Have you ever made new years resolutions? I’m gonna lose 40 pounds, exercise every day, run a marathon, clean my basement/garage/ house, be nice to my mother in law?
Be more spiritual? How long did they last?
So on the day before Hannukah started, I was talking with some friends about what the holiday means…..the oil lasting for eight days…… the traditions of the faith….. The word though, means dedication or inauguration. It commemorates a military and spiritual victory. A feast of renewal, cleansing, rededication, I was told. And a way of increasing in matters of goodness.
Well now I don’t know if all that is right, but when we started talking about the changes we’d like in our lives this year, and the things we want to increase and decrease, the idea of resolutions fell apart and the ideas of goals and commitments and behaviors became paramount. So if I want to clean the clutter from my house, won’t it be more realistic to decide to spend 15 minutes a day, cleaning something, rather than beating myself up all year about the messy house?
So we decided that this year we were going to do things differently; we were going to take the eight days of Hannukah and really think about what we wanted. And we talked about goals, not resolutions, and behaviors, not ideals. And we talked about renewal, cleansing, and dedication.
And they invited me to come back on January 2 and talk about what I had decided. Between now and then, I decided to write for eight days what I really wanted out of the New Year, then total up what came up eight times, or seven, or six. Stream of consciousness writing …. fast….no detail…..no judging……no rereading…..and use that to make decisions about this precious New Year.
You see, three people I have loved, relied on, known a long time, and were precious to me, died in 2016. Life is short and we don’t always get the time we wanted. I turned 70 this year and had a surgery that grew into three surgeries and put three plates and between 14 and 16 screws in my ankle. I don’t feel like a bionic woman. I need to use the time I have really well.
But I was shocked by the answers that came out on those 4×6 cards. Joy. I want to enjoy my life and take time to be happy. Clutter. I want to clean up all the stuff that just seems to grow in the corners of my life. Friends. I need more time with people I enjoy. Prayer and meditation….I have been slacking off in this area.
Today I realized that the one and only meditation book I asked for and was given as a holiday gift, focuses on joy. Maybe the Universe is telling me its opinion too.
But the other, the biggest strongest one, that came up eight times, is briefly expressed in the title of a book written by Serena Dyer, Wayne’s daughter. “Don’t Die with Your Music Still In You”. I have a deep strong passion about recovery and healing people from their food addictions, and teaching people how to live life free of the obsession with food. If I die and have not done that, I have lost. Big time. So, as I return to my practice later this month, expect to see a difference. And, while I probably won’t be singing, you can expect to hear a lot more strong stuff from Theresa.
I hope you will like it. I wrote this to share with those friends. Please please please be welcome to tell me what you think and what you need. I want so badly to hear from you. And please, I beg you; holler before you pick up the self destructive food!
There’s more to come!
Theresa
Love this so much and love you so much!
Thank you so much!
tI’m truly sorry for your losses Theresa…. Sometimes life is so unfair yet it is short and we have to learn from these losses…. Live for today.. keep the poison foods out of our life… This has been an amazing year learning from Joan and you .You both have been such an inspiration to my recovery… I finally am learning that food is not my comfort anymore nor my answer… Speaking on our call and hearing your journey has been a great impact… Your a blessing to us all Theresa… Many blessings and thank you for all you do for every food addict out there:)
It has been a blessing to me to watch you grow. Thank you all for your trust in me.
You certainly have taught me. I never thought in my life I would experience one free moment never mind one free day but there have been many. I have had days when I had to remind myself to eat because my life has become so full with other things, and although my path has not been linear, I have remained dedicated to the truth I own which is that I will die of a food related disease if I do walk a spiritual path toward a new relationship to food. You have helped me lay out the stones on that path by teaching me about food and it’s power to heal. Food as medicine for the body and partner for the soul when consumed with mindfulness. I’m forever grateful.
I’m so glad I could help you.
Great piece, thank you! Your passion comes through loud and clear and I can’t wait to read what is next!
Neither can I! This is going to be quite a unique year for me! I hope you will enjoy and benefit from what I have to “sing”!
We need more insights like this in this thread.
theresa!
You not only helped lay the foundation, but you led, encouraged, and saved me from my food addiction. Clearly, no one is cured, but i live 99.9% in a place of peaceful abstinence. I know where I was mentally when I came home from MS, and I wouldnt have made it a week if it weren’t for your generosity and just being with me in my journey. Things you said to me years ago, still come to mind daily and I am forever grateful. You have not lost, your life and work has impacted me and helped me to live a life and be ok.
Thank you so very much; enjoy your peaceful abstinence.
I can’t believe this is the first time I’m seeing your blog, Theresa. I really like what you wrote about goals and thanks for sharing yours. I’d like to do some work on this also – identifying my goals – and I know if I don’t also identify a plan of how to work towards them, they’ll fall by the wayside along with all those prior years’ resolutions.
I am sorry about your three serious losses; I was aware of one. I hope this year finds at least 3 new people – not to “replace” those you’ve lost, but to enrich and nourish some of those empty spaces inside of you.
Well I am so glad you found them! Be welcome to read the other seven blog posts on the website. There will be more information on getting to our goals soon.
Hi Theresa. Thank you so much from your blog. I live in Atlanta and heard about you from a dear freind. I wanted so much to see you but couldnt because of my insurance. I am.sorry for your losses. It is definitely
a great pleasure to hear about the work you are doing and to read about it. You are truly inspiring to me.
Thank you for your kind words. We are working on the insurance problem; be welcome to talk with my secretary about your situation. Please keep watching the blog and the website; more choices for help will be coming this year.