More Joy Less Fat

They say that on December 21, 2012, the world will end.

That means when we all wake up on December 22, we will be in a new world, a new life, a rebirth of sorts.  

It's like people who have a major car wreck or health crisis where their life hangs in the balance.  When they survive the crisis, they realize they've been given a life extension … they are now living on borrowed time.  The general reaction to this experience seems to be a sense of awe at life, a re-dedication to living with meaning and purpose.

Perhaps that's what will happen to us collectively on the morning of December 22nd.  At least, it's a choice we could make, individually as well as collectively.  In that rebirth moment, each of us gets to choose what life we will live, who we will be, what purpose we will follow.  

The past month has been a transition period as I let go of some things and explored a myriad of possibilities … some outlandish, some hangovers from the past, some pale possibilities that did not excite me,  The word that kept coming back to me ... the maypole of this dance ... was:  JOY.  I know I want to live joy, collect joy, share joy, increase joy in the world.

Circling around this small word gave structure to my exploration and eventually led me back to myself and my life-long dance with Fat, which has been at once my master teacher and also a continuing joy drainer.  I am ultimately grateful for this issue that introduced itself to me in the first grade and has been my constant companion.  It may not be a very attractive Guide, but it is the one I was given and it has been a great teacher.  It prodded me into learning about health and nutrition at an early age.  It introduced a lonely, bookish child to the joys of her physical being ... running, walking, yoga, dance, hiking, kayaking, swimming and, of course, sex.  It led me into the hallowed halls of spirituality and psychology.  It prompted dozens of personal development experiences that gradually helped me understand who I am. 

I have wanted to write about this master teacher for many years.  Finally, it seems to be time.  Not only have I studied with this Master my entire life, I have also maintained a major weight loss for the past five years …years that simultaneously introduced me to a new master: Joy … which brought its own lessons.  I have gained deep life insight into both Fat and Joy and suddenly realized that if I could create "More Joy; Less Fat" in my own life, it could help others who also struggle with these issues. 

Just as Joy has many different meanings, Fat can be interpreted in many ways. It can be generalized to mean anything you need to make life healthy and worthwhile but too much of which can be damaging.  Too much Fat of any type can weigh you down, clog the arteries of your life, drain your energy, and interfere with movement.  We understand the role of Fat in our bodies, but sometimes we overlook the excess Fat that may show up as too much material stuff which can demand our constant attention, excess memories that keep us anchored to the past, excess judgments and opinions which block new ideas, or excess fears which narrow our comfort zone and prevent us from having new experiences.  When we  begin to focus on creating more Joy, we automatically begin to release excess Fat in all its many varieties.

The holidays are here and, for some of us, this time of the year is a mixed blessing.  We love the bright, shiny parts but the over-abundance of food and drink fills us with a sense of dread and powerlessness over the scale-creep that almost always happens during this period.  

If you believe that you will indeed wake up on December 22nd ... and, perhaps, be in a new world and want "More Joy; Less Fat" in your new life, send an email to jwycoff@me.com.  I'll let you know when the launch begins for this new, fun, creative, empowering approach to an old issue that some of us have carried around (literally) for way too long.

May your holiday season be pure joy,

joyce

About this image:  "A New Way of Seeing"

Perhaps if we had more eyes, we would see more clearly.