DO YOU HAVE A SPADE? BECAUSE NOW IS THE TIME TO DIG OUT YOUR REAL VOICE

It’s time to dig out your real voice and learn to separate the leprechaun’s toxic whispering from your authentic voice and listen for your healthy voice. Over time, it will gradually become louder. As this happens, believe what it says and embrace it. Allow it room to flourish, giving you confidence and strength, as it develops, to begin talking back to the leprechaun.

So, this little irritating green evil leprechaun and his constant negative chatter doesn’t stop with its nonsense. But what we can learn here is that he’s just a bully with a voice, and by connecting with your true self, you can gain back control of your life and begin to recover fully. It’s your life, not the toxic leprechaun’s!

Complete the REAL VOICE, YOUR CHOICE table in Step 3, in your workbook if you have purchased this. Otherwise, grab your notebook and complete the questions below and start now to listen for your real voice with curiosity to help you become more aware of your own voice.

ASK YOURSELF:                                                                     YOUR REAL VOICE:

Can you hear it in words or sounds?       

What sort of tone

does it have?           

Is it a high or low pitch?     

Is it constant or intermittent?        

Which direction does it come from?        

How loud is it? When you hear it,

could you make it any louder?

What happens if you imagine

turning up the volume?      

Excellent! You want to make your own voice as prominent as possible; curiosity is your first step in this exercise and learning the difference between your binge voice and your authentic, healthy voice.

WHAT FEELINGS DOES YOUR LEPRECHAUN CREATE?

Your thoughts are linked to your feelings, BUT he’s NOT the binge event itself; he’s causing your negative feelings that then drive your urge to binge.

Let's think about what feelings you may be having because, whatever you do, they don’t go away until you binge and purge.

Complete the FEELINGS table in Step 3, in your workbook. Otherwise, grab your notebook and complete the list below

So begin today, making a list for you to:

• Start to become more aware of what your feelings are for you.
• Then begin to learn to change as you go on to learn the different techniques in this book.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Anxious        

Comfort         

Lonely

Stressed       

Panic 

Ashamed      

Oh yes, and a multitude more on top, so keep adding to your list.

LIST YOUR OWN FEELINGS:

THE SEPARATION

As I mentioned, let's imagine that your binge voice was the ugly green leprechauns, not the binge pattern itself. He’s the source of the thoughts that drive your feelings that then create your urges before you binge. And just because the leprechaun is whispering in your ear, “You feel so lonely; go on have a binge, eat that bar of chocolate in the cupboard. It’ll make you feel better,” he isn’t actually the physical binge itself.

THE CHOICE WITH THAT VOICE

Just because the leprechaun is whispering nonsense in your ear that causes you so many horrific feelings, you don't have to listen to him. What if you ignored him? Yes, you wouldn't binge.

HOW TO BECOME MORE AWARE OF YOUR URGE BINGE PATTERN

It's essential to recognize that the leprechaun is just a voice. He’s NOT the binge event itself; he’s the urge to binge.

The further we can separate between the two, put distance between the leprechaun’s chatter and the feelings of panic and the binge, the more we can begin to change this habit.

ITS TIME TO FIND YOUR SPACE BETWEEN YOUR URGES AND BINGEING

Once you’ve become more aware of your leprechaun’s evil words and your urges to binge, take a closer look at the space between the two. It will help you realize that, even though the urges are automatic, your behavior isn’t.

There’s always at least a moment or, as I call it, a “space” between. When can you choose differently and learn to be more accepting of your urges to binge?

By separating between:

                   The two are separate. There’s space between.

Of course, over time, this has become a habit. That little green irritating leprechaun is firmly holding on; it’s as if he has his claws gripping your shoulder, and this pattern becomes a regular habit.

The good news is that you have a choice and can learn to change your habits.