let yourself be...

Over the passed few years, I too have gone through quite a few "I shoulds". Many have been documented on this very blog. This past year, I have tried very hard to unlearn each of them.


I should do yoga every single day. I did that and I ended up exhausted.

I should wake up at 5am and go to yoga, pilates, or the gym. That was fine until I burst into tears one night when I set my alarm for 4:55am.

I should sleep the same amount at the same time every night. All I have to say is that it sucks leaving a dinner party early to make it home for bedtime.

Oh yes, and then there was the whole no gluten, no animal products, no coffee or alcohol thing. That landed me in the hospital.


It took me awhile to learn that the "should" strategy just wasn't working. The hardest part was the ego, but that tends to be the case. But I was desperate, so for the past several months, I have tried another strategy: let myself do, eat, not do, and not eat whatever the moment calls for. I've tried hard to let myself be (two steps forward, one step back each and every day). And guess what, folks? It's working!

Now don't get me wrong, I still believe in what drove me to all of the above - the power of yoga, healthy eating, challenging yourself, etc. But here's the major, major game-changer: moderation, and as is best for you - your unique you. The moment a healthy life decision become a stressful dogma, it has defeated its own point.

When I think of letting myself be, I think of this... Cali.

Life is too short to miss out on pleasure, too long to be miserable, and too complicated to fit into anyone else's mold.

Find your own balance. Be kind to yourself. Listen to your gut, and all that jazz.

mxo