Ten pounds over my ideal weight, frustrated with my lack of motivation to exercise, I found myself standing in the kitchen ready to stuff a handful of salty fat-filled chips into my mouth. At that moment, I heard a soft whisper in my ear:

“Why are you eating this? This is NOT going to move you in the direction you want to go…”

At that very moment, deep within, an awful truth was emerging. It was staring me right in the eyes. The dreadful, defensive answer to the question. An epiphany moment:

“Because it’s the only thing in my life right now where I experience joy!’

WOW! Where did that come from…?

Immediately, I jumped into judgment mode. “How pathetic! OMG! I should know better!  I should have this mastered!”

I picked up the phone and called my friend.“You are not going to believe this. I have a guaranteed formula to stop ‘living small’ and start ‘living large!”

At first she was confused.  “You know…” I said “The 3 C’s to living large… Chips, Chocolate, AND Chardonnay!”  At that point she realized I was talking about body size and not the size of my checkbook. We burst into laughter. “I could make millions on this formula!”

The 3 -C Formula: C1 + C2 + C3 = Living Large (It Works!)

C1:  Crunch on at least one LARGE bag of chips daily in addition to eating your regularly scheduled meals.

C2:  Chase the salt away with your choice of either Chardonnay or Cabernet.

C3:  CHOCOLATE. The more the better!

Note: If this formula misses the mark add a 4th C…Cheese to your chips!

Warning: Use at your own risk. May cause weight gain; resulting in increased dress and pant size. May lead to alcohol dependency, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression.

Disclaimer: Do not hold the author of this article responsible, accountable or liable for any side effects if you choose to follow this formula.

Obviously, this formula is not the healthy solution to get to the bottom of what’s eating you. It is unfortunately, a typical response to how we deal with issues in our lives when we are not satisfied.

We have become masters at hiding what is bothering us. We have become so used to our behavior that it becomes the norm. We lose touch with what we truly need. Disconnected to what is screaming deep within us. Our psyches don’t want the fear or the hurt to surface. We don’t want to feel the pain. In order to escape, we repress, suppress, and invite other things into the space to cover the negative energy that exists.

Eventually, that negative energy will resurface – sometimes again and again. This is where you have an opportunity.

 

3 Steps toward Change:

1. Choose to be courageous – Ask powerful questions like: “What is really bothering me?” “Where is this coming from?”

2. Raise your consciousness level – Listen for answers from deep within to surface. By acknowledging them you will become more self-aware.

3. Care for yourself – Allow yourself to feel what you are feeling. Don’t judge the feeling. Don’t ‘should’ on yourself. Just follow the feeling – it’s an indicator of where to begin and will lead you to change.

4. Create a plan – Follow through. Give yourself what you truly need – make the changes your heart and soul desire. (I threw in a 4th C for good measure… my gift to you.)

Now it’s your turn… Start your courageous walk by following the 4 steps above; Keep it real and share your experience with me.