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We love inspiring quotes. We value them so highly that we invite participants in our six-week Wellness Circle programs to select and share a quote with their group, one that will serve as a guide or a “compass” for the goals they set for themselves in their circle. Some participants turn their quotes into bookmarks or put them on Post-it notes and stick them in places where they will see them regularly.
In that spirit, today, we are going to share one of the quotes one of our participants shared in a Wellness Circle a few months ago.
Here’s this week’s quote:
“The New Elimination Diet: Remove anger, regret, resentment, guilt, blame, and worry. Then watch your health and life improve.”
Charles Glassman, M.D.
Many approaches to dieting are grounded in shame and self-criticism, something we could never support. This quote, however, speaks of one approach to a diet we can get behind and one we wish to practice for ourselves.
Many of you wrote to us last week and thanked us for focusing on the importance of self-compassion as we set intentions for the new year. The quote above goes along with that way of thinking and invites us to let go of four things that relate directly to practicing self-compassion: regret, resentment, guilt, and blame. For us to eliminate these things does not mean that we don’t or that we shouldn’t feel them. The idea is not to get stuck in them, to let them go over time rather than letting them weigh us down, causing us to suffer one way or another.
The same can be said for anger and worry. There are healthy experiences and expressions of both of these emotions, as well as unhealthy ones. We can usually sense the difference. People often reach out to us when they know their anger or worry is excessive and/or they are feeling consumed by them. This is a healthy move on their part as they know that being unable to let certain emotions go will have a long-term negative effect on their life and health.
Our overall physical health and wellbeing are intricately intertwined with our emotions. It is wise for all of us to identify and practice eliminating emotions that could harm us. When we do this, we can all watch our health and life improve.
Do you have a quote that guides your wellbeing right now or your intentions for the new year? One you might put up on a sticky note and post on your mirror or laptop?
We would love to hear it—so we invite you to share it with us on our Wellness Compass Facebook page, where we also share this column each week.
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ABOUT THE CREATORS:
Holly Hughes Stoner, LMFT and Scott Stoner, LMFT, are both licensed marriage and family therapists who are partners in life and in work. They are the Co-Directors and Co-Creators of the Wellness Compass Initiative, a non-profit initiative that crates preventative wellness materials for adults, families, and teens. They live in Madison, Wisconsin and are the parents of three adult children and are blessed with two grandchildren, as well.