What's Eating You?

I recently returned from my internship training regarding advanced practices using hypnosis. The focus was on treating eating disorders. The time spent was not only about treating the ‘traditional’ eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive eating, but also focused on unhealthy practices we have in life.

‘What’s consuming you’ or ‘what and where are you consuming junk in your life that keep or prevent you from doing good things for yourself and others’?

Great question. Many of us believe something negative or unhealthy about ourselves that stops or impedes us from developing in our physical, emotional, intellectual and/or spiritual lives.

Think about it. What do you believe about yourself? If you’re not sure, then one way to begin answering that question is paying attention to the messages you give yourself. When you do something good, or make a mistake what do you say to yourself? When you lie in bed at the end of the day, before you fall asleep, what runs through your mind? The answers help you understand what it is you believe about yourself.

Look at patterns in your life. What kind of people do you attract regarding relationships, either romantic or friendship/social. What kind of vocation or employment do you have or have you had? Are you always ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’ in life?

Does the way you live your life reflect that you are a victim, or that you hassle others, or that you rescue people?

You don’t have to keep being like this. You can be different. Even if you have lived your entire life believing/consuming the lie or lies about yourself. That you’re not good. That you deserve what you have. That you have earned your pain. That you’re a bad person. I say none of this is true.

I have been a therapist long enough to know that you can be different. You can change. I watch people do it every day. I do it.

So stop consuming the lie. Be different.

Namaste
Dennis

Commencement

Well, I went to my youngest son’s graduation ceremony. It was so cool to see him in his cap and gown, he had this huge grin, and I don’t think anything could have made it disappear.

I did my thing, taking pictures as I did with my other kids’ graduations, laughing with him; we hugged each other so tightly my arms were tired. Good hugs. He was ready to leave and spend the evening celebrating with his friends but it was touching and also a measure of his maturity because he took time to spend talking with Rainie and I talking about the ceremony, his feelings and anything else we brought up. He acted as though he could spend the whole evening talking with us.

And now, boy, are we tired! On the drive home we talked about this part of our lives being over. No more kids in grade, middle, or high school. Kind of weird. No more plays, practices, or games to attend. No more sales of candy or candles. No more struggles with homework or last minute reports that need typing. We’re not the first, or last to go through this, but it is unique. I hate clichés but, it is a ‘bitter-sweet’ time.

And I feel good about it. He’s a good kid, and we’re looking forward (kind of) to his trek to college. It’s always struck me as funny, that although I’ve been a therapist and healer for thirty plus years, and I know that events like my son’s graduation will impact me, and most likely how I’ll be impacted emotionally, it doesn’t change a thing. I still feel happy and sad about it. I just know how normal it is and that ‘this too shall pass’.

Namaste
Dennis