ReVolution, not resolution, beginning here Jan. 2

December 29, 2016 | Cravings, Life in My 50s

reVolution not resolution

Our new adventure — this Cravings Tribe — is not about making a single, one-year resolution or losing 10 pounds or becoming someone you’re not. It’s about finding out who you really are and coming to terms with your true self. It’s realizing you are good enough exactly as you are right now, at this very moment, whether or not you feel you need to eat healthier, exercise more, spend less time on social media, read more, pray more.

Whatever your “goal,” we want to begin from a place of acceptance, but that takes work. It doesn’t come naturally, does it? We are hard on ourselves, always seeing the cracks, the flaws, the places where we’ve failed to live up to our own expectations. That’s about to change…

Often the root of our feelings are buried way down deep inside. They’re not easy to face, and so we use other things (food, social media, alcohol, gossip, shopping, etc.) to fill the void, and, before you know it, we’ve layered another “issue” on top of whatever else we’ve go going on. Before you know it, we’re caught in a vicious cycle, always setting ourself up for failure by making goals or resolutions that are doomed because the real work doesn’t involve a scale or heart rate monitor. It involves getting right with God and with ourselves. Exciting and daunting, but not nearly so much when we do it together!

During the next eight weeks, we are going to try to take the first step in our personal revolution, a transformation that is not just skin deep. We will face ourselves, not in the mirror where we tend to see all our flaws, but in prayer and mindfulness and self-awareness, where we will learn to see the beauty and strength that resides deep within in spite of — or maybe because of — our brokenness.

Here’s a schedule of how we will journey through the book, beginning each chapter on the date listed. Although we’re starting Jan. 2, you can jump in any time, or come in and out as it suits your schedule and life. It’s all good! I’ll put up a blog post on those days as a kick-off for each week. You’ll find that here and linked on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Throughout the week, I’ll try to share inspirational memes, quotes, and posts that will help you along the way. I’m hoping to do some Facebook live events or YouTube videos I can post here every two weeks or so. Just watch this space for more information. In addition, I’m working on a podcast, although I’ve never done one before so we’ll see how that goes. Stay tuned!

January 2: A Deeper Hunger

January 9: Dieting Delusion

January 16: Mirror, Mirror

January 23: Freedom by the Forkful

January 30: Feast or Famine

February 6: Balancing Act

February 13: Soul Food

February 20: Just Desserts

February 27: Going Forward as a Tribe

If you want to dive in right now, you can read the Prologue. If you won’t be using the book and want more information on what this is all about, you can click the “Cravings” tab at the top of the home page here on NSS and you’ll find lots of essays and tips I’ve posted since the book was first published by Ave Maria Press. If you buy the book at Ave before Jan. 31, you’ll get a 25 percent discount when you use the promo code: CRAVINGS. Click HERE for that link. Or you can buy it on Barnes and Noble by clicking HERE, and on Amazon by clicking HERE. (Amazon is temporarily out of stock; Kindle edition still available there.)

You can also tune into a few radio shows in the weeks ahead. Here’s where I’ll be talking about the Cravings Tribe:

January 2, 8:20 p.m. ET: Busted Halo on the Catholic Channel, 129 on Sirius/XM

January 3, 5 p.m. ET: Drew Mariani Show, Relevant Radio (listen live at the link or on the Relevant Radio app)

January 10, 2 p.m. ET: On Call with Wendy Wiese, Relevant Radio (listen live at the link or on the Relevant Radio app)

cravings-infographic 2Here’s a helpful graphic to get you started while you wait for our adventure to begin. You can print it out in copies of two or five to share with friends and family. Put one in your copy of Cravings, and keep one on your desk or kitchen counter or nightstand, wherever it will serve as a reminder of this personal revolution you’ve begun.

Cravings set of two bookmarks

Cravings set of five bookmarks

I can’t wait to get started with you on this journey next week. I will be walking with you every step of the way, because, even though I wrote the book on the cravings, I still fall back into old habits. I want to practice what I preach, so thank you for joining me and providing the community that will make that plan easier.

I recommend getting a journal for the journey — it can be a simply spiral notebook or something fancy. Sometimes the 25-cent spiral notebook from Staples is better than the leather-bound beauty because it allows us to write more freely without any worry that we have to write something worthy of a “good” journal. Do whatever feels good for you. But remember this: We will not be counting calories or fat grams. We won’t start starving ourselves with the arrival of the new year. That’s not how this works. It’s not an old-fashioned diet; it is a way of life. This will become more clear once we officially begin.

So get ready to begin and meet other folks who want the same kind of transformation. We aren’t meant to walk this road alone. We need companions. I hope in time you will feel free to share your thoughts and feelings in the comment section here and on Facebook, not only with me but with each other. When this Cravings journey ends in late February, we will have built a support network that will last long after we’ve closed the book.

Oh, and if you follow hashtags, we’ll be using these two: #cravingstribe, #soulsurvivors, and #reVolutionnotresolution.

Happy New Year! Remember that you are beloved in God’s eyes exactly as you are right now. Never forget that. ReVolution not resolution. You are already on your way.

Here’s some music from Alessia Cara to send you on your way today: Scars to Your Beautiful

“But there’s a hope that’s waiting for you in the dark
You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are
And you don’t have to change a thing, the world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful…”

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