Rewriting Your Story
I am more than how my past presents itself within. I no longer will allow my past afflictions to be my story.
The voice within telling me this is how the world sees me, anxious, unhappy, and not worthy of success.
I can rewrite my story to represent all that I wish to be. I have aspirations that I am ready to believe in and know I can achieve.
The mountain top seems hundreds of miles away, but it is only a short distance, and I am ready to summit the peak.
I am worthy of happiness within and ready to take the leap of faith because I will succeed.
As winter turns into spring and new life is bountiful, so is my rewritten story. I have acknowledged the past but locked all the negativity and hurt into a lockbox, never to haunt me again.
I no longer will allow the past to control my bright future. I am sailing on the wide-open ocean following the sunrise to my rewritten story.
BIO: I am Nancy, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Reiki Master, public speaker, mother, nature lover, hiker, and motivator who is ready to support you on your Brite Path to physical and emotional wholeness.
As a child I was a tomboy who loved playing outdoors, riding my bicycle, exploring the woods with friends, and playing with Barbie dolls (ok, not so tomboyish).
When I was a teenager in high school, I became self-conscious about my body image. The reflection in the mirror was not the body image I wanted. Comparing myself to other girls, who I thought were prettier and thinner, started me on a path of unhealthy eating or not eating. This was a time when girls were taking diet pills to stay thin. I was too afraid to do this, but not eating would be my way to lose weight. The unfortunate thing for me was, I enjoyed the food. I would not take money to school, so I couldn’t purchase lunch. I would beg my friend for money when lunchtime came because I was starving. My choice would be tater tots or the delicious 3 pack of chocolate chip cookies. Unhealthy binge eating began and so did my gut issues!
I was married at twenty-one, had my son at twenty-four, and my daughter at twenty-eight. I wanted my children to be healthy, so I made homemade bread and would cook healthy homemade meals (mostly pasta dishes, which I thought were healthy).
I baked a lot, but I also ate most of the baked items. I thought if I ate all the junk food, cookies, cakes, and pies at once, they would stop calling my name. I was a junk food binge eater. I had a hard time controlling overeating at parties or meetings. When I would leave an event, I would be embarrassed and ask myself: why did I eat so MUCH? I felt sick to my stomach from overeating. Unfortunately, each time I binged, I would forget how awful my gut felt previously. My mind took over my body each time I tried to talk myself out of eating junk food.
I continued the same pattern in my thirties - loss of control over my mind and junk food binging. I was regularly running five to six days a week. I never had a weight problem, but I was unhealthy. One could call me a TOFI, (“thin on the outside, fat on the inside”).
In my forties and early fifties, I went to college and started a full-time career. My children were grown and on their own. I hired a personal trainer, learned about eating healthy whole foods and the importance of eating four to five times a day. I was still running and started weight training and I felt amazing. I still could not control my junk food binge eating or my gut problems.
I started hiking with a friend on a weekly basis and enjoyed the hikes, but wasn’t ecstatic about going every week. She mentioned hiking the Four Thousand Footers in New Hampshire (mountains that are 4000 feet and higher). I said I would go as a favor to her, never knowing what a life-changing experience it would be for me. On our first climb up Mt. Moosilauke, I was hooked! We continued to hike all 67 Four Thousand Footers in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. We then went on to the highest peak in Colorado, Mt. Elbert. The mountains filled my mind, body, and soul and I discovered my Brite Path to fulfillment. I am no longer junk food binging to emotionally fill my soul. I now have a healthy gut and most importantly, I have discovered my happiness within.
My experience working in a health department for over six years has brought to light the need for support in emotional and physical health. Founding a hiking group in 2014, I was able to educate individuals on the benefits of nature as a healing tool for anxiety, stress, and depression. In 2019, I started a Walking-Wednesdays group; thirty minutes of walking not only benefits physical wholeness but emotional well-being. Working with a Reiki Master Teacher, I brought Reiki to my workplace to help individuals relieve stress and anxiety. I’ve brought educational programs regarding nutrition, eating healthy on a budget, sleep deprivation and exercise to my place of work as well.
My true passion for educating the public on emotional and physical wholeness came to light when I was studying towards my degree in Human Service. Taking multiple classes in psychology and counseling methods along with a nutrition course, led me on my path into exploring the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York. I have learned from well-known educators, doctors and researchers in the field of emotional and physical health.