As we complete month 1 of this New Year I am reminded that each of us has great potential. We all have new opportunities for health, wealth and happiness. In making space for my own personal opportunities, I was struck by an article in my University of Colorado alumni bulletin about the 1996 Mount Everest climb gone awry. You might recall the expedition of seasoned climbers who had well laid plans for making it safely to the summit. Eight climbers died on that tragic day. Of 3300 climbers who have ever made it to the top of the highest peak in the world, 220 have died. That is less than 1%. Don’t forget that 10-15% of people with eating disorders die. Eating disorders are way more risky than climbing Mount Everest…
Years later, one of the survivors of that climb, Neal Beidleman, a CU grad, returned to the mountain and had this to say: “A lot of people have burdened Scott and Rob (two seasoned guides who perished) and others up there after the fact with all the things they should have done. But the reality is, once you are out of oxygen, your world becomes very small and you are capable of becoming very limited. I was reminded of that.”
Oxygen is fuel. HEALTHY FOOD is also fuel. Without both, our world can become very small, and all our potential is lost and we ourselves become very small and limited. No one chooses to get an eating disorder. And you CAN CHOOSE to have, or not have eating disorder behaviors. The thoughts linger, ED’s voice can be very strong at times, and each person has the choice to say NO to behaviors, and YES to life!
Neal also had this to say: “…You can come to terms with accepting what your limitations are. Just allowing yourself to appreciate that you maybe did everything you could under the circumstances is really powerful.”
So, today, work on accepting yourself, make space for goodness and new opportunities, and BREATHE!
Ann Hull, LISW, MBA
The Hull Institute, LLC
http://www.hullinstitute.com/. PLease feel free to comment on our blogs and contact us on Facebook and Twitter
