Make it a PHAT Tuesday:

Today is Fat Tuesday, and that means a lot of things to a lot of people. For someone who grew up Catholic (me), it signifies the beginning of Lent. And even though I might not be a practicing Catholic so much anymore, I still partake in several of the cultural holidays throughout the year. Lent is definitely one of them.

When I was a kid I did things like give up pizza and chocolate and candy. As I got older Lent became less about materialistic sacrifice and more about making room for better habits and releasing the habits that caused stress or unhealthy behavior.

Last year my promise was to remove self-doubt from my life for the 40 days of lent. It was a glorious 40 days. I started thinking a lot about it today as I realized Lent was beginning and had to examine my life as it is right now. What am I happy with and what could be removed to make things a little simpler, happier, and healthier?

So… on this Fat Tuesday and beginning of Lent, I propose a challenge to you.

Make it a PHAT Tuesday

Find your PLACE on your journey, accept who you are today and embrace who you want to be tomorrow. Give up the self-doubt for the next 40 days and see what happens. For you it may mean stepping away from the scale, or not measuring yourself to the people around you. Find yourself!

Find your HAPPY. What is it that really will make you happy in life and in health? I remember reading other posts of women that stepped away from the scale and diets and moved on toward an emphasis towards better health. In all those posts I found myself wanting PICTURES!  I wanted to know what happiness LOOKED like. Yet no one ever posted a photo of themselves looking fabulous and said “this is what happiness looks like”. It took me a while to realize that happiness and self worth don’t really look like anything. It is more about how it feels, and in that you have to find that feeling within yourself.

Find your AWESOME: What makes you so great? What are your best attributes? What do people love the most about you and what do you love the most about yourself? Identify it, own it, and remember it as a reason to love yourself because you are your own person. The best you can be is to find your true self, not some imitation of someone else.

Find what you TREASURE: Why are you here, on this earth, today? What are you going to do with this wonderful gift of life that will make a positive impact on you, your family, your friends, and your community? This is the treasure. This is what allows successful people to go to sleep after an exhausting day with a smile on their face. Find your passion and your purpose and work on it to make it a reality. No treasure is better than any other. Some can be self serving like a vacation or event, others can be philanthropic like a cause or community drive. But purpose and passion are what makes the yucky days not so bad, and the good days absolute pure life. 

Life is more beautiful, precious and in vivid color when you have a passion, so I encourage you to find yours.

Fat Tuesday is a celebration in its historic roots. So go out and celebrate life by living it with pride, health and passion!