Personal Development

Personal Development not only helps you overcome binge eating; it is the unstoppable force behind it. I'm the first to admit that I'm not perfect. And I am willing to bet that you aren't either. But that doesn't mean we need to throw our hands in the air and give up.

Think of a rose for an example. You may start out as a small, tight bud. Resistant to change and opening up. At one point or another; that is where we all start.

After your first attempt at some personal development you may begin to "loosen" and show your true colors. But, remember that it may just be for a glimmer of a second. You may close back up; and it's a normal reaction. That is where you feel the safest.

Just keep going. It may take a few attempts; then you will begin to bloom into the beautiful rose you have always been.

1. Honesty.

   The first step of my own personal development was to be honest with myself about having the problem of binge eating. I remembered this saying, "you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped".

   I had to stop and really asked if I wanted to help myself; or if I was too wrapped up in food as my comfort.

   I had to ask myself if I was willing to give that up. Do I truly want to be healthy or do I just want to look good?

   In the past my motivation was to look good. But I realized that having that motivation never kept the weight off. It just came back on; if I lost any at all.

   I knew that this time around my motivating factor had to be different. It had to be something real and not superficial. You know that saying that you can't eat your cake and have it too. Well for me it was this; I can't have my ice cream, candy bars, and pizza rolls everyday and still look good.

   My point is that I got honest with myself. I was tired of running to food whenever I felt unwanted emotions. My binge eating had started when I was VERY young... and now 15-20 years later; I wanted to be done.

   I believe that honesty is indispensable: and if you can't be totally honest with yourself; then you will fail. There is no way around it. You may have minor success; but in the long run your chances of maintaining that success are slim to none.

   Honesty is the most important ingredient to personal development (and overcoming binge eating).

2. Take responsibility for your life.

   I had a tendency to play the victim role. And to place blame on others for the things that I didn't like about my life. I knew that this was a crucial step in my personal development.

   I began to shift that responsibility to me. And it was very liberating. I say liberating because I realized that I was the only one in control of my life. I could create anything I wanted!

   If I didn't want to be a victim anymore; then I could chose differently. I no longer had to stay there.

   This has been an ongoing process for me. I have found many "layers" of this role in my life.

   It does take time to work through the process of taking responsibility for your own life. But I do know that is the only way to truly be free.

3. Journal Writing

Yes, I know that journal writing is hard for some people. It takes effort and time. It is something that I have had to work on, but it has helped my personal development.

I've realized how much I have grown by writing my thoughts down. The best benefit for me has been the stress relief associated with writing in a journal.

The things I write in my journal:

• Foods I eat
• Emotions I was feeling when I ate
• Thoughts, frustrations, urges to binge, etc.
• Events/Activities for the day

The best part of keeping this kind of journal is being able to look back and see the progress that I have made. It helps give me a sense of accomplishment; and to know where I want to go next.

Authentic-Self.com
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