I posted something on Facebook the other day, and my friend commented, in part, that I "walk the walk". I hadn't considered it from this angle before, but it made me think about how I navigate my own journey.
The dichotomy between my assertion that none of us are "broken" and none of us are ever "fixed" is irrefutable, yet bothers me not at all. EVERY body has opportunity for healing and we all have room for growth. For me, walking the walk means doing the work to keep my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual life balanced and healthy. Just because I found healing, and am creating the life I want, doesn't mean everything is perfect, rain never falls, and old patterns don't resurface if I'm not actively, consciously and purposefully pursuing health and balance.
If you've read my bio, you know I've struggled with disordered eating for most of my life, primarily compulsive overeating, but with a brief adolescent foray into anorexia and bulimia. I recognize now that these obsessive and often ritualistic behaviors were a desperate attempt to control something when everything else felt out of control. Recently, life presented multiple significant challenges that I had no control over in a very short amount of time. I wasn't prioritizing my own personal "work", and the anorexic tendency of hyper- controlling calories resurfaced almost immediately. When I realized I'd only consumed about 1000 calories in 3 days, it was a call to action for my own wellness.
So, I'm walking the walk, practicing what I preach, doing all of those things I coach my clients to do. Consciously, joyously and gratefully doing the work that allows me to have peace with my past and my present and look enthusiastically toward my future while helping others discover their own paths.
