The Selfie I Didn’t Want to Share

They say a picture (or a selfie) is worth a thousand words…and a recent one revealed what I was denying: my health

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You can run, but you can’t hide (from yourself that is). I know…because I’ve tried and it doesn’t work. But I’m calling myself out and want to share it with you.

Does anyone else feel like they’ve entered into some sort of time warp? It’s been 10 weeks…10 whole weeks of navigating this new ‘reality’. Along with it, twists, turns, unexpected bumps, adjustments, negotiations and feelings.

May 15th, our 5-year anniversary was to have been a day of great anticipated excitement, celebration and achievement — instead, I stood before the café early that morning staring at her from across the street, with her signs for curbside pick-up only…and sighed.

I mustered a bit of my cheerleading mojo and took a selfie I was ready to post on social media announcing this day. I smiled my big smile, posed for the camera and tried to exude a sense of ‘HOORAY’…but, well…let’s just say a picture can capture a thousand words.

That selfie actually told me a lot about my ‘self’…here in real time. Woah, what I saw was how much I had been neglecting my physical self. I looked worn down, tired, swollen and like the caffeine-junky I had become.

Now of course, I know we are hardest on ourselves. It’s not easy to look at pictures and say, WOW, I look wonderful. But this is different. This is truth-telling. I saw what I saw…and it was truth all there captured before my eyes.

My body had been calling to me for a while, but I said, just wait a minute. Hold on, I’m busy. It screamed, but I’m hungry, my feet hurt, my back is out of alignment again. And yet, I still responded, Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll get to you. Can’t you see I’m putting out fires here?

The true house fire was brewing within me.

Yet again, despite knowing how to be healthy, knowing how to live healthy, knowing how to dish up healthy…despite knowing better, I had shoved my needs to the back burner and carried on.

And of course you already know the ending to that story.

What I needed was a spoonful of my own medicine and fast. And the reason I’m sharing this with you is because I know I am not alone here. We do it all the time. We tell our bodies, minds and souls to hold on a minute, I’ll get back to you after I complete….(fill in your own excuse).

Conveniently, my bestie simultaneously gifted me Anthony William’s (aka The Medical Medium) latest book, Cleanse to Heal. And boy did the timing speak to me. The book practically jumped into my arms as if to say, I’m here for you…and btw, you look like a truck hit you (wink).

Sometimes when we hit rock bottom with our health or weight or whatever, we think we need to rush out and purchase programs, sign up for things, adopt the protocols of others. Sure, all those things can work. And I definitely support anything that supports you.

But I want you to know that the true wisdom is simply in getting still and listening to what you need.

Your body will tell you. Rest. Go for a walk. Move. Your soul will cry out. Feed me. Nurture me. You mind will send you cravings. Meditate. Read uplifting books. Pray.

And while I loved this big, juicy new book…and as I sat reading and perusing it’s beautiful pages — I actually decided not to do one particular cleanse at the moment, but instead to take this wisdom and incorporate it into my own regimen.

My body was craving fresh fruits and veggies. I knew what I needed to cut out and so do you. I was inspired to eliminate the coffee and replace it with juices. My body responded almost immediately. My energy levels shifted. My sleep shifted. My hot flashes vanished. And my capacity to handle what was going on in life felt more fortified and resilient.

I share this because this new reality we are navigating is stressful for each of us in our own ways. Our bodies need us more than ever.

They aren’t a side note to be dealt with later. We need to nurture ourselves even while putting out fires. Life will be full of them. But if we don’t listen to the wisdom of these beautiful vessels we have taken up residency within…they will come knocking.

So, my sweet friends, even though we may not be able to control many of the life circumstances before us…we can listen. We can feed ourselves. Do that for you and your ‘selfie’.

— Lea Haas, Owner, The Garden Café Woodstock