The Long Run: Emotional hoarding

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Something I’ve noticed recently is that I hold on to stuff way past their expiration date. And I’m not just talking about the milk from the freezer. I hang on to emotions and feelings way past when I should let them go.

I mean should I still be pissed at those kids from high school that moo’ed at me in the hallway?

I have to learn to let it go because it’s taking up valuable space in my life. Do I really need to keep an emotional tally of all the times my family has supported me, and more importantly, the times they have not.

Why am I still hanging onto feelings that don’t matter? Am I using it as fuel to propel me forward? No. It’s just dragging me down into old patterns of feeling inadequate.

So yesterday my post was all about cleaning my room, well today I need to clean out my feelings drawer. I might try the whole get it out into a letter and burn it idea. But I have to get all the negative hurts out before they poison me and halt my success and happiness.

Do you have problems letting it go? Better yet, do you have good tips on how to let it go? Are you an emotional hoarder too?

The Long Run: Workout Barbie

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Barbie: Every woman’s has had one, nearly every woman wants to look like one.

How many of us actually do? Not a lot.

I’ve been going to my Zumba class work about 6 months now. There’s a lady I have chatted up many times. Let’s call her Workout Barbie.  She looks remarkably like the picture above. This Tuesday, I felt particularly frustrated with her super tight buns as I watched mine jiggle in the mirror. After class I went up to her and asked what I had been wondering for the last six months.

“So do you look like this naturally or does it take a whole lot of work and I’m just not working hard enough.”

Luckily she had a sense of humor and didn’t smack me. She actually answered.

“Some of it genetics, my siblings are both pretty small. But I come to the gym for at least 2-3 hours a day and starve like a barbie. It kinda sucks.”

I laughed out loud. I couldn’t believe she was so honest. “But it works. I mean don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re hot. And your butt is amazing.”

“Thank you. I’m glad it looks good. But it still sucks.”

That made me think. Would I rather live a happy fulfilling life and keep an imperfect body. (fit, but still a little jiggly around the edges) Or would I rather have the perfect body (as much as genetics allows and 5% body fat) and never look at a carb again and keep up a routine that makes me miserable?

It feels like I am miserable when I am fat. But trying to meet the Barbie standard makes me miserable too.

Guess I’ll just have to stay fit and healthy and make peace with my flab-ulous imperfections