“The automatic doors were broken. The sign read: Please note – the only way “out” is “in”. It is how one perceives the door that determines the coming and going. There are two journeys one must make to have balance…out there and in here. One depends on the other. Every exit is an entrance. The only way out is always in. To move on in the world as it is, one must turn to the resources within.”

I love this excerpt from the book Uh-Oh, by author Robert Fulghum. It reminds me that it is impossible to exit anything without first entering. You cannot finish something without first starting. Interestingly, it works in the opposite way as well; in exiting a room you must be entering something else…another room or simply the open spaces. While one does not exist without the other, it is impossible to be both in and out at the same time. As a result, one’s energies should be centered on the resources within the moment or space he is currently in. And when those resources have been exhausted and it is time to move out of that space, then it is time to move in to a new space.

Sometimes after yet another ”diet failure”, we feel that there are no more doors to open. But always there is another door. Sometimes we feel that we are at the end of the line and that quitting is all there is left to do. But where there is an “end”, there is also a “beginning”!

When we overeat, we often berate ourselves with regret and inadequacy. We forget to praise ourselves for all the times we made good choices and maintained control. Each new day is an opportunity for correction and a new door to open. Just when we are ready to cry out in despair that there are no more doors, our hands reach out to open the next one at the dawn of the new day.

We must keep on trying to help ourselves and each other. A healthy way of eating is a quiet statement of self-love. Each of us know how easily our minds produce the shallow self-deceptions found in each “excuse” for overeating. At the such times we need to be aware of our choices and understand who we are and why we made them. Understanding is our biggest help in making changes.

Ask yourself, “What is today worth to me?”

The appetites generated by our hearts and minds may have led us to doubt the wisdom of our bodies. However, if we trust the message of hunger our bodies send and listen closely for it, we shall find our way through another door. The more we know about ourselves and the more willing we are to choose to make the best of who we are, the better we shall make each day. When success does not come as smoothly and quickly as we wish, it is important to remember that, we are still learning, we are between seekings, we are looking for another door to open.

Consider the lessons of the simple note placed on the grocery store doors. In your life’s journey you will be faced with many doors of opportunity. Recognize that the only way to reap the benefits of those opportunities, you must first enter. It is impossible to exit a room that you did not enter! Then, move forward and open the next door to the next opportunities waiting for you to discover and enjoy.