Moving...

So most of you know that we have moved to a new office.  Also most of you know that moving stinks!  I have moved several times and it doesn't get easier and I always lose very important things.  That being said, this move was no different and in fact it some ways it was worse.  We all know that the more years you live in one spot the more nonsense you collect.  The longer you stay in one place the more little hiding places you find for things that are probably trash but that you just can't bear to part with.  Moving uncovers the worst that you have to offer.  The dust, the trash, the "collectibles", and the ridiculous.

Now don't misunderstand, moving isn't all negative.  Moving gives you the opportunity to clean in a way that nothing else will.  All that junk you uncover can finally find a proper home...

Now I assume you are all thinking, how does this relate to weight loss surgery...?  Well I am so glad you asked!  

As I was moving boxes and cleaning out closets I thought about our patients.  I thought about the way that bariatric surgery and the whole process makes you really clean out your closets.  Metaphorically speaking, of course.  

I hear patients in the very beginning of the process, talk about their excess weight as their main issue.  For most of them it is the most obvious issue.  The problem is that as the weight starts to come off new issues are uncovered.  Just like that beautiful closet door that when opened the contents flood out and fill the room.

 Surgery opens the door for some of our patients.  Things like bad relationships, personal failures, depression, work and social issues, poor family issues...some issues had less to do with the weight than we thought.  As every pound drops so does the protection that took years and years to build.  Weight loss surgery is scary.  For some it means that they will now have to look at all the corners, look under the bed, in the closets, and all the little crevasses that they kept hidden for so long.

Again, don't think this is all negative,  as our patients move forward I hear about the freedom.  I hear about the new opportunities that are afforded them.  I know that any kind of change and movement requires cleaning out, leaving behind the unnecessary, shedding the un-useful.  Like the pain that a caterpillar goes though when it becomes a butterfly, or the pain we go though when we move boxes up three flights of stairs, moving can hurt.

 The outcome can be rewarding, beautiful and worth it.

So what are some of the things you discovered when you started your journey? 

Please visit our website: www.westernbariatric.com

Or call one of our offices: SB 909-475-8611 or RS 951-352-5643

Simple Kindness

When I was thinking of a topic for today, I was struck by the thought that people now a days, are simply not very kind.  Being kind to someone takes work, if it was easy and came naturally everyone would do it.  This whole world would be a kinder and gentler place.  Unfortunately for us, society is neither kind or gentle.

We walk to and from our destinations with our face in our phones, whatever is on the screen is far more important than anything going on around us.  Greeting one another on the street or during a shopping excursion is a thing of the past.  The thought of doing something for someone else without the guarantee of a favor in return, is unimaginable to some.  Simple acts of saying please and thank you to the grocery clerk, or the person helping you pay a bill over the phone, does not fit into our busy lives.

Why are we so unkind? I dare say that part of it is our nature.  We are hard wired to find fault and bring others down.  You don't believe me?  Have you ever looked up an old friend/adversary (boyfriend or girlfriend) from high school on Facebook or other social media?  Don't lie, we've all done it.  Were you secretly happy to see that they have gained weight, lost their hair, lead a mediocre life and/or seem generally unhappy?  Did you feel even a little satisfaction in their folly? Again, don't lie, we all have done it, and frankly it's unkind. 


So how do we start being kind and how does that effect the people around us?  I am so glad you asked! We all know that kindness starts with us. Honestly we need to be kind to ourselves.  I believe that true kindness, like true beauty, radiates from within.  That kindness need to flow from a place that believes we deserve kindness and therefore others deserve it as well.

So how to start, well start your day off with a happy thought, a grateful thought, a peaceful thought.  Give yourself permission to enjoy the fact that you woke up.  Next be kind to your family.  They live with you, they've seen the dark side.  So, show them the other side, use the force if you must.

(Couldn't resist a little Star Wars humor.)  Then when you get gas, smile, say good morning to your fellow commuters.  Buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you, ask the cashier how he/she is doing and actually look at them when they answer.  Make it a point to say good morning to everyone you pass in the parking lot on the way to your office.  Put your stupid phone down, look at people,

aside from the president, most of us are not that important.   Compliment someone at work, bring healthy snacks in to share. (Do not bring donuts!)  When you start to think negatively, ask if yourself if this is going to help resolve the situation or make it worse.  (You already know the answer to this one, don't you?)

People life is too short and too hard to keep treating each other like we don't matter.  You matter, the people around you matter and we all need to matter to each other.  Be the bright spot in someones day, you never know what someone is going though.  Your small act of kindness may be just what the doctor ordered.

Please visit our website: www.westernbariatric.com

Or call one of our offices: SB 909-475-8611 or RS 951-3525643