I love Friday nights! A typical Friday night for John and I almost always includes wine and conversation (who is John you may ask? he’s my best friend and sweetheart). Red or white wine, you ask? It doesn’t matter. It’s really more about the conversation…Topics vary from week to week but on one such recent Friday night, the conversation turned to thoughts about high school and the challenges and insecurities that seem to go hand-in-hand with high school.

My 40th high school reunion is this Summer! How did that happen so quickly?? So with that being said, I’ve been thinking that NOW might be a good time to change the direction of my career….but more on that later….

As we talked on that recent Friday evening, John asked me a familiar question, “If you could go back in time, what would you tell your high school self? Or in other words, what do you wish you would have known back in high school that you know now?”

Oh geez…that’s really a loaded question! Where to begin….

There are so many things that I would love to tell my younger self…there are so many things that I have learned over the years that I wish I’d have known going in to it. But then again, that’s just life isn’t it? Part of the journey is learning from our mistakes and failures. The reality, at least for me anyways, is that I’ve always learned more from my mistakes and failures than from my successes. So obviously, I have learned a LOT!!

So……

What would I tell my younger self? I would tell her, “No, you are not ‘fat’.”

Honestly, I wish I could have thought of something more profound that night. Something more wise. Something more “deep”. But yeah, that was it—”No, you are not ‘fat’.” It seems kinda ridiculous doesn’t it?

Maybe that sounds a little shallow but if you stop and think about it, and dig a little deeper, I don’t think it’s shallow at all. In search of other people’s approval, I thought I needed to look a certain way…I thought I needed to be thin. And sadly, at 5’ 2“ tall and 117 lbs—in my insecure teenage mind, I honestly thought I was fat. It doesn’t matter whether I was or I wasn’t. That was how I perceived myself. And, perception is reality, right? And then, throw in the “freshman 15” and it was all down hill for me from there.

I don’t think I was (or am) unique in my struggle with body image. I think most would agree that many young girls (& boys, too) and young women struggle with body image and self confidence.

I no longer struggle with body image. I’m comfortable in my own skin (and btw, it feels pretty good). I’m thankful and grateful that I have found peace with myself and those demons of self doubt no longer haunt me. (Or at least, most of the time. Lol.) In fact, today, I consider myself to be a fairly self-confident person. I think most of my friends and family would also say that I’m a self-confident person. However, in my profession, I come across women of ALL ages today who struggle with self body image. Sadly, those same demons who haunted me so many years ago are alive and well in our culture.

So….back to the original question: what are some things that I wish my high school self would have known THEN that I know today???

• I wish I would have known that inner beauty is way more important (and also longer lasting) than outer beauty.

• I wish I would have known that being fit and healthy is way more vital than trying to please other people by looking a certain way.

• I wish I would have more fully grasped that at 5’2” tall and 117 lbs—I was perfectly created by the God of the universe. And regardless of my weight and height, and any other statistic about me, I was (and still am) loved by the Creator of the universe intensely and unconditionally.

• I wish my high school self could have appreciated and valued herself a little bit more. Okay, maybe a LOT bit more. Why are we so hard on ourselves? What the HECK was I thinking?

So there you have it. Notes to my younger self.

And now, as I embark on a new fork in the road….as I battle the giants of self doubt and fear of failure….I am stepping out of my comfort zone to officially let people know that I’m launching a private practice in nutritional counseling.

What does that exactly mean? It means I’ll be providing nutritional coaching services and functional nutrition guidance to those who desire to hire and work with me. To those who are fighting auto-immune issues that are related to inflammation; to those who are struggling with their weight; to those who are feeling overwhelmed and chronically tired; to those who just need some assurance and accountability: I am here for you. Using a variety of tools and functional medicine testing, I will create and customize an actionable plan that is unique for you; and together, we will reach your health and wellness goals.

Will it be easy? No, mostly likely it will not be easy. And honestly, if you’re looking for easy—then, you’ve probably come to the wrong place. There’s no EASY button here; and there’s definitely no magic pill. BUT…

Will it be sustainable? YES.

Will it be doable? YES.

Will it require commitment? YES.

Will it be worthwhile? YES.