What You Focus On Expands and What You Resist, Persists

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I seem to be coming across that phrase, or some version of it, everywhere I turn.  And honestly, I think I really need to heed it.  

I consider myself a fairly spiritual person… I’m always looking for ways to better myself and my surroundings.  I have, I believe, come a very long way from the selfish little girl I was 20 years ago.  I have let go of things that hurt me, I have forgiven people (including myself), I have made amends where they were necessary.  I have successfully changed the way I view money and earnings and life and I’m pretty happy with where I stand now.  I’m confident that I’m raising my children in a loving manner, teaching them to be loving and tolerant and open-minded.  We, as a family have recently become more aware of the Earth and our shared plight and we’re doing things very differently in our house in regards to consumption and disposal.  Please don’t get me wrong; there is and always will be room for improvement.  I believe that is the point of the human experience. So, I’m not saying all of this to pat myself on the back.  I’m making a point, I promise. 

There is one area that I can’t seem to get a handle on.  It’s my weight. I’ve always had issues with weight and it’s only gotten worse over the years.  I come from a family, on my mother’s side, of mostly very thin, tall, less, shall we say, endowed women.  Some of them became more voluptuous as they neared middle age, or had a couple of children, but when I was growing up I was surrounded by very tall, very thin women. It didn’t do much for my self esteem as it was always brought to my attention.  

As I got older, my weight went up and down, up and down.  I was skinny, skinny once for about 8 months in 1986, then in May of ’87 I broke my ankle and was in a cast from my toe to my thigh till August.  That was also the month that my brother died and well, let’s just say I was pretty self destructive for the next couple of years.  That was 20 years ago and now I’m 43 and I have spent decades obsessed with my weight.  (Hmm, do obsess and obese have the same root word?). Every morning, for as long as I can remember my weight has been my first thought in the morning and my last thought before I fall asleep.  

What You Focus On Expands and What You Resist, Persists

So, focusing on my weight, night and day for the better part of 4 decades has caused what?  Can you imagine?  Yeah, I thought you could. 

About a week ago it dawned on me.  Hello?  McFly? What You Focus On Expands and What You Resist, Persists.  I decided that that the particular methodology of focusing on fat, fat, fat hasn’t really turned out so well for me.  It’s time to try something else. 

From now on (and for the last week or so), I’m not going to obsess.  I don’t know how I’ve turned that switch off, but just like that, I made the decision not to do it anymore. (I did that when I quit smoking too – I guess when you’re ready, you’re ready) I eat very healthy meals and I’m working on getting more physical,  but the bottom line is, I’m not going to focus on “fat” anymore.  From now on, the focus is healthy.  I recently had an entire blood panel done and according to my Dr., I’m the healthiest overweight person he’s ever seen.  So, we’ll go from there.  Focusing on health and well being (physically and mentally), eating fresh, non-processed, as local as we can, food, and contributing to the world wherever we can, in whatever way we’re called.

Join me, won’t you?  Focus on your strengths.  Focus on the things that bring you joy, that fill you up. Focus on what you wish to bring about, not what you wish to get rid of… because as we all know:  What You Focus On Expands and What You Resist, Persists

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