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This is one of my fav books of all time, The Path to Integrity. I had to stop partway through to read her book Leaving The Saints, her story of leaving the Mormon church, which I also highly recommend.

Martha's work, and the work of others like her such as Glennon Doyle, show us a different way. They teach how to fully learn what rests deep inside our own soul which, I believe, is the most important thing. After reading Martha's book I began, for the first time, to explore and question the imprint of my ancestors and the generational trauma that came with it. I also love her podcasts and have done that meditation many times.

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Wow! That's a major endorsement for a book! I'm looking forward to finishing it. And that meditation is gold. Even now I can go to it and find immediate peace and grounding.

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I think this describes a large part of why we connected in the first place: we've both figured out (or are figuring out, maybe more accurately) how to stop listening to what society and culture and all that want us to do. If nothing else, we're aware that that's what's happening, and I think that's more than half of the battle.

If this piece is not yet on your radar, I would suggest a peek:

https://heftymatters.substack.com/p/the-night-kerri-strug-made-a-nation-1d0

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I feel like there comes an age where we decide how we want to live the rest of our lives and whether we really want to continue with the bs nonsense we've been told we have to follow. It's incredibly liberating to toss all the shoulds out the window.

Thanks for sharing the link!

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We're doing OUR thing. I like it.

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This is a beautifully written and thought provoking piece and I love the synchronicity that showed up for me with the word “integrity”.

Integrity for me in the context of food and eating means honoring those body signals of hunger and fullness, and of joy and satisfaction.

As a mentor of mine said “self care is a radical act in a culture that wants us to shrink”. (Paraphrased)

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Thank you! I love that quote and think of nourishing ourselves as one of the most basic forms of self care that so many of us neglect.

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I completely agree!

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I learned about the book from Cali Bird who writes gentlecreative@substack.com.

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Oh gosh, I LOVE Martha Beck. I’ve been reading her for 20+ years, she’s wonderful.

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That's so good to hear. I feel like I've been living under a rock since I just discovered her.

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This week, I read Elizabeth Gilbert's book Big Magic. She talks about creative living beyond fear.

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Thanks for the recommendation, Janice. I will have to check this out!

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Thanks for mentioning me. I hope the content helps you and your readers.

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