Listen To Your Heart

For the last week or so, I have been "interviewing" fellow weight loss clients to get their stories. I set aside 30 minutes for us to chat and for me to ask them a bunch of questions. Then I spend the time putting the right words to their story.

What started as an extra "job" for me as become a privilege and an honor that I did not expect. These women are sharing their souls with me and trusting me to make them sound good! Except my part is the easy part - they have done all the work.

I am a talker. Always have been. I thought I was a good listener, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that I need to listen better.

image from wildlyfreewoman.net

When someone trusts you to write about them, you need to set aside your feelings and opinions and really just listen. I am used to writing about myself or corporate training materials - one of which is very personal and one of which is not remotely personal! So this new gig was a challenge for me.

If losing weight was easy, there would be no overweight people in the world. Everyone would just do it. But it's not easy. It's hard. And it's hard for a variety of different reasons. It's my role now to listen and share. 

My whole life, I have heard things, but have I listened? Would I have ever come across this weight loss plan had I listened to my loved ones express their worry about my weight? If I had listened years ago and got the weight off and kept if off then? Our fertility doctor told me years ago that I had to lose weight in order to get the anesthesia I needed for one of the procedures. I cried for hours after he told me. I saw it as an attack. I was embarrassed. But had I listened to what he said and not just heard what I thought he said, would it have made a difference?

I won't do the "coulda shoulda woulda". That gets me nowhere. But here I am thinking that to start really listening at 41 is just so late. But I guess starting now is better than not starting at all, right?

I have told my story time and again. And you all have listened. Now it's my time to do the same.

I want to be more present. To really listen. To be in the moment. I think it will make me more proud of who I am and I know it will make be a better mom. And a better mom is a better me.