215.2 Writing Your Story

I just returned from the dentist. He's making a crown to replace an old filling. Funny, I don't feel especially royal today. But my mouth feels very odd, and I have no wish to eat. And, my back was killing me when I went into his office, but after laying in the chair tilted back so far I was almost on my head, it feels much better. Is there a two for one offer here...I can lose my appetite, and have my back feel much better in one visit?

I was talking to my daughter Miranda yesterday about the blog and she reminded me that I haven't talked about everything I do to make this process work for me. And, she is right! I have tried to not to write about everything I do all at once, on purpose. If I had started with a list of must do items, I am afraid I would have turned you off early on. But this tool is very important to me, and I think that you may find it very helpful if you are willing to try to do it. I will say at the start, I was not willing...to journal. I thought I didn't have time, didn't know what I would say, had fears that "people" might find it and read it, knew I shouldn't complain (wonder who I learned that from?), and, well, it seemed self indulgent. Now, I do it every night, and have been doing it faithfully since I began this journey in mid April. So what do I write? I let it all out - the joys, how good I felt about losing whatever I lost, the frustrations about regaining a pound or two, what I wanted to eat, when I wanted to drink wine, what I did that day, what I planned to do the next day, some goals I want to set, and on and on. I write it as if I am talking to my best friend or confidante, or myself. The language can be raw, the tone reflecting whatever I am feeling. And, the best part is that I feel much better after I get it out. I even print out what I write and have kept these daily records of my life. As you can see, it's not all about weight loss either. I write about memories that crop up during the day, new ideas that I am thinking about, and so forth. It does take discipline to sit down and do it, but the story of your life is as important as any one's story. So, give it a try and see if you don't get to know yourself a little better for doing it. That's how blogs get started! :)