Where Would I Be If Others Would Not Have Risen

10 ½ months of intermittent fasting, and my life is totally different than it was before.  

Dancing with my nieces at my nephew's wedding.

Three distinct things have changed:

1) I have learned to live in the present.  It’s not a perfect science and there are times I still struggle with procrastination or rush, but if I stray, I recognize it and through gratitude (and sometimes hunger), can bring myself back.  I think of others more.  I have fought the good fight and the pressure to feel sorrow for myself or to think I can’t do something difficult has diminished tremendously.  

2) My inner-voice speaks to me with love and patience. Again, not a perfect science, but no longer do I have a negative inner-dialogue.  It’s as if my soul and physical self are finally in alignment. Yeah, they love me!!  I love me!

3)  Food has fallen down the list of priorities and I’m eating for my physical health, not for my emotional needs.  If it wasn’t for intermittent fasting and prayer, I would still be stuck in a mind and body that was doing its best, but most days found ways to sabotage my success. I’ve recognized food addiction and negative body image and because of prayer, could tackle these huge obstacles with success.  Because of this, I've lost weight.

A key component to my experience has been the words and testimonies of others.  I’ve read the scriptures, talks by my church leaders and personal experience from those who’ve over come all sorts of obstacles.  Between my daily runs/walks and time in the car, I have met some amazing friends through YouTube and other audio sources including authors, motivational speakers, spiritual leaders and entrepreneurs.

So meaningful have these relationships become, so necessary where they to lift me up, so essential to my own personal growth and well-being, I had to finally ask: where would I be if others would not have risen?  What if Oprah Winfrey would have decided, “You know what, it’s just too hard.”  What if Corrie ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place would have thought, “My story isn’t that important.  Who am I to think I can write?”  What about Elizabeth Gilbert?  Had she blocked her creative energy I would have never been able to listen to the incredible Big Magic – Creative Living Beyond Fear.   And Brene Brown, her ability to see how shame and vulnerability co-exist to make us stronger.   Tig Notaro, an incredibly talented comediam, Ann Lamott and her memoir Bird by Bird, and Mary Karr and her book called The Art of Writing Memoir.  Cheryl Strayed wrote her story Wild almost 20 years after she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.  What if all these talented people would have given up or not even tried?  My mom has been most influential as well as my author friends.  I had the opportunity to meet Stephenie Meyer, author of Twilight and I could have cried.  

Actually, I did cry when she walked out on stage.  Her creativity ability is so inspiring and I’ve listened to her interviews as well.  Mother Teresa, Lila Rose, Martin Luther King, Abby Johnson, Reggie Littlejohn, various people who spoke on TED talks on and on these beautiful people, and others, rose to their creative challenge and came alive. If not for them, I would not have healed.  I needed constant companionship along this journey through stories, personal experiences, music, art work and motivational talks.  Thank you.

If you have something to say, say it.  Be brave.  Share your truth.  Come forward.  Take a stand.  Be more than you ever thought possible.  Take risks.  Be vulnerable because I need it.  I need to hear more, be inspired every day, learn and grow from you.  I love stories.  I need stories.  I need you.

I hope my memoir Starving Girl helps others.  

Availabe on Amazon and Kindle.

I know it’s helped me.  Fasting pushed me out of my comfort zone and onto a path of fulfilling my life’s dreams.  

Find it on youtube by clicking here.

I could not have down it without the help of others, many I may never have the chance to thank personally.