How to be all in
Let me start with my own story….so I’ve been working quite awhile on getting out of my own head. Trying to stop living in my thoughts, in my stories, and just trying to stay present and deal with the truth in every moment.
I’ve been healing from a recent surgery and pretty frustrated frankly with my surgeon and not getting the answers that I’ve been looking for. So I made an appointment with my general Dr. hoping to get some clarity. I’ve known I’ve gained some weight after the operation, which has been upsetting because I eat a pretty healthy vegetarian diet but haven’t been able to exercise like for six weeks, however, I hadn’t actually weighed myself. Upon getting to the Dr. office I stepped on the scale to discover I’ve gained 22 pounds in six weeks since surgery. The Dr. discussed the possibility of what inflammation was doing to my body, some possible kidney issues, etc. but honestly I didn’t hear much of what she was saying. You see, I immediately went into my head and started hearing the voices from years and years past talking about beautiful bodies, slim figures, etc. I heard voices and felt past pain from arguments about my weight, hurtful comments about not being in good enough shape or sexually attractive. All of it, and when I say all of it, I’m talking 20-30 years of stories all dealing with weight issues came rushing in and I immediately took it to heart. My unhappiness was heavy on my chest.
Are you in
I tried desperately to bring my attention back to my Dr. and to discuss possible reasons for what I was going through, both physically and mentally. As I left her office and walked down to the lab I started crying. And as I sat in the chair, I started asking myself, what was going on, what was I feeling. My stomach was hurting, my heart was aching, and then I thought, “Ok, so what’s really going on, outside the story, what’s really the truth here?” And you know, as soon, as I got my mind quiet and left the story spinning, I realized the truth was I had come to get some answers. My health has been on a roller coaster. There’s nothing I’m doing that’s causing this weight gain. No one has said anything hateful to me or been unpleasant at all. I’m actually proud of myself for the way I’ve dealt with this blow to my health. I just need answers, I need to be my own advocate, I need to deal with what’s happening right now.
Is it easy to be in the moment
No, it wasn’t easy and it didn’t come naturally. In fact, the remainder of the day I had to repeatedly bring myself back. “Stop, stop, stop with the stories.” I literally had to tell myself this over and over throughout the day. But every time I did, I felt relief. I was still not happy with my situation, but I was living it, I was doing something about it. There was no need to make myself unhappy by adding in all the past stories around weight. I didn’t need that, I needed to deal with the present.
You see unhappiness isn’t caused by emotions. Unhappiness is emotions plus an unhappy story. So when you remove the unhappy story you are left with just the emotions and the emotions are ok, you can handle them. If you need to cry, cry. If you need to shout, shout. But hold your head high, walk through that hell like the devil himself invited you. Once you get to the other side, you’ll feel a relief like no other.
So I”m still in search of answers, I’m being my own advocate, and I’m doing it right now, in this moment, today. I’m not telling myself stories, I’m living in truth. I have found that I wasn’t as unhappy as I thought I was. You can’t really be unhappy without an unhappy story.
Cause I’m not there yet, but perhaps, Soon Enuff…
Peace & love
Amy
I am a published author and Master Life Coach with certifications in Happiness Therapy and Mental Abuse. If you’d like to set an appointment with me, I’d love to talk. Reach me @ [email protected]
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