Are you ready for more change in your relationship with your Drill Sgt.?

I've received some great feedback in the past few weeks about the experiences some of you are having as you begin to "seek to understand" the intention of the Drill Sgt.

Sometimes as we get caught up in the day to day busyness of life it is so easy to forget that the Drill Sgt. even exists. We're so used to him running the show it just feels like "us." So we may not even notice the criticism or the feelings of frustration, resentment, hopelessness, despair, loathing and disgust that may be a part of the Drill Sgt's "motivation through criticism."

It is important to commit to a few minutes each day when you'll invite yourself to be conscious of your self- talk. Just a few minutes to try the techniques we've been exploring the last few weeks will make a huge difference in your use of food to cope and your life overall.

You see once you begin to prove to yourself that the Drill Sgt's intention is positive, just misdirected, you have no reason to fear staying present. That means that you have more likelihood of catching the Drill Sgt. as soon as he begins to utter something critical and you can redirect him to express his concerns in a more respectful way. So you don't ever have to feel those awful feelings of disgust and despair that his old way of "motivating" you used to trigger. And if you are feeling safer being in the present, not only is your self-confidence going to rise but your ability to find other ways to attend to situations in the present moment will also grow. Meaning, no more unfinished business, no more unnecessary stress building from day to day. And therefore, much less need for food to cope in the first place. Beautiful. And as the participants from this weekend's workshop said: Peace at last!

I would like to invite you to notice something this week. Whenever you notice the Drill Sgt. trying to motivate you through criticism try this: Ask yourself, "What was I just thinking about, from the past, present or future that made me feel insecure?"

I am asking you to trust me on this and take it on faith that that is exactly what just happened. You just had a thought or experienced something from the past, present or future that made you feel threatened, unsafe or insecure. And the Drill Sgt. is stepping in to "rescue" you by giving you a pep talk and telling you about all the things you can do to make yourself "more acceptable" and therefore, in his books, more secure. Remember that the Drill Sgt. has been taught by key players in your life and media and societal messages that one must look a certain way and weigh a certain amount to be acceptable and there for "safe." So any time you are feeling insecure or threatened for any reason, however unrelated to weight it might be, your Drill Sgt. will immediately make it about what you look like and what you weigh. This is just more of the same old harmful coping strategy and the sooner you nip this one in the bud the faster and easier your healing journey will be.

So, any time you notice the Drill Sgt. getting on your case about food and body image just ask yourself that question and you will immediately prove to yourself that something else, unrelated to weight was going on. Then you can set about taking care of what is really going on instead of spinning your wheels focussing on a symptom and not on the problem.

Please do continue to send me your e-mails about your experience with these tools. Let me know what you discover beneath your Drill Sgt. and the use of food to cope. We'll begin in the next few weeks to look at some of the different underlying triggers you have found so if you'd like to be able to have me responding to something specific to you, send me an e-mail.

And for those of you who are just tuning in, back issues of the newsletter are available through our web site so you can read the last few months and see what we've covered so far pertaining to the Drill Sgt. or you can just start right now. Either is perfect.

"When we see the need for deep change, we usually see it as something that needs to take place in someone else. In our roles of authority, such as parent, teacher, or boss, we are particularly quick to direct others to change. Such directives often fail, and we respond to the resistance by increasing our efforts. The power struggle that follows seldom results in change or brings about excellence. One of the most important insights about the need to bring about deep change in others has to do with where deep change actually starts." — Robert E. Quinn

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers. – M. Scott Peck

Wow, what a wonderful experience it was to facilitate a weekend with a group of women who are actively using new tools in relationship with food, themselves and others. It is remarkable how a matter of a few short months of trying some new thoughts and behaviours makes such a significant difference in one's self-esteem and use of food to cope. And these ladies demonstrated that so well.

There was such remarkable openness and trust amidst these women. This kind of trust amidst a group of virtual strangers can only come from feeling grounded and secure in yourself. Because only then does it feel safe to just be yourself and be open to the experience of the moment.

For me the weekend was absolute 100% validation of the philosophy and methods of The CEDRIC Centre. It is truly such an honor to witness the absolute beauty of a woman who is coming into herself fully as a woman and an adult; trusting her worth and her right to just be. So, thank you ladies for giving me the gift of witnessing your process.

Now, let's hear some of their very own feedback about their experience of this weekend and of their own healing journey.

I really learned so much from the other people. And I really love your way of explaining things. I would love to have ongoing group counselling with people who are in the same place as myself.

A wonderful weekend with wonderful women! Each day when I leave I notice that I feel more peaceful in mind & body as I'm on my way home.

I feel my confidence growing that I can offer myself the things that I need, and that I can name those needs for myself - by going within and trusting! Thank you Michelle!!!

It's been another amazing weekend. I've been on this journey now for 9 months (hmm - interesting length of time, right?) and I feel that I'm just really really beginning to understand. Even though I've grown so much already.

I know that I need to work on this daily, and I know that I haven't been doing that yet, but I feel so much hope for the future. I see the path now and it may not be as straight as I'd like it to be but it's most definitely going in exactly the right direction. Thank you for your wisdom, support and love.

Ladies, it is absolutely, 100% my pleasure! Thank you! M.

email: info@cedriccentre.com

phone: (250) 383 - 0797

web: http://www.cedriccentre.com