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So, I have always been the type of person who supports and listens and helps when my friends need me.

In the past, part of doing that was a way to try and balance out the fact that there were things in my own life that I couldn't make sense of or control or change and so I thought that if I could help my friends in any way that I could -- I was doing an awesome thing because although I lived through some situations where I had no one during the worst of it, I would do my best to make sure that no one I cared about had to do that.

Did you follow that?

Now - in my past, I would do that even going beyond the point of ignoring aspects and areas of my own life.

It was always easier for me to place the needs of others above my own.

I think one of the things I have learned in my life is how to create some boundaries as well as learning how to address things that concern me.

One of the  biggest things I tend to do in my life is to talk about things.  I think about them.  I analyze them.  I blog about them.

Some things take a very long time for me to put them into the world.

And some things have never seen the light of day.

But, overall, when I look back upon where I was emotionally in my past - I've changed far more than anyone other than myself can realize.

Sometimes I think that the only way that my inner changes will show to the world is through the way that my body looks.

Because it really is all connected.

I do not eat my feelings anymore.  Though I still have the urge to -- but it's controllable now.  And I believe that soon, that urge, that need, that compulsion will leave me.

There are still many things I need to do on this journey of mine.

Still to come (and in no particular order):

• lose more weight
• start writing outside of my blog again
• try new activites
• learn to cook
• clean and organize my house (and then maintain it that way!)
• pay attention to my inner self and respect myself
• learn to "girlify" myself a bit more
• lead by example within my family re: positive change

*Edited to add*

A new beginners belly dance class starts on Monday, Feb 28th... guess who is signing up for 9 weeks?????

That's right - ME!!!!