This & that

If God had not made brown honey, men would think figs far sweeter than they do.” –Xenophanes

—“If God Had Not Made Brown Honey, Men Would Think Figs Far Sweeter.” « The Happiness Project

Beyond what you can see, beyond what you can know with your mortal mind, the universe is conspiring to create your perfect life.

—Twitter / marwilliamson: Beyond what you can see, b

This year has been the sweetest for me. Hands down. Of all things it started because of a cleanse. It sounds so ridiculous, but there it is. My sister came to me at the beginning of the year and suggested we all (me, my sister, my mom and a family friend) do the cleanse from Clean by Alejandro Junger. I’ve had body image issues since my teenage years and have battled with self-esteem and the usual demons that inhabit us when we think we’re worthless. I’d done work in therapy and my debut novel (Conversations with the Fat Girl) centered on those struggles, but even with all this I still had demons. I started the cleanse and my body luxuriated in the food I was eating. I’d never felt so good and free and healthy and strong and…myself. I was back. I felt young again and unencumbered and it wasn’t about starving myself and punishing myself and taking away—it was about listening to my body and feeding myself and shock of all shocks…being kind to myself. I’ve kept up with the philosophies of the book, but only 85% of the time. Learning moderation is also something that has set me free. I’ve been a slave to perfection—and the expectation of 100%— for too long. I was happy about my body for the first time in a long time. So happy, that I actually connected body and mind together. I had been so detached that finally being on a team with my body instead of against it was like going from black and white to color.

—“A Perfect Evening Involves Dorky Friends and Ridiculous Hijinks.” « The Happiness Project