When I was 17 years old my dad gave me the book, Love is Letting Go of Fear. I’d been having a tough time coping with family issues, school and life in general. Looking back, I realize that most teens are struggling with “issues,” but back then I felt pretty isolated. I was wary of self-help books, but I had recently figured out that my father actually knew some stuff, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.
The author, Dr. Gerald G. Jampolsky, boiled life down to two emotions: love and fear. Love, he says, is our natural inheritance, but our minds manufacture fear. The theory postulates that if you let go of fear then only love remains. This “Attitudinal Healing” concept was cutting edge back in the 80’s – as was my dad’s revolutionary 40 lb. car phone and 6-foot-tall quadrophonic speakers in our sunken living room with orange shag carpet. Letting go of fear seemed just as hip.
The Weight Watchers program my dad and I joined that same summer made sense too: eat balanced, low fat, proportioned foods and monitor transformation with weekly support meetings. And, like Jampolsky’s concepts, the principles stuck. I’ve used the tools I learned in that guidebook and over our 3-month Weight Watchers stint throughout my entire life. But, it turns out, just because you know HOW TO do it does not mean you DO it. Staying the course is not easy. Life can be difficult. And I love carbs.
How do we stay the course when life throws us daily curveballs, chaos and upheaval? How do we cope with the “issues” and teach our children to do better than we did, so they can carry the torch to future generations?
When I launched Good Life Family Magazine 10 years ago, I did it filled with love – love of family, friends and community. I’m surrounded by the most dedicated team of people I have ever worked with, and most of the team are still together all these years later. I am in awe of the passion of our advisors and the experts who provide information to educate and inspire us. I am grateful to our advertising partners and sponsors who are committed to helping us continue this journey. Life is not easy. But we are committed to staying the course.
As we celebrate the culmination of our first decade in business, which is now 100% digital and growing every day, we are embarking on some exciting changes we can’t wait to share with you … stay tuned for details!
-Sheryl Lilly Pidgeon
Founder, Good Life Family Magazine
Live.Learn.Laugh.(LOVE!) Repeat.