Eat, pray, love

Of course you’ve heard about the new movie starring Julia Roberts. I decided to wait until I had finished the book before I saw the film. The book of course has more substance – you just can’t put everything into 2 hours and 15 minutes. I loved the way she described her feelings, good and bad. I found it easy to relate to her even though I have not had the same experiences. Elizabeth Gilbert’s year-long trek to find God and herself took her around the world. For the rest of us, however, that opportunity may never come.

But, there are some simple steps that anyone can take to help them find a sense of peace and happiness. As a woman and a psychologist, I am quite familiar with the way that women base their self-worth on their looks and/weight. This propensity has caused us to become obsessed with diets in this country. You would think that with all the diet plans out there, we’d all be thin by now. But, no, the rates for overweight and obese people continue to rise.

My suggestion is that we focus on what we are really hungry for – good, clean, healthy food. This is not a shout out to pig out. If we feed our bodies properly, I’m sure we would be surprised at how good we would look and feel. Give up the fake, chemical-based substances we have accepted as the common American diet. Let’s eat like we are in Italy or France: fresh produce, small amounts of dark chocolate, meat without growth hormones.

Prayer is our communication with God. It’s really that simple. I’ve had many clients over the years who feel that they are missing this connection. They are usually surprised how simple it can be to develop that relationship. Some find it in church, others in nature. God is there, if we look.

I believe the love part comes easily after you have the first two steps. I am not talking about romantic love, but that could come afterwards. You have to learn to love yourself. That is so foreign to some women because they are focused on trying to twist themselves into what someone else wants instead of being who they are. By taking care of yourself, valuing who you are, and knowing that God loves you (despite knowing all about you), will help you to find peace in this crazy life. Love isn’t that hard but it does take effort. Often, practicing small, random acts of kindness towards others can bring love and happiness into your life. Those are my tips for eating, praying, and loving your way to a happier life.

Thursday, January 14th

Good day! I am so happy that the sun is actually shining today and that thetemp will finally reach above the freezing mark! Well, actually my happiness should not depend on the weather and it does not. The weather is something that can add to my positive outlook. Happiness is different. We all have things that we believe ‘make’ us happy. It varies from person to person. However, when you really look at the science of happiness (after all, I am a psychologist) you see that external events or stituations count very little.

Happiness is a state of being that is originated by internal factors – how we think, perceive, and respond. For example, having an internal feeling of joy or peace will help you to maintain a positive outlook even when faced with some challenging situations. Many people describe this sense of joy/ peace from a religious or spiritual basis. Others feel secure in their knowledge of their abilities and this helps with their stress levels. Whatever it is that keeps you afloat, especiall ehn times are tough, see if you can put it into words. This could be the start of a Gratitude List to keep you focused on the positives in your life. I’d love to hear what’s on your list!