"It's My Hair!"

"Whenever tackling any issue from weight loss to quitting smoking to writing my thesis for
my Master's Degree, I remember that every journey begins with a single step. When the Dali
Llama was asked how he walked from Tibet to Nepal, across the Himalayas, his answer
was 'one step at a time.'

I use these examples because the importance of a step is often overlooked because we are
so focused on the end result that occurs somewhere down the road. We often lose our
perspective about the fact that each step is what actually gets us there.

For me, gaining 100 lbs between age 25 and 29 was the best thing that ever happened for
my personal growth and development. I had always thought that I was morbidly obese at
a size 12 or 14 and had issues of non-existent self -esteem based on weight, gender,
ethnicity, and socioeconomic status just to name a few. In the eight years it took me to
lose the weight, I had three additional children, moved to the state of my dreams, found
my spiritual path, and became my favorite person. With each step and each pound lost,
I learned to also shed the emotional and spiritual toxins that had led me to medicate with
food in the first place. This definitely was a journey of self-discovery.

I have now uncovered me, what lies beneath all of layers of shielding and protection I felt
I needed from the world. My body is lighter, but more importantly, my soul is unencumbered.
And all of that began with one single step. "

This was the response I wrote to a women who asked me for some weight loss motivation.
A mutual friend had told her about me and my recent success. When I re-read what I wrote
before hitting "send," I was amazed at how I could be so open and honest with someone
that I did not know. Then I realized, this is the result of being open, honest, and accepting
of myself.

I feel like accepting my hair, and letting it grow the way in which it intends has truly been the
last and key piece to accepting myself. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. In the
last week, I have done a few things that are out of the ordinary. I attended a convention alone,
I took a Capoeira class, I wore a bra top exposing my beautiful stretch marks and belly fat
during several Zumba workshops, rocked a hot pink bikini in all of my public swimming
endeavors, and gave solicited advice to a stranger. A year ago, I wouldn't have done any
of those. Six months ago, maybe one or two. When discussing this new found comfort with
a friend, my response as to why I have opened myself up to the world: "It's my hair!"
Who knew?