As we share jokes, send inspiration and make brunch plans thru group texts we have learned a little more about each other. Yes, we get together and talk yet the greatest insight I have received about each person has been thru a character count limitation.
Funny? Well, while miscommunication can occur thru texts and email great learning can come from them as well. Not everyone is comfortable verbalizing their feelings especially in a social setting. The hesitation to share during brunch or sitting at the kitchen table is often a matter of being self-conscious, not wanting to become the focal point or being/seeing/hearing judgmental comments. As individuals we each feel the same way yet as a group we feel like we are the odd one out.
Despite our uniqueness we have a common ground which surfaced during our character count limitation … I call it the need for “configuration management.” Life shows on each of us through our hair, face, skin, mentality, attitude and most of all our weight! We look at each other and think the next one looks great and as an individual we are unhappy with our physical appearance. Silently one person starts her weight loss journey then falters because of lack of support or frustration in resisting temptation.
Over time our “configuration” has changed and while we accept it one way, we are rejected in many other ways: through advertisements, store mannequins, the latest fashions, our mates, our reflections, etc. We clearly understand that we may not regain that perfect Coca-Cola shape we once had, but we can come close to it. Our journey to a better “configuration” may stem from vanity (which is considered a sin), but goes beyond that, it extends to our health both physically and mentally, self-discipline and being working examples to our families and communities that you have the power to re-configure yourself!
Each person comes as a package, many packages are incomplete, they have the presentation but not the content that will outlast the outer shell… those associations have since been discarded or kept at a manageable distance. As mature women we have made some any adjustments in our content due to our experiences and have ignored our packaging. As our packaging is off-kilter we recognize that it has affected our mental state our confidence, our drive which we once had as youths. Now with our character limitation we learned that there is more than one person on the weight loss journey, better yet “configuration management” journey. Recognizing our commonality, has evolved this individual journey (a passage or progress from one stage to another) to an expedition (a group of persons engaged in an activity). No not earth shattering, not new, but guess what it’s new for this group!
We have removed one of our masks, to share a personal aspect of ourselves which we are no longer self-conscious about. It’s not rocket science, that’s what Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutri-System and all the other weight loss groups built their foundation on. However, the difference is, we are extending ourselves beyond a food log, packaged food and sitting in a room with a group of strangers talking about why we ate that Oreo cookie or how our mate pissed us off so we ate a quart of fried rice, 4 chicken wings and a pint of Häagan-Dazs for dessert. It’s about with each decrease in a pound; we increase our energy, increase our patience and increase our desire to go one step further. It’s about setting incremental goals and when we are happy we stop and maintain our “configuration.” It’s about engaging the people we interact with on a daily basis, not just in weekly meetings or phone calls, to be the support we need. It’s about engaging our families in healthier lifestyles especially our children so they don’t forget the importance of “configuration management.” It’s about watching someone take one less medication and another being able to avoid it all together.
Our “configuration management” expedition will have bumps, and we may fall into a ditch, but we will throw down that rope ladder, plant our foot firmly and take the climb slowly to the top. Please believe we will still indulge in our brunches and other treats we have come to love, but it will be done in moderation. Each person is responsible for accepting their own packaging.
When you are happy with your packaging and internal content then others view of you really doesn’t matter… not conceit but confidence…
© Soulmuze 2012
Soulful Storytellers LLC 