I want to share a little story.

Last week I wrote about saying NO to food and YES to freedom.

The truth is–I’ve said NO to a LOT of things in my life in order to say YES to other things that has lead me towards my freedom.

Not just food.

The first time I said NO to something that wasn’t easy to say no to was in 2010 when I said no to drinking alcohol.

I met “my Mexican lover” while studying abroad (yes, it was magical and storybook-like, and also totally not viable, but so happy it happened)!

Rubén didn’t drink alcohol.

He said one day, “Leslie, I don’t care if you drink, but I’d prefer you didn’t do it when you hang out with me.”

Because he was the bees knees to me ;), I decided it was more worth it to be with him than to drink alcohol, so I said NO!

I had NO IDEA that saying no to alcohol would reveal to me SO MUCH about myself.

See, prior to that, I really didn’t even KNOW the kinds of things I LOVED to do anymore without alcohol being sprinkled (or hammered) in.

By saying no to alcohol:

I learned that I still LOVED dancing at the discotheque.

I learned that I LOVED movies.

I learned that I LOVED being outdoors and live music and adventure.

I also learned that I LOVED FOOD! (and not in the healthy way…) more of the–on-my-mind 24/7 way…

You know how smokers gain weight after they quit smoking?

Well, I gained weight after I quit drinking.

One vice replaces the other.

BUT if it hadn’t been revealed to me that I loved food so much (and TOO much) I never would’ve found hypnosis; I never would’ve been able to help people out of food prison the way I do today–and I, myself absolutely would NEVER have been able to get on my path towards ultimate freedom.

Since then, I’ve also said NO to many other things…

I said NO to my nursing job, which allowed me to say YES to a coaching career that is SO in alignment with my life and my values and my passions.

I said NO to grad school, which allowed me the time and freedom to create my own Weight Winning program and weekend retreats.

I said NO to a decade-long, (at the time) yucky, romantic relationship, which allowed me to say YES to someone who loves me unconditionally.

And CURRENTLY, I’m saying NO to sugar and flour in my latest Weight Winning challenge I signed myself up for.  It shall be revealed to me what this will allow me to say yes to, but I know it’s better than I can possibly imagine.

The thing is–saying NO to these things…is probably the hardest thing a person could ever do.

A stable job with benefits?

Grad school?

A long-term relationship?

SUGAR?!?

So WHY the heck do I put myself through the ringer all the time? (Well, my family thinks I’m nuts and too hard on myself, which is partially true, I do need to give myself some slack sometimes) 😉

BUT

I put myself through the ringer because I want to feel good. I want to feel free. 

And that’s what we all want, isn’t it?

To feel good and free?

We don’t want to be in debt, cause that feels sucky, we don’t want to be sick and unhealthy, we don’t want to hate our jobs, we don’t want to be tired or upset or stressed, we don’t want to be lonely or uncomfortable…

We want to be happy and free!!

So on one hand, it’s scary to let go of our relationships, our jobs, food, alcohol, vices…

But what’s the alternative?

Feeling miz all the time?!

Listen to your intuition that something just sucks for you and DO something about it!

Despite the fear

Despite the discomfort

Despite the not knowing how, why, when

Despite friends and family telling you it’s unnecessary or uncalled for

Find out how to work TOWARDS letting go of what only TEMPORARILY feels good to YOU, or something that NEVER feels good to YOU, so you can move towards what feels GREAT to YOU that LASTS LONGTERM.

Because you DESERVE THAT!

We ALL deserve that.

And if now is the right time for you to catalyze some change in yourself then just freaking KNOW that and TRUST that and jump in! Don’t worry about anything else.

Just TAKE ACTION!

Google “How to…fill in the blank!”

Talk to a friend who has successfully moved through what you would like to move through now

Buy a book

Whatever feels interesting to you!

But JUST START TODAY! START NOW! No more delaying! No more analyzing! No more beating yourself up! Life is too damn short! SO just DO IT!

And please know that I am behind you 100%.

I know it’s hard. I know it’s scary, I know it’s annoying, and seemingly impossible, and I KNOW, without a shadow of a doubt, that what will come as a result of your working on this now…

Is better than you can possibly imagine, and absolutely contains more and more feelings of freedom all up in your life.

And there is NOTHING, NOTHING better than that.

PS. Here’s a free download of my latest interview talking about Weight Winning.