1. One of the first lectures in the module was about accountability groups. There are hundreds of people taking the online course and I didn't see a realistic way to create an accountability group with a few strangers among the hundreds enrolled, so I thought I'd have to skip that step. The very same afternoon a lady in my neighborhood called me and stated she was trying to do a 30 day sugar free challenge, and she knew I was passionate about that, but she needs an accountability group to help her through it and would I be willing or able to do that? I about doubled over laughing! Why yes, in fact I need an accountability group myself to keep my momentum going for a book I'm trying to write about this very thing, if you will hold me accountable, I will hold you accountable! We met a few days later and reviewed our goals and how we can help each other and she has already been a great support. Coincidence? No way.
2. I was really stuck about the "promise" I was offering my readers, because it seemed like there were so many books out there on nutrition and mental health, or weight loss, or how food affects the body and brain, I wasn't sure what made me unique to hold a place on the shelf. I was able to tap into a coaching call from the director and someone else had a similar question, and he asked her "what's missing from all those other books what do they have wrong? What haven't you ever heard or seen as you read books on the subject your passionate about." And it hit me like a bolt of lightening, it isn't just bout the connection between food and mental health, I have the skills to help with the HOW to overcome the forces keeping people eating what they want. I only see weight loss books that talk about cravings, and I want to help people with mental health issues who are weak in their resolve already know how to realistically and permanently overcome cravings, fight the mind chatter that justifies and rationalizes, and challenge the social and environmental messages telling them its no big deal. I was able to connect with Bill and tell him his coaching had already helped me find the gap and he was totally thrilled. It was exhilarating.
3. I was stuck on the population piece of the puzzle too. It's so tempting to think "This book could help EVERYONE!" but that is exactly what Bill told us not to think. I was trying to narrow it down but couldn't figure out what to do, LDS women? My clients? Mental or medical health professionals? Mother's of young children? No matter what I thought it seemed to exclude people that needed it and I couldn't settle on it. On Sunday morning when I was determined to NOT think about the book and give my brain a break, my husband spontaneously wanted to talk about it, and so I told him I was stuck on the population and he was totally all for the mothers of young children population. Think about who has sought your advice and help? Moms! You could get this on a mommy blog and it could take off. They are desperate for help to know how to eat better and what to serve their children they will like and won't take all day to prepare. You are a mental health professional but you are also a mom! You could really help them. So I got unstuck and settled on a population, and Bill said it was clear and focused, and it helped me flesh out my "prescription" better! In fact I wrote the most brilliant 9 step acronym for my program that could only have been inspired by the Holy Ghost.
So God is with me, I feel strongly that writing a book is the right thing to do, and maybe after all the light and knowledge and direction he has given me to heal maybe I'm accountable to share that with others. I have hopes it will help change things or at least give some people an escape from needless pain. Here is what I wrote today in the Passion worksheet:
I'm afraid to tell people sugar is poisoning their bodies
because so many people think it's harmless, so many people love sugar, and so
many people don't care if it is harmful. I'm afraid mom's will hate my book
because it makes them feel guilty instead of inspired, or that it will make
people think "I could never do that" instead of converted to the idea
that it needs to happen. I don't want my book to create hopelessness, I want it
to spur people to action. I've been dismissed by so many people, they ask me
what they can do to improve their health and when I tell them "get rid of
the sugar" they never want to speak to me again. Maybe I'm saying it in an
overwhelming way, or a not convincing enough way, but people just seem to see
me as extreme and either "too hard" or "so not worth it" or
not even a big enough of a problem to care so much about. I couldn't even
convince my own husband to stop, he still eats sugar on special occasions or if
that's what's available. I shared a whole lecture with my supervisor on the dangers
of sugar and it didn't seem to change his views on food and mood. I've sent my sugar
free recipe book to 10 people who don't do a thing with it. I have a blog with zero followers. I feel like William Wilberforce, no matter how
much I try to help others the way I've been helped, it falls on deaf ears and
doesn't change a thing. I'm afraid nothing will change.
If I weren't afraid or ashamed I would do what I'm doing,
write a book so that the convictions I hold will not die within me, and I will
know even if no one listens, I shared what I know, and their pain was their own
decision and not because "no one ever told me."
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