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May02, 2002 - Self-Positivity! April 2002 >> |
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SELF-POSITIVITY! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 2001 Issue Contents: *Introduction & Welcome *Article - A different kind of Hunger *Diary & Book Update *Bonus freebie link *AOL Links *Final Words ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Welcome to the Self-Positivity! ezine ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi, and welcome to the first Monthly edition of the ezine. You may have noticed that I've been having trouble keeping up to date with this ezine since I went out on my own - I'm now also having to do a lot more work on writing for print publications so I've had to come up with a compromise. A monthly ezine with a few extra features is what I'm hoping will fit the bill. Each month, as a thank you for your patience in waiting for the issue, I'll include a link to a book, report or some other kind of bonus that you can get absolutely free of charge. I'm hoping that, if you're like me with an inbox full of ezines, this will help with the backlog of unread issues. It also means that for those of you that want a HTML version or an AOL version, you'll be able to change your subscription over to the right one for you. For the AOL formatted ezine, you just send an email to: selfpositivity.aol-subscribe@listbot.com. As a separate ezine, you'd normally have to also unsubscribe to this list, but since it's just starting up, I'll go through the lists of new aol subscribers and do it for you. ARTICLE - A DIFFERENT KIND OF HUNGER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are you one of the millions of people today who struggle continuously to make their bodies conform to what they "should" look like? Is eating, or weight, a problem for you? It is for so many people, that I think it's time we took a look at the problem on a different level to the individual one. It's all too easy to blame a problem on the people who are suffering it. On the other hand, when you are suffering it, it's also easy to blame it on things outside your control. I personally believe the answer lies somewhere in the middle, and that the best solution lies in combining both - taking responsibility for ourselves and being aware of the bigger issues that contribute. Ignorance is anything but bliss in this case. If you're wondering what I'm going on about, it's this. I firmly believe that the increasing weight problems of the western world are not just a question of a whole lot of individual people doing the wrong things. I believe that it's symptomatic of something that we're all missing in our lives today - and looking to replace. Unfortunately, when it's replaced with something addictive like food, drugs, smoking or alcohol, these cause even more problems than the ones we were looking to fix in the first place. I have spent my life fighting weight. The more people told me I had to do something, the worse I felt about it, and - not surprisingly - the worse it got. The more I felt down on myself for being like that, again, the worse it got. I looked back recently on some photos of myself in high school, by which time I had been well and truly convinced I was fat, and was surprised to realise I had not been very big at all. It was nothing to worry about - back then. By worrying about it, it's now become a much bigger issue (pardon the pun) - and that's where all the well meaning comments and constant bombardment of messages, by media, friends and family, can go horribly astray, blowing a minor problem into a major one. Recently, as you're probably aware, I started out on my own, chasing my dream of giving workshops and talks on self-esteem, having finally come to the point where I felt I had learned enough on my own journey to have something real to offer others. I never expected the side benefits I got from that. On the days when I'm caught up in creating or doing work along those lines - I have no interest in food whatsoever. It's a huge contrast with the days when I'm busy doing things I've "got" to do, that I don't really like doing. Those days I go for the "substance" of food to sustain me, but when I'm chasing my dream, my passion, it's like I'm feeding off something totally different...a life energy and enthusiasm that wasn't there before. I honestly walk around feeling full all day, even if I've not touched a thing! The energy just flows, and I've come to realise that it was this kind of feeling that I've been chasing all these years with food. The feeling that I'm worthwhile, and have something to offer. A basic assumption, that we should ALL believe, but one which so few people really do. Is this why we're all chasing the comfort of food? Sure, an individual can take action and change their life habits to push themselves against the stream and get thin, give up smoking, drugs or alcohol. It happens all the time. From what I hear, though, it is a REAL uphill struggle. From the years when I was trying to do it myself, I know that's true - and it always seemed to me that the harder I tried (the more I worked on myself to fix the problem, in other words) the worse it got. How about you? Now, being aware of the things I've been looking for in food, and aware of the messages I've got from our general society, it's a lot easier. In fact, it's hardly even an effort - on those days when I'm fulfilling those needs. On the days when I try to conform to what I "should" be doing it gets hard, but then I have a day where I'm giving a talk, running a workshop, and it all flows again. I've been missing something and blaming myself for not having it. Self-fulfilment. Why aren't we raised with the belief that we have something special to offer? Why don't we grow up searching for what that is and finding ways to express it? Where do we get caught up in "gotta get a job," "gotta make a lot of money," and start trying to find self-worth in things we have or do? That's not where our value lies. It's a lie in itself. When you discover that you are special, and start sharing that specialness with the world - that, I believe, is when you start healing that hole inside. The one you've been trying to fill up with food, money, alcohol, whatever. It's perfectly right and natural that you should feel it, and want to fill it - just realise that it's not something outside that does the trick, even if it feels like it should be. That hole is the part of you that wants to feel loved, needed and appreciated - and if you're not given that automatically by virtue of just being you, then maybe it's time we started looking at where our society goes wrong. We all deserve love, appreciation and expression. Our world doesn't give that to us at the moment, but we can create it for ourselves. You can start with your own life - start expressing who you are, believing in your own value - whatever it takes, and stop looking at the symptoms as if they were the disease. Learn to believe in yourself - appreciate the unique and individual gifts you have to offer the world, and start finding ways to express them. I sincerely hope that you, like me, will be surprised at the results! Best Wishes, Crystal Woods __________________________________________ www.self-positivity.com Powerful tips and techniques for improving YOUR lifestyle through better self-esteem! __________________________________________ DIARY & BOOK UPDATE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This month has been absolutely mad. Besides coming head first up against the beaurocracy (they don't like people who don't have regular jobs, for some reason, and seem to take a perverse delight in making all kinds of little things very complicated) I've been working with a few friends to help get their internet sites up and running. The biggest buzz, though, is that I've FINALLY produced my first book! I did get some poetry published a few years ago, but this is different. You'll soon be seeing it on the site - it's a compilation of the best articles from the ezine nicely bound in a bronze cover signed and numbered in a limited edition of only 250 (electronic is also going to be available for instant download). I'm now trying to arrange all the software and the like needed to be able to offer it for sale on my site. It's not as easy to get into e-commerce as it sounds, my friends! I'm also spending a lot more hours trying to bring in a steady stream of income to meet the bills. I know it doesn't have to be this hard, but I'm still trying to overcome the belief system that's working against me on that one. (Not to mention that everyone I meet that hears I'm doing it tells me how very hard it is - even if they've never done it themselves!!!) We've got a funny society, don't we? Ciao for now, Crystal BONUS FREEBIE LINK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This month's freebie is an ebook called "7 secrets to unlimited traffic". It will be available for download from the site at http://www.self-positivity.com/ezine/freebie.htm for the next 3 weeks. Your password will be peppermint (no capital letters). The same site will be used for next month's freebie, and the new password will come out in the next ezine. Hope you enjoy! Suggestions for topics you'd like to see in the freebies section are welcome, and may even win you a prize! Email me at ezine@self-positivity.com and put "freebies" in the subject line. AOL LINKS ~~~~~~~~~ Email me! ezine@self-positivity.com Visit the website and check out the changes! http://www.self-positivity.com Your freebie link (see above for password) http://www.self-positivity.com/ezine/freebie.htm Final Word ~~~~~~~~~~ To let me know how you enjoy it, or could enjoy it better, send an email to mailto:ezine@self-positivity.com?subject=feedback Or to check out all the other stuff available on the website, go to http://www.self-positivity.com |
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May02, 2002 - Self-Positivity! April 2002 >> |
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