CONFESSIONS OF A SLOPPY EATER

All I can say is what the flip-flop!! At age 62, I STILL struggle at times to maintain poise when I’m eating in public. It never fails – a bread crumb, a rogue black bean or a single long strand noodle is going to drop from my fork, bounce off my chin, hit my chest, and soil my top before landing on the table, or worse, my lap. It’s PATHETIC! I promise, I’m not being self-deprecating. I just can’t understand why I can’t completely escape the noose of sloppy eating even though I’m a borderline neat freak in all other areas of my life.

(She feels me!)

I’ve tried to rationalize that since I grew up with 2 brothers I didn’t concentrate on etiquette in my rush to get my share of food before it was gone. But honestly, both of my brothers have always been considerate and well-mannered. Trust…it’s just me.

I don’t share this confession to criticize myself. I share it because self-awareness is the foremost building block of high self-esteem. Before you can accept yourself, you must know yourself. It’s about your willingness to open up and acknowledge areas where growth is needed, and to discover and celebrate areas of strength. 

Though it may not seem serious, I’ve been utilizing a few techniques to handle the sloppy eater foolish folly. I focus on ordering foods that won’t fall apart. For example, instead of ordering rice, I’ll order mashed potatoes or yams. Instead of ordering string beans, I’ll order broccoli. Instead of ordering spaghetti, I’ll order lasagna. And I’m very mindful about the amount of food I place on my fork. Of course, that’s only when I’m dining with a client. If I’m with family or friends, I order what I want and forge a peace treaty with rebellious food.

Granting yourself grace and even pardon as you become self-aware doesn't mean believing you're perfect and it doesn’t mean thinking you're better than others. It's about valuing yourself enough that criticism, setbacks, and failures don't have the final say in your life. It’s recognizing [as I had to do with my food battles] that your imperfections don’t diminish your worth because your worth was never dependent on being flawless.

Ask yourself: Who am I? Why does who I am matter? When you can answer those 2 seemingly simple questions with confidence and self-respect your world begins to open, your mindset will expand positively and powerfully, and=YOU will be on your way to the self-fulfilling manifestation of high self-esteem! You’ve got this!

MARIO'S MESSAGE