
The most vital recovery resolution is to truly resolve! The definition of resolve is: "to come to a definite or earnest decision about ...". The person involved in the recovery process has to make their own resolve. No one can resolve for you. A parent, spouse, friend or treatment provider cannot transfer their resolve to see someone recovered to the person struggling. Without coming to a definite and earnest decision that you personally desire recovery, all other resolutions will fail. Each individual will vary as to how they develop their resolve to recover. One of the benefits of this blog is sharing and encouraging each other in the battle against eating disorders/disordered eating. We can help people fan the flames of their resolve! Please feel free to post about the "aha" moment when you crossed over from just doing recovery to actually experiencing recovery.
The challenge is to change the conversation from simply discussing resolutions to actually making a resolve to recover!
The most vital recovery resolution is to truly resolve! The definition of resolve is: "to come to a definite or earnest decision about ...". The person involved in the recovery process has to make their own resolve. No one can resolve for you. A parent, spouse, friend or treatment provider cannot transfer their resolve to see someone recovered to the person struggling. Without coming to a definite and earnest decision that you personally desire recovery, all other resolutions will fail. Each individual will vary as to how they develop their resolve to recover. One of the benefits of this blog is sharing and encouraging each other in the battle against eating disorders/disordered eating. We can help people fan the flames of their resolve! Please feel free to post about the "aha" moment when you crossed over from just doing recovery to actually experiencing recovery.
The challenge is to change the conversation from simply discussing resolutions to actually making a resolve to recover!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
New Year. Stay You.
It's that time of year again: New Year's resolutions. Everyone can probably list a few things they'd like to do differently in 2010. (After all, looking back on a year's worth of life tends to have that effect on people.)
But what if this year's resolutions aren't about changing yourself, but staying yourself?
We all have things that make us, well, us -- things we wouldn't change for all the New-Year's-resolution power in the world. What are yours? Share them below.
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BTW: EDCT is gearing up for Awareness Week 2010!
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