The first week of September I was in Paris with my husband for a little pleasure and then a two day event to work on The Free Life with some inspiring entrepreneurs. I got clarity on lots of new goodies coming your way to help with cultivating calm, increasing satisfaction with food and life, and feeling your worth.
One of my biggest takeaways was when we discussed embracing and loving our “dark side” instead of rejecting her. We all have that side of us. The question is how to we handle it?
How do you act under stress?
For me I get cold and arrogant then shut down. I think I know best and get easily overwhelmed by simple tasks. Am I proud of this? No. But I spent the years being embarrassed and defensive with this side of me. That did not work so well. So what would it look like to accept and embrace her.
First we made a name for her:
Cold Colleen the Ice Queen
I Know Better Betty
Frantic Franny
Why not have a little fun with them! So when they creep up I don’t have to be embarrassed or defend why I am acting that way. I can embrace them. Oh, here comes Know it All Betty. Why is she coming out?
Just like with the struggle with food. How we are in life is how we are with food. When we embrace the struggles with can learn the lessons, drop the judgment, and have a little fun along the way.
When we fight against the struggle and want to hide it, do you know what happens???
It Grows.
It becomes bigger. Then there is more to hide. It exhausts our energy leaving us more depleted then when we started. And in the end this leaves us more prone to eat and body bash.
Think about a time you let something small fester. and fester. As it grows bigger you become resentful and act out toward the person you are frustrated with. Suddenly we don’t even know why were mad or upset in the first place.
Self love is possible. Our dark sides don’t have to be so serious. And sometimes they can be beneficial and powerful parts of us in certain situations. When we own this side of us we have more control over how we choose to react and use it.
Even Simon and Garfunkel knew it: “Hello, darkness my old friend. I’ve come to talk to you again.”
Don’t push away a piece of you that has so much to teach you. After all, she likely has the answers to help you step into the light. |
