Doing the Right Thing

I have done some counseling in my past life, both as a patient and as a counselor. Both have been beneficial to my health and well-being. I got to thinking about the whole counseling thing after yesterday's Go Red for Women luncheon (American Heart Association). After lunch several of us from my work place (a hospital) discussed the needs of our bariatric program, the needs of ourselves and our co-workers and the community's perception and reception to our program.

I know that my own health history (father with heart disease) and my own ill-health... overweight, stressed and lack of exercise only precedes my chances of having more heart problems. I already have high blood pressure. One of my options is bariatric surgery to lose weight and improve my chances of better health. But I'm just not ready to go under the knife. However, I know the reply to that could be... "You may go under the knife with your heart if you don't change."

Accepting information and bringing things to the light is tough sometimes. I think there is a part of us that wants to be kept in the dark and left alone. Yes, doing it alone and being independent is a life-long motto of mine. I don't share much with others. I don't ask for help or ask for support. Even my hubby learns more about my feelings, thoughts, fears, and accomplishments through reading this blog than I ever share with him. I'm a loner. But it's getting tougher and tougher each day to keep up that facade. I need to connect with people. I need to be willing to show that I'm human. I have the need to connect to others and I need to be able to accept that connection.

Therefore, I have been mulling over the possibility of starting a support group at work for others that want and need to improve their health. Support in the form of talking and sharing, caring and connecting. In many ways this is a selfish idea as I know that I have a lot of information that I have gathered over the years in my head. I have the "right stuff" in my head, I just don't have the heart to make it my life yet. That is why I need this support group to release that "ribbon" of information out of head and give it to another person and have that ribbon weave itself through our group until it comes back to my heart and that ribbon of information becomes part of my heart. Becomes a part of my being, my doing, and my actions.