A couple of years ago I was working with a private client and we were getting really intentional about how she wanted to change her typical Thanksgiving experience.
Instead of the usual overeating (she couldn’t stop eating her aunt’s famous creamed corn, the building tension around her family expectations (why wasn’t she married yet anyway?), the judgement she perceived around her food choices (you’ve put on a few pounds, are you sure you should be having seconds?), and a general sense of feeling like she didn’t belong (nobody gets me – who are these people anyway?)… she wanted to create a new experience.
She wanted to feel grounded, peaceful and present. She wanted to have permission to enjoy her favorite dishes without feeling like she was doing something wrong. She wanted to feel connected to her body so she could really tune in and hear her body’s signals of hunger and fullness. She didn’t want to retreat into a food-induced trance to numb out all the chatter in her head. She didn’t want to abandon herself again.
Instead, she wanted to feel connected to the LOVE inside of her, rather than the fear and separation that usually colored her experience. She wanted to keep her heart open to others, and more importantly to herself. And she wanted to make her choices in her own best interests in a way that left her feeling nourished, worthy and full of pleasure (yes that included the creamed corn!)
We came up with the image of a SPONGE – like a typical kitchen sponge – that would soak up all of the negativity she encountered, whether it was internal or external. We even had her put a real sponge in her purse and take it with her, just to remind her of the intention she had set throughout the day.
She emailed me the next day with a HUGE celebration. This brilliant idea had allowed her to create the most nourishing Thanksgiving she’d ever experienced. Not only did she not overeat at all, she felt more like herself and more connected to her family than she had in years.
Why? Because she had made the decision to have a different experience, and she had set very clear intentions for what she wanted instead.
This Thanksgiving I invite you to bust out your sponge. What’s the negativity that you’d like to banish from your holiday experience?
Is it the rules and judgements around good or bad food that keep setting you up to binge?
Is it that you need an energetic boundary to let others “stuff” just bounce right off of you?
Is it your own or others’ expectations of who or what you’re supposed to be that leave you feeling not good enough?
Is it the guilt that you’re not feeling as grateful as you “should”?
You know what it is for you. And you can choose to let it go.
Whatever it is, make the decision to leave it at the door and let the SPONGE do the work for you. Go get the sassiest, brightest kitchen sponge you can find and carry that bad boy around all day.
Give yourself the gift of one day of nourishment, celebration and peace – on YOUR terms. It’s only food after all.
Want more tools for fearless holiday eating? Download my Thanksgiving Survival Guide here.
