Let’s talk about something everyone has experienced at various points in their lives, and something that is often seen as a reason to feel guilty.
Let’s talk about cravings.
I remember 2.5 years ago I was attending an event, and the keynote speaker, the founder of the event, got up on stage and asked, “What do you crave?”
I was amazed. I don’t think anyone had ever asked me that before.
Cravings were something I kept secret and hidden away. Maybe I would admit to them in the right group of people, often with a bit of an apologetic air about me.
I didn’t know how to respond at first to someone asking me what I craved- and like, REALLY craved- that deep, soul-shattering longing that doesn’t just go away.
Cravings can come out of nowhere. Sometimes they are familiar, and sometimes they are very strange or out of the ordinary.
Cravings are deep. A sudden, intense yearning for something- be it a certain type of food, an experience, a place- something we fixate on until the craving is either satiated or it goes away on its own.
It past I have often felt guilty of my cravings. Guilty for wanting something so intensely. Guilty for having desires.
Who was I to yearn for walking the streets of Barcelona?
Why couldn’t I get over my intense desire to eat an entire chocolate bar?
What caused my desire for love and a partner over and over again?
Because cravings exist beyond our control. They appear when we least expect them, and can be brief or long, almost always intense and maybe even a bit consuming.
For a former control freak and recovering perfectionist, cravings did NOT fit into the way I thought I had to live my life in order to be happy and worthy.
And while many magazines tout articles with headlines like, “Control Your Cravings- Celebrity Tips and Tricks!”, I now don’t believe we benefit at ALL from trying to control our cravings.
Something that appears that intensely in our lives is not something that is here to be ignored, controlled, feared, or dismissed.
Cravings are here for a reason.
CRAVINGS ARE SIGNALS THAT, WITH AWARENESS AND INQUIRY, CAN POINT US TO OUR DEEPEST DESIRES AND MOST PRESSING NEEDS.CRAVINGS POINT THE WAY TO AN AREA OF YOUR LIFE THAT YOU MAY BE LACKING SOMETHING, AND ARE TRYING TO SHOW YOU HOW TO FILL THAT SPACE. CRAVINGS ARE THE LIT UP SIGNPOSTS THAT SHOW US WHAT WE NEED TO NOURISH OURSELVES AND FEEL MOST ALIVE.
It might be as simple as you craving oranges means your body needs vitamin C.
And it might be a little more complex than that.
Some cravings we can take at face value. Others are an invitation to look within, to discover what it is that will truly fill you up and allow you to feel creative, inspired, joyful, and worthy.
When I explore my cravings, I make discoveries.
When I crave the streets of Barcelona, what I am really craving is the feeling I experienced over and over again when I lived there. A feeling of possibility and adventure. A feeling of discovery. A feeling of myself unfolding and becoming someone new.
When I crave chocolate, what I am really craving can honestly change depending on the circumstances. Sometimes I am craving relief from uncomfortable feelings. Sometimes I am craving connection and feeling loved. Sometimes I am craving pleasure and sweetness. All of these come from a release of dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that make us feel good. Eating chocolate also releases these chemicals, and sometimes is more easily realized than processing feelings or creating connection.
And I’ve learned this over time by studying my cravings. Connecting with them. Asking them why they are here, and what I can learn from them.
There is so much wisdom underneath your cravings. So many opportunities to nourish yourself and move in the direction of feeling like YOU and creating your life.
EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAS ACCESS TO THE WISDOM UNDERNEATH THE CRAVINGS. THE WISDOM OF YOUR TRUTH AND YOUR SELF.
You deserve to feel ALIVE and like YOU.
You deserve to be nourished, fulfilled, safe, and satiated by everything life has to offer you.
Your cravings are pointing the way.
ARE YOU READY TO CREATE THE ROADMAP TO DISCOVER HOW TO READ YOUR CRAVINGS AND MOVE FROM “NOT IN CONTROL” TO “I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED”?
One of many things we explore in private coaching is learning how to turn your cravings into a superpower ally that helps you access your truth, power, and awesomeness with ease. Curious to learn more about what might be possible with this kind of support? Click below to schedule your complimentary program consultation.
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