In a recent blog, I talked about how changing our perspective on our struggle with food (or any struggle for that matter!) and learning to see these challenges as gifts vs. something to fight against, can completely transform how we view the challenging times in life.

It is through the challenge that we grow the most.

But HOW do we begin to really embrace the struggle?

It’s easy for me to recommend loving these character building times but it’s a whole other thing to be able to take that step back to change our thoughts and really embrace the process.  Because let’s face it – challenges are just that – CHALLENGING!  And they aren’t easy.

Especially when we are dealing day in and day out with the battle with our weight, how our body is feeling when we overeat, how we feel our body is looking because of these behaviors and just feeling out of control with the situation.

Believe me, I know how that can feel.  I know how hard it is to truly take that step back and begin to look at these behaviors through the lens of  – ‘what can I be learning here?’  We just want it to stop, to go away, to not FEEL this way anymore and not be plagued by it anymore.

So – what can you do?  HOW do you begin to change this perspective?

Be curious.

I found that when I became curious about the behavior vs fighting it, things started to shift. I realized ‘I’ am not the behavior and it doesn’t make me a weak/bad/horrible/failure of a person.  It is just something I do.  But WHY?

When I stopped feeling like the victim of this problem and started to just be curious about it, I stopped making myself wrong for it. I was able to ask questions when it showed up.

• “What’s happening right now that is driving me to the kitchen to eat?”
• “How am I FEELING?”
• “What are the thoughts that are creating those feelings?”
• “Is eating really the answer or can I do something else to make me feel better?”
• “What if I just sat and let whatever feelings come up, come?”
• “What will happen if I DON’T eat right now?”
• “What could I do instead of eat that would bring me joy?”
• “Where is the joy in my life?”

These are just some of the questions I began to ask myself.  And it worked.  I became really curious about what I could learn from this behavior.  What was even more interesting (and exciting!) was that I also began to feel less impacted by it.  I started to feel empowered and able to manage it.  It had less of a hold over me.

AND I started to have some REAL joy in my life again.

I realized I had been denying myself real joy and so I started to ask myself where was the joy in my life and what could I do to increase that……

aaahhhhhh – this was the gift.  Now I not only struggle less, but I also feel happier and have a lot more joy.

Now –  what’s not to like about that?

Being curious can lead you on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. It will lead you on the adventure of your life.

It will lead you back to JOY.

Next time you feel challenged by overeating, stop and begin asking yourself questions.  If you don’t know where to start, use my list above to get you started. Just be open to what shows up.  You never know where it could lead you.  Be careful not to judge yourself.  Everything that shows up will lead to insight.  You may not see it at first, but I can guarantee that there is a nugget in there somewhere.  Write it down so you can come back to it later.

Just become curious. Stay open to whatever shows up.

Being curious is what turned the corner on my healing journey with food and my body.  Instead of curiosity killing the cat – being curious saved my life.

I would love to hear how you are becoming more curious. What questions are you finding powerful?  What is showing up?  Share your insights below – you may stimulate someone else’s healing journey and that’s what this is really all about, right?  Building community to support each other in healing.

More on that next time……