Sometimes I look around and think “I’m not where I want to be” BUT I’m sure as heck not where I used to be. Over the past few years I have made significant changes and transformed my physical and mental health completely. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
At least once a week someone comments on how well I look and seem. And that was DEFINITELY NOT the case a few years back.
In 2015, I was very sick. And I’d gotten that way mostly through over-indulgence in food and alcohol. I felt old before my time and like my life was over at age 37. THEN I found out I was pregnant with my daughter and I was inspired to make changes. I watched Joe Cross’s 2010 documentary film Fat, Sick & Nearly dead and just cried….and cried. I didn’t really see myself juicing my way out of my situation, and after that, then what?
Coming to terms with what making permanent lifestyle changes would really require of me led to a lot of unraveling and myriad breakdowns. I had been relying on food as a coping strategy as long as I could remember. Dysregulated eating was a part of the fabric of who I knew myself to be. I had no idea how I would ever change that.
Alcohol had been a coping strategy since I was in my late teens and although I couldn’t remember the last time it was ‘fun’, it’s what I saw everyone around me doing also to celebrate, socialise and relax. How was I going to change my life? I didn’t know what to deal with first!
In the end I realised I needed to change everything.
I started eating mostly whole foods, plant based, cutting out meat, dairy and eggs. I stopped drinking alcohol completely. I stopped smoking. I stopped believing I needed to find all the answers on my own and stopped believing my life was over.
I started going to the gym 4 times a week, and started lifting weights. I started doing Tai Chi, boxing and playing piano again. I started talking about my inner thoughts to other people, I started to slowly let people in. I realised I wasn’t alone or ‘different’. I realised I’m more similar to other people, than I am different, irrespective of how they appear to me on the outside.
I guess in ‘woke’, modern day terms, I started upon a path to enlightenment. I’m starting to take meditation seriously, I’m starting to feel comfortable with ‘failure’ so that I can have the courage to do what I want to do.
These days I feel pretty spectacular most of the time if I’m honest. I’m even fortunate enough to be helping a few women walk their own path of transformation thanks to my new role as a health and wellness coach with my business @edenoceanau (website: edenocean.com.au).
I’m now looking into new projects like getting back into songwriting, making ecourses and podcasts! The sky is the limit when you feel excited to be living your own life.
If you’d like to talk to me about Health and wellness coaching, please email me at shinemealight@gmail.com. This is the email address I’m using whilst I work on the upcoming “From the Inside” podcast series.
If you’d like to donate to making of the “From the Inside” Podcast series here is a link to the Go Fund Me page.
shinemealight 