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If you told me that you’re a “Wellness Warrior”, I’d say that you’re not nor could you ever be one because this overused badge of honor doesn’t exist.
But before you get upset, hear me out.
Something about how the health conversation has been framed by health “gurus” (and their branding experts) always felt off to me. The often used “Wellness Warrior” characterization conjures up an image of strength and perseverance over an enormous health hardship. And while the level of struggle and tenacity involved with incredible transformations is something to truly admire and behold, it’s not attainable for most.
Guided by the notion that perfection in everything you do, eat, say and embody is of more importance than your own pragmatic sanity is the first sign that the goal to be “a warrior” is unattainable. You didn’t sign up for this… You didn’t picked the fight in the first place. Your truth about your health lies somewhere in the balancing act of being brave and wishing it was all a dream.
That’s why so many feel completely disempowered by the inspired spurts of attempted health and diet changes littered with too many failures to keep count because those awe-inspiring, Dr. Oz-polished, and sound-byte sized triumphs that many wish for aren’t real. And that’s why the “Wellness Warrior” is a badge of honor that doesn’t tell the true, messy, painful story you’ve faced nor inspire the amazing hurdles you can climb moving forward.
Let’s be Honest… No one is a Wellness Warrior
The truth is that few (if anyone at all) jumps into fighting illness with such vigor and spirit right off the bat. No one begs for these incredible crosses to bear with glee and pride.
“Bring on debilitating pain…”
“Bring on chronic illness where I can’t work and my family and friends give up on me…”
“Bring on feeling sick and being told by doctors that it’s all in my head…”
“Bring on feeling highly ostracized, judged and even ridiculed for diet and health choices that are beyond the norm…”
… Said No One Ever.
Instead, it takes years to hit a such a low point that bearing the pain and discomfort of staying on the downward spiral is no longer tolerable. It takes exhausting the traditional options and feeling failed with medical opinions that suck you dry of money, time and hope as you wish, plead and pray that things would just go back to the way they were before you really noticed something was wrong.
Once you hit a critical point in the decline of your health where it becomes clear that not changing is no longer an option, often times the effort to change is still rooted in and sabotaged by a state of reluctance to do what must be done to care for yourself. That’s why you have a hard time sticking to your diet, being honest with difficult people who question (and maybe even mock) what you’re doing, and making yourself a real priority.
But things don’t have to stay this way…
While I have shared my health journey many times (and continue to do so), it’s riddled with potholes and pitfalls, errors and missteps, setbacks and failures. I’m not perfect and I honestly didn’t once have the thought of sharing my journey back to better health as I wallowed in a state of hopelessness, frustration and exhaustion in 2008. I didn’t say “Yes, this is my opportunity to share my story and be a beacon of hope!” I just wanted to feel better and do what I could to stay the course on my new diet.
Have I cheated in the past nearly seven years I’ve been gluten-free? Yes. The first few years were rough and while I had some really good stretches, they were followed by the not-so-proud moments of wanting to be normal and not feel like such a weirdo or be called difficult. I could totally hide these “slip ups” and act like I was perfect from the first moment I began eating gluten-free, but then you’d have no reason to trust that I personally know what it’s like to be in your shoes.
This leads me back to what these “Wellness Warrior” health stories we read about or see on TV really are… a simple narrative of “I got sick, found some answers, applied this knowledge staying the course and now I feel like a million bucks… and here’s photographic proof of my hard work.” Essentially they’re nothing more than a concise Cliff Notes version with a pretty bow. But that’s how they’re engineered to be… easy to believe that the journey is always a total success drenched with flowers and rainbows.
Friends, know that before-and-after photos are pretty easy to fake (which several articles like this one popped up this year) and TV producers know how to craft a compelling story that will get you to tune in. Even health experts create perfect stories (leaving out the blemishes and moments of weakness while others have never been sick and thus can’t personally relate) to sell you their books or branded dietary/fitness approaches. You’ve been bombarded with health claims and promises for the latest health or fitness craze of the moment. And as a good consumer, you jump from program to program, guru to guru, diet to diet hoping that this next thing is the missing key. Meanwhile with each leap, your optimism and hope wanes.
While I’m certainly not knocking anyone who has had an incredible transformation in their health (and I know and have interviewed many), I’m here to ask you to question how much stock you place in the Cliff Notes version of the story and self-proclaimed “Wellness Warrior” badge. Truthfully, the imaginary straight path to perfect health after you find your body beat up by autoimmunity, food intolerances and allergies, disease and stress (just to name a few) is what makes this journey and the fleeting allure of the “Wellness Warrior” badge seem downright pointless.
As of this moment… let’s put to rest calling ourselves “Wellness Warriors” because it simply doesn’t fit your own unique journey.
What’s Actually True
So what really sums up your journey and tells the truth about your health’s past, present and future?
What archetype is truthful and thus can help you discover your real strength and rekindle hope?
Meet the reluctant heroine (or hero… for the guys).
While the word “reluctant” may not sound inspiring, hear me out because we are surrounded and constantly inspired by reluctant heroines more so than the idealized, unattainable status granted to the Wellness Warrior.
The reluctant heroine (or hero) is an archetype found throughout history, religious texts, books and movies. And in everyday life, she’s you.
Faced with a difficult situation because of her health, a reluctant heroine spends time torn between wanting to feel better and not taking action. She may have trouble fully committing to her new diet or health regimen because sometimes it’s easier to go with the flow of life and not be singled out. Bottom line… what she knows must be done to care for her health and fully commit to that new (gluten-free) lifestyle and what she actually does don’t always match up.
Eventually something gives out and the reluctant heroine does what needs to be done for her health and family. She takes bold steps that may seem scary, but add up to truly incredible changes. She embraces the process of reinventing her relationship with food and becoming more comfortable with her new found control over her health. She can advocate and vocalize her needs such that her efforts get results that actually improve the quality of her life. And lastly, she finds pride her the many roles she plays as daughter, sister, mother, friend… to those in her life in need of assistance, inspiration and hope.
A reluctant heroine…
– initially avoids making herself and health a priority, only to realize that it’s the only choice that truly matters.
– doesn’t pick the battle and ask to become sick.
– is a woman who has tremendous experience under her belt and is confident in what her path and purpose is once she’s ready.
– doesn’t seek out fame and glory to validate her experience.
Upon saying yes to her own health, the reluctant heroine is transformed into what I call a {health} heroine. She inspires her family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and strangers whom she meets with each step along the way without needing to be perfect. She becomes an example of hope that’s not just some streamlined story, but rather a living, breathing wealth of pragmatic knowledge and savvy know-how.
And she is you.
By realizing that your own trepidation is a very real and necessary part of the process to take back control of your health, you are able to become a strong, fearless, resilient and capable inspiration for others. No matter your role in life, you are a heroine. You do amazing things all of the time even though many may appear relatively mundane. But I see that spark in you to love, live and be more in how you already devote yourself to your family, faith, career, home, health, interests, and friends. And it’s truly amazing.
Let’s harness that energy, celebrate our unique journeys back to good health and come together to lift up those around us who need a helping hand by doing what’s right while being true to ourselves.
My Calling to be Me
If you’re wondering where this all has come from… it’s partially due to being inspired and challenged by and meeting certain people who aren’t at all in the gluten-free community. They push me to be increasingly more honest and real with what is shared here at Gluten Free School. They remind me that it really doesn’t matter that I (as an advocate and expert) have no allegiance to any particular tribe like gluten-free or paleo which makes me a “black sheep”, so to speak. But that’s okay because you are my community and my home. It’s my calling to build a stronger, wiser, empowered, respectful community built on the desire to help lift up each member and remind her just how amazing she is.
And so I must tip my hat to Pat Flynn, Jennifer Pastiloff, Heather K. Terry, Dr. Mark Hyman, and Jacqueline Carly for inspiring me to believe that we can do better as a community to question what we are told is true, be respectful of another’s journey, lift others up and, in many ways, get comfortable (with what can at times be downright uncomfortable) being exactly who you are.
Thank you.
Changes are Coming…
I appreciate that you’ve stuck with me for this long, so I’ll keep this brief.
As you can tell, the tone of what we are doing here at GFS is changing… 2014 was all about becoming the best advocate you possibly could. 2015 is taking this a step further to empower you to become your own {health} heroine. Hope is not just “making a comeback”… it’s a sign that you’re going to catch this infectious spark to become passionate about your life and health… and then pass it on to those around you. (As Gandhi said — “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” — so let’s make it happen.)
A new GFS website is coming soon… along with new community offerings which will get us all connected, engaged and ready to make 2015 (and beyond) amazing.
The GFS podcast is already packed with lots of new (and a few returning) experts who will talk about new topics and push the boundaries on health conversations super relevant to your health to broaden your perspective and challenge you to reconsider what you know as true. In my book, that’s exactly what makes you a better advocate!
New video content will be available for you on our Youtube channel, so make sure to subscribe!
And the GFS newsletter (which is free) will be transforming with new and incredible content based on the feedback we’ve collected this past year.
This all said, the GFS team and I would LOVE your year-end feedback. So please give us 3 minutes and take this quick survey so that we can make sure to tailor what you hear, read and experience here at GFS to be exactly what you need.
CLICK HERE to take this quick survey!
With that… have a wonderful holiday, appreciate those around you and all that you are blessed with and I look forward to seeing you in 2015.
xo,
Jennifer
