I was telling a friend about one of my favourite Martha Beck weight loss tools. It’s called “bag it, barter it, or better it”, and can be applied to any area of your life.
Anything you don’t want to do, consider whether you can bag it – simply not do it; barter it – pay someone to do it or swap favours; or, here’s the one I love – better it – find a way to make it something you want to do.
I do this with exercise, even though I really love running for the sake of running – the feeling of freedom, the stillness in the ravine near my son’s school – I better it by downloading lectures and classes on topics I’m passionately interested in, and only listen to them when I’m running.
She looked at me and asked “What stops you from listening to them other times? Why wouldn’t you just break the deal?”
I had never considered breaking my agreement with myself.
Without thinking, I answered “Because I’m no longer at war with my body”
There was a very still silence for a moment as we considered the enormity of this discovery.
We had both struggled with our weight for a long long time, and never considered that we could put an end to the war. Now I had. We both started to cry. Me from the enormous relief of the peace that I had voiced. She because of the realization of the war inside her.
I can help you put down your weapons, give you the tools to find peace.
Because when you’re at war with yourself, no one wins*
*thanks to Brooke Castillo for this brilliant, yet obvious observation
