I was sitting here at my computer yesterday afternoon and happened to be reading msnbc.com. Of course the big headline was the death of Tim Russert, at the age of 58. When someone dies that I feel connected to (as I did having watched Tim every Sunday morning for years), I feel a sharp pain and a huge sense of loss. My world has changed.
I have listened and read many of the wonderful things said about this man. My husband tells me I’m morbid, but I feel that I want and need to hear about what made this man so special. In doing so I find a reaffirmation of my own values.
Above all, Tim was a kind man. He deeply loved his family. He made a huge contribution to our world. Not by being mean, nasty, always looking for the gotcha — but by being fair, balanced, and knowledgeable. These are all values that are so important to me. These are values that we try to teach our clients at Mirasol.
Recovering from an eating disorder, as I’ve said many times, is not about the behaviors but it is about the underlying issues. As we address our underlying issues, we also learn to reaffirm who we are as women. We rediscover our own values and begin to embrace them. We learn that when we don’t need an eating disorder to cope with the stresses of our lives, our authentic selves and our values become that much more important to us.
For me today, it’s not about the quantity of my life in terms of “things” or in terms of years, but it’s all about quality. If I can do one small thing daily for someone, I have been successful. If I can say one small word that can make a difference in someone’s life, I’ve been successful.
I hope that all of you can join me in this journey. We can truly change the world!! We can bring back love and peace instead of living in a world full of fear and destruction.
