I must confess to a bad practice.  How many times have you weighed yourself and weighed who you are at the same time?  Well that would be me.  I am weighed down by my weight and I think I have been in bondage to it long enough.  It's definitely time to break free.  As I told a close friend recently, I have been hiding for most of my life in a fat suit for various reasons.  Now listen, if you are happy the way you are, you will never get any judgment from me.  This is strictly a personal issue so please keep that in mind. Everywhere you look, you can't get away from the media blast on food and weight.  Every time you pick up a magazine (even if it's for women, men or children), it has something to do with weight.  If it's not weight, it's related to weight – health, food, exercise, fashion, etc.  Some of the fluffier magazines will have something about all of those things.  They are teaching children that they are only valuable if they're the right size and are wearing the right clothes!  What a crock we are allowing our children to buy into while we sit and take it in as well.  I don't know about you, but I find it shameful.   Children learn what they live.  I am worth a king's ransom more than what I wear or what size I am.  I am only now beginning to truly believe that. I also hide when it comes to being in the public eye.  I am thankful for the over one thousand people who continue to want to hear from me on a regular basis.  At one point I wasn't sure I would even include a picture on my blog without photoshopping it to take out some of the roundness in my face.  Fortunately, I stuck with just trying to post the best possible photo.  So, dear Readers, thank you for blessing my life and from now on, you get the real me. Public figures such as celebrities are even more focused on their weight.  You have to get that perfect body and be the perfect weight at all times or you are yesterday's news.  How many of those young women have we seen that are so emaciated that they appear ready to drop dead at any moment?  Did you know that what was considered "normal" body weight and shape in the 1920's and 1930's is now called obese?  So you see, the standards that someone else has set and told me would be perfect for me can change at any time, even by next year.  Why on earth should I pay this any attention at all?  In my opinion, it's not worth my attention or yours.  If we object to these standards long enough, the media will change.  Our little girls (and boys) will then grow up knowing that they are beautiful in every way and won't become obsessed with their weight or body image. Being obsessed with food and diet is causing more and more people to be addicted and obsessed about food, weight and how they look.  I have been in this trap myself and have absolutely made food an enemy.  I want to become more in tune with my body so that I eat because I need food and not hate the food because I think it's the problem behind my weight.  It's not food's fault!  Food by itself is healthy and we need it to live.  Food is good to look at but just looking won't make me fat.  Adding all the stuff to food (fat, sugar, etc.) is what brings on the fat.  I either cook it or I buy it.  Here's my new philosophy – if it's not in the house, I can't eat it.  Food isn't the problem – cookies don't actually speak up and lure me in for a binge! Weight even controls my moods at time.  How much time do you suppose we have spent worrying about food or weight?  It can be depressing!  It's time to break that cycle for me.  My metabolism was made perfect and I am the one who is out of balance.  It's time to take back my health and truly believe that I have the right to be healthy and whole. It stops now.  No more concern about how others may be weighing me based on what they see.  I'm taking back my power.

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People who are overweight will often have very low self esteem. If you talk with them you will find they have a negative view about themselves and life in general. Dig a little deeper and you will find that they have heard so many negative statements about themselves; they are now living up to what has been spoken.  I am not immune to that, having struggled with my wieght for most of my life.

What normally happens when someone says they are going on a diet? They get a whole lot of doubts thrown at them as people say,
* “It won’t work.”
* “Look what happened last time.”
* “How long do you think you will last this time?”

The person’s self esteem and confidence is being destroyed every time they hear these things said. Soon they believe all the negatives that have been spoken to them. Words like, fat; ugly; stupid; greedy; lack of self control and many more statements which have been spoken to them. They see people whispering when they enter a restaurant, and realize that all eyes are on them, watching what they will eat which will get them fatter than they are.

It doesn’t take long to destroy someone’s self esteem. Tell them something long enough and they will believe it. They will see themselves as disgusting; fat; ugly. Enough! It has to stop and it has to stop today.

Do you really think by belittling someone they will lose weight?  No, they are more likely to take comfort in food.  I know I certainly have done that. Start today to build up this person’s self confidence. Tell them how much you love them; how beautiful they are. Let them know by word and deed how precious and loved they are by you. They will no longer need to take comfort in food as they once did. Tell them time and time again and one day, the words will become a reality. They will realize it is true.

Yet there will be a further benefit, as they no longer need to take comfort in food they will start to lose weight. They will do it not for themselves but for you. They will want to look good for you. They will want to go out to buy nice clothes; they will walk with their heads up high.

If you want to help an overweight person lose weight you can start by building up their self esteem. Start to let them know how wonderful they are. They will gain in two ways when you do this. They will lose weight, and gain their self esteem back.

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Living a creative life means doing something creative every day. For most artists, creativity comes as natural as breathing. For those just dipping their toes into the pool of creativity, this concept might seem a little foreign.

Here are some simple ways you can be creative in your life every day:

• Decide to do something out of the ordinary. If you generally keep the same routine every day, do something different. Break out of your normal routine and try something odd or different. This might be something as simple as mixing up your daily routine.
• Enroll in a freestyle dancing class. Freestyle dancing is a wonderful way to stir up your creativity. After several weeks of lessons, you’ll most likely experience an explosion of creativity as you start making up your own freestyle moves.  Of course, those of us who are a little arthritic might find this a struggle!  I have found however that moving GETS your moving.
• Be silly. It’s easy to turn into a serious, contemplative person when you’re involved in your art. You become so consumed with your work that you forget about everything else. Break out of that stiff shell and do something silly. Cross your eyes. Touch your tongue to your nose. Stick your fingers in your ears and make a weird face.
• Keep a daily journal. Journaling can really help open your creativity in amazing ways. Write or draw in your journal every day. Make it a part of your creative routine.
• Create a mind map wall. Designate a certain wall to nothing but brainstorming. Use this wall to brainstorm and create mind maps. The process of creative brainstorming on a huge space will generate tons of ideas for you.  It’s also good as a visualization technique.

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A negative attitude is the stickiest of things. Once you develop a negative attitude it is incredibly difficult to change it. In fact, many people only succeed in becoming more and more negative with time.

This trap, a negative attitude trap, is terrible. It’s a horrible monster that can be annoying, to say the least. So how do you avoid falling into its trap?

First, stay optimistic. Even when you don’t feel hopeful, there is always hope in every situation. Find whatever morsel you can and hang on to it for dear life. Know that nothing is impossible and look for the best in every situation.

Second, don’t jump to conclusions. Drawing conclusions or making uninformed snap decisions can really cause a person to become negative and pessimistic. Wait and gather all the information before you decide to make a decision.

Third, practice being positive. Possessing a positive attitude does not come overnight. If you work hard at it each day though, you can win and achieve a better, more shining attitude with time.

The negative attitude trap is a horrible place to be in. Be cautious. If you feel yourself being overly pessimistic and rarely seeing the sunshine for the clouds, perhaps it’s time to add a little goodness to your life.

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Have you decided yet what kind of life you want to experience?  Do you know?  Responsibilities of life can make you feel disconnected from yourself and leave little time to really think about the direction of your life.  There are ways to figure out what you really want in your life.  You're going to need a little courage and it will take some work and patience. 

To start with, you need to be clear about what you want.  What does your heart tell you?  It seems really simple to answer this question, yet a large portion of the population would not be able to say what they really want.  It is really hard to be specific.  Do you think this describes you right now?  Believe it or not, you really do already know how you want your journey to unfold.  It seems logical to know what you want, since it is you and who has known you longer than you?  Let's just say that deep inside where it's a little scary to go, you may not be fully aware of your desires.  Hang on, you will shortly.

The journey to your heart's desire can begin with these simple steps: 

·    What dreams did you have when you were younger?  Think about those and expand on the themes.  Fantasizing about how your life could be is a good way to wake up your inner voice.  Make the dreams even bigger than you think is possible.  Feel the satisfaction and joy the reality of your biggest dreams can bring.  Can you feel you're on the right path now? 

·    Silence is golden, so it is said.  Did you know you could gain great energy and balance from spending quiet time with your own thoughts?  Here is another way to listen to your inner voice.  This voice is what guides you through your journey in this life.  The voice isn't one you can hear with your physical ears.  This is the voice that makes you know beyond doubt when something is real.  It causes your heart to stir and brings harmony to your body, mind and spirit. 

·    Your thoughts can be productive in a couple of different ways.  When your mind seems unfocused, just go with the process.  This will allow your imagination to be creative and just play.  Don't force your thoughts into any particular direction.  Just go with the flow.  A lot of times when you do this in a relaxed manner, insights will come to you that you never expected.  Another way to have a productive brain session is to start writing down everything that comes to your mind.  Make a list of your skills, abilities, experiences, hobbies and everything you ever wanted to do but never had a chance to do or just never got around to it. 

These are just a few of the processes you can use to find out what it is you really want in life.  Ask yourself this.  In a perfect world without limits where you had every opportunity, what is your life about?  When you can answer this question, you will know your heart's desire.

The Roar From Within – Discover Your True Calling. 

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