The power of community
We are all responsible for our own happiness and our individual choices but we can’t ignore the influence others play in our lives. Therefore it is imperative that we find ourselves a community of like minded and inspirational people to help us to grow. It is with this in mind that we form one of the main tenets of our Food on the Mind Group; the collective is much stronger than the individual.
While we will all at some point need to value the strength that we hold as an individual, it is through the support and experience of our community that we can truly achieve lasting change. In fact, it was through my own community’s support that I developed this entire model. Dr Lisa Lewis and I were discussing my plans for releasing this group work to the public and she said it reminded her of a story from the father of group therapy, Irving Yalom. She would use this parable as a talking point for discussion among her patients and it perfectly encapsulates the goals I have for our emotional eating group sessions.
“A rabbi had a conversation with the Lord about Heaven and Hell. “I will show you Hell,” said the Lord, and he led the rabbi into a room containing a large round table. The people sitting around the table were famished and desperate. In the middle of the table was an enormous pot of stew that smelled so delicious that the rabbi’s mouth watered. Each person around the table held a spoon with a very long handle. Although the long spoons just reached the pot, their handles were longer than the would-be diners’ arms: thus, unable to bring food to their lips, no one could eat. The rabbi saw that their suffering was terrible indeed.
“Now I will show you Heaven,” said the Lord, and they went into another room, exactly the same as the first. There was the same large round table, the same pot of stew. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons—but here everyone was well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The rabbi could not understand. “It is simple, but it requires a certain skill,” said the Lord. “In this room, you see, they have learned to feed each other” - Irving Yalom
This aspect is what I am most excited about. The opportunity for us to work together to nourish not just our own goals but also the goals of those around us. As we better ourselves, we help to better each other. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats.
There are only a couple of days left to sign up. Then registration will close down until our next cohort in August. If you want to get started and work to change your relationship with food and how you deal with emotions around eating, click on the button below.