Author, Brene̒ Brown, through her writing, teaches us about courage, vulnerability, and shame resilience, all prerequisites for mending and healing. “Being all in” is the vital element. To fail while being in the arena is a life better lived than having not taken action or attempting triumph at all. The passage (below) by Theodore Roosevelt inspires facing fear, walking into the ring of struggle, and daring greatly in places of adversity. Leaning into fear proves emotionally satisfying, strengthens risk-taking skills and atrophied emotional muscles, and placates past experience with new neural pathways.
Underlying the weight loss journey, the path of daring greatly is required travel, putting oneself into the arena, risk revelation and a fight for healing, overcoming obstacles, and emotional vulnerability. Without daring greatly, the causes beneath the surface of the weight remain dormant, doggedly persistent in maintaining its weight protection, and taunt the beholder typically forever. Boldly recognizing the depth of meaning behind the weight is an imperative step, while exploring, digging, and healing from those scars is imperative for sustainable, maintained weight loss.
Yet after extinguishing the past through healing, forgiveness, and allaying the past, emotional baggage arises from the ashes like rekindled firewood with determination and persistency to afflict its occupants. Daring greatly is the challenge to douse the newly lit flames. Memes, our perceived, engrained qualities immersed from childhood experience, are triggered and reminiscent of the brokenness that shadow fear, destructive downfalls, and distress. Anchored to low self-worth and the bottomless pit of despair during early years, release requires inspiration, understanding, and recovery to reclaim the authentic self with strength and resilience.
Healing often zigzags, sometimes two steps forward and one-step back, attempting to find healing along smooth ground while rattling the past into sacred burial. Although the avenue of change flows unevenly against a tide like a rubber band that wants to resume to equilibrium after stretched in one direction, repeated recoiling when emotional triggers are pressed requires persistence. Rediscovering unconditional love, self-care, and acceptance requires entrance into the arena of worthiness, self-love, and strength toward a badge of courage, honor, and determination in overcoming obstacles, a resilient existence. Yet onward trudging through disarray, disorganized trenches to discover indestructibility, resilience, and strength make the journey worthwhile.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Along the weight loss avenue, shortcutting the process via an instant fix prevents sustainable success. Daring greatly while fear marinates encourages resilience, masters bravery, and illuminates our strength. Thriving, striving, and succeeding in life’s arena, to enter, fight, and battle with courage is the destiny to live a life with meaning. Full of ambition, risk, and vulnerability, we attempt the impossible. Without limits, potential for greatness exists. Without limits, healing is accessible. Without limits, our life purpose dares greatly to be heard, lived, and sung. For successful weight loss, daring greatly is a prerequisite.