Sugar: The Artificial Sweetener… and My Addiction

by Jacqueline McFadden, born in Scotland, living in Holland

I didn’t even know I had a sugar addiction until I tried to eliminate sugar from my diet two years ago, due to health reasons, and found I couldn’t manage it. That white, soft ‘harmless’ stuff that is found in almost everything took me on quite a trip – it was the artificial sweetener of my life and I was dependent on it. Continue reading “Sugar: The Artificial Sweetener… and My Addiction” →

Starting a New Relationship with Food and Myself

by Janina Koch, Cologne/Germany

I wrote this down the other week… a realisation from my body which describes my relationship with food:

“No food in this world is more yummy than feeling delicious me!”

I used food all my life to not feel me and what is going on – as a treat for me, a reward. I loved watching TV with my wine, crisps and Belgian chocolate. It was the best part of my day. I looked forward to it. No matter how bloated I felt after, I ate a whole packet of crisps. Continue reading “Starting a New Relationship with Food and Myself” →

Self Acceptance: No Need to Push, No Need to Try

by Rosie Bason, Mullumbimby, NSW

When I do things such as speak, sing or paint with a need to get it to be a certain way, with a push or a need to try, I actually make it less. It is less because at that moment I am not accepting myself or realising that I am already enough. For example, the sound when I try to sing comes out hard, yet when there is no push and no need to try, it comes out naturally beautiful.

What I am is enough! Continue reading “Self Acceptance: No Need to Push, No Need to Try” →

Overcoming my Horse Addiction

by Rosie Bason, Mullumbimby, NSW

Horses have had a major role in my life. When I was 9 years old I experienced my first riding lessons. That was it, I was in, hooked. I didn’t realise until later in life that I had a horse addiction.

I really wanted to get into the horse community so I volunteered at local stables and pretty much did anything in exchange for lessons. My parents would not pay for them so I found a way. As my horse addiction grew, I soon became ‘wanted’ as I was one of the riders who had the guts to ride all the difficult horses that no one else wanted to ride.

I loved it because it made me feel needed. I loved it because when I rode a difficult horse, I was seen and recognised. It didn’t matter to me if I would get thrown off, or the danger I put myself in, what mattered was I was noticed. I was taught to be strong, to dominate as well as be quite unkind to horses, all in the name of training. Continue reading “Overcoming my Horse Addiction” →

The Stupidity of Thinking about Things Twice

Just lately it has become so clear to me how much of my life I waste by thinking about things over and over again.

What I realise now is that I only need to think about a task when I am doing it, rather than multiple times before and after. For most of my life I have thought about what I am going to be doing this afternoon, or tomorrow, or next week, in an exhausting way. And if that’s not enough busy-ness, I can also worry and think about things that I have already done… over and over again.

It seems quite exhausting just thinking about it. Oops, there I go again… Continue reading “The Stupidity of Thinking about Things Twice” →

A New Starting Point

by Joel Levin

It’s time to get back to a simple fact that life is more than misery, suffering or something to ‘get through’. For many years this was my starting point for all choices. I didn’t know that it was, as these things don’t change until you change your starting point and can assess the difference.

Having a starting point that is about suffering and getting through life meant that any choice was assessed in terms of its ability to move me away from these feelings. Continue reading “A New Starting Point” →