I’ve been in a pensive mood over the past (37 years) few weeks and saw this week is Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year. Whether or not you’re Jewish, taking stock of yourself is a key to evolving and growing into a healthier you.
Stop blaming others and start owning your own possibilities…
I often notice that the people who have a hard time examining their life, personal struggles, and things they’d like to improve upon - are those who have a hard time relating to other people. You know who I’m referring to; the co-workers who blame everything on everyone else or the family member who is stuck in the role of victim as if they were the only one who ever felt hurt…
I have also been really fixated on (re)reading one of my favorite books of all time: Simple Abundance. I read one page a day for one year in 2006 and it was life changing! I bought the workbook to delve even deeper this time around and have been waiting until New Year’s Day to begin. Then I realized how silly I was being – I can start any day!(And really shouldn’t put off keeping a gratitude journal) However, because I love all things symbolic – I decided to take advantage of the Jewish New Year, and begin my gratitude journal on September 17.
In the meantime, I invite you to try the following self-inventory passed along from the Jewish organization Chadeish Yameinu.
I answered the questions in relation to Health at Every Size and am sharing my responses with you below.
1. What would you like to leave behind from the past 12 months?
Beliefs associated with years of dieting and buying into the idea that a certain weight or size will mean I am a more worthwhile person than I am right now at this size, this weight, on this day.
2. What has prevented you from living up to your highest standards and being your very best self?
Allowing other peoples’ opinions to mean more than my own. Old habits like turning to emotional eating to avoid feeling anxious, vulnerable, lonely, and fear.
3. What would you love to bring with you into the next 12 months?
Confidence, Trust, Peace, Willingness, Understanding, Open-Mind, Determination, and Honesty
4. Who served as a teacher for you in the past year?
My students, My sweet Pup (Meatball), Golda, My Parents, My Partner Graham, Every Person Who Challenged Me – in good and bad ways… and so many more!
5. Were you a teacher for anyone?
I am blessed to teach for a living – it is an honor. I am a teacher to many who know me, as I rarely shy away from offering a different perspective. I hope that my writing can serve in this realm as well.
6. Is there anyone you need to forgive?
Oh yeah! I need to forgive every single person – stranger or otherwise who has ever hurt me by judging me for how I look, everyone who made a comment intentional or not, and especially those who choose to ignore my feelings even after I’ve asked them to pay attention.
7. How will you go about forgiving?
I will ask for an open heart and mind, with that I will do my best to empathize and sympathize with people whose behavior perplexes me. I will also try to remember that their actions have much less to do with me, than them. Finally, I will remind myself of where I started – HAES is a journey of understanding for me, let alone someone who has had a very different life experience.
**Feel free to share your self-reflection in the comment section below, I’d love to hear your thoughts - and sharing your intentions can make them that much more concrete!
“The unexamined life is not worth living…”
~Socrates
