It used to be that every new beginning ⁣
was a date with a diet⁣
⁣
A diet-date.⁣
⁣
It was the day I planned ⁣
to start “being good”⁣
⁣
to “get serious about what I ate”⁣
⁣
It looked like this:⁣
⁣
January 1st - the BIG cultural diet-date⁣
Birthday - diet-date the day after⁣
A wedding - diet-date 2 months prior⁣
Conference - diet-date 2 weeks prior⁣
Family gathering - diet-date 1 month prior⁣
⁣
⁣
Every new beginning ⁣
An opportunity for ⁣
Food shame⁣
and⁣
Body blame⁣
⁣
What if…⁣
(and it can truly be this way)⁣
⁣
A new beginning was⁣
A date with deepening⁣
⁣
A deepening-date.⁣
⁣
The New Year - deepening self-compassion⁣
Birthday - deepening into my desires⁣
A wedding - deepening my love affair with myself⁣
Conference - deepening authenticity⁣
Family gathering - deepening relationship⁣
⁣
What if new beginnings ⁣
were not another time to engage ⁣
with cultural messages of ⁣
body-expectations and beauty ideals⁣
⁣
What if new beginnings ⁣
were a time to engage ⁣
with ourselves ⁣
not from a place of management⁣
but from a place of tenderness.⁣
⁣
~ Nina Manolson⁣
NinaManolson.com