For years, I tried to keep something BIG a secret.
Bulimia.
I was ashamed. I didn’t want people to know that I stuffed my face with donut holes only to purge minutes later. I didn’t want people to see my pain, so I put on a happy face.
And that secret almost killed me … literally.
I tried to stop several times but for some reason, I was only able to begin my healing journey once I had finally admitted that I had a problem and shared it with my family.
Even then, I couldn’t talk about it with others for years. I still carried so much shame. It was bad enough thinking about myself as a victim, let alone having others around me reinforce the story.
But it wasn’t actually the bulimia itself that was causing my shame. It was the STORY I was telling myself about the bulimia.
...casting myself as the heroine instead of the victim. That was when I was finally able to free myself from the guilt and shame that had haunted me for years.
And thank goodness for that. My story has inspired SO many others and offered hope when it was lost.
So, I encourage you to find grace for your perceived shortcomings. They could be the magic ingredients that make your hero’s journey an unbelievable comeback story.
Welcome to The Peace Issue, where I will do my very best to empower you to make peace with your past and rewrite the future.
Because that thing from your past that you’re so afraid to share? It might be exactly what the world needs.
Love,
PS. One thing that made a BIG difference in my healing journey was getting over my need to be liked. Not everyone will like us, and that is okay. For every person who may be turned off by my bulimia story, there are ten more who will be inspired.
This is one of the key concepts we will dive into at SOSI South - my 2.5 day luxury retreat in New Orleans, LA on November 2 - 4, 2023.
Are you going to be attending? Grab a spot here.
We’ll be focused entirely on the art of charm. Counterintuitively, the path to living a charmed life begins with overcoming our fear of judgment so we can show up as the magnetic, charming women we are inside.
I will show you exactly how to find your inner charm, with brand-new teachings that have helped me expand massively in the past two years.
Claim one of the remaining tickets to SOSI South by registering here:
Your past doesn’t define you but your story about the past does
When I rewrote the story of my bulimia, I found a peace that infused my spirit with new energy - a rebirth.
Something I thought was shameful instantly became something inspiring. My old story weighed me down. My new story set me free and changed lives for the better.
If you are ashamed of your past, whether it’s where you come from, something you did, or a “mistake” you made, take a moment to recognize that what is painful TODAY is the story - not the event.
The stories we tell about ourselves profoundly shape our self-image, and we have the ability to re-tell those stories.
We can say the challenges strengthened us. The mistakes made us wiser. The obstacles shaped our character.
Shame becomes inspiration. Bitterness becomes resilience, and mistakes become cherished lessons. So grab a pen. It’s time to write a new story.
Rewriting the Rules of Friendship
with Grace L. Williams
“In the post-pandemic landscape, my life had gotten so small. In particular, I held onto friendships, people, and situations that, in hindsight, weren’t good for me. Why? Because I believed I should just be grateful for whatever I had.
One friend group specifically had so many red flags. I continued to let myself be dragged down because I held out hope that things would change.
SOSI has helped me find clarity beyond that hope and know that no friendship, no matter how great it once felt, is worth sacrificing my own personal peace of mind and well-being.
There’s nothing better than my SOSI sisterhood to turn to and grow with when these realizations and milestones occur. I wish us one and all more evolution and revelation and better relationships (and sparkles!) in the coming year.”
Make Peace with the Past
Need another reason to rewrite the past? Inspired by the 1960s, these bell bottoms with a modern twist are super flattering.
I love them so much that I might actually grab a second pair now.
How to Change Your Past
We’ve talked about the power of making peace. But I also want to acknowledge that it’s not an easy thing to do. Changing my perspective on my bulimia was a process.
In this week’s episode, I’ll share more about how I made that powerful shift - and how you can do the same.
// TheEDIT
A weekly digital magazine by the School of Self-Image
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