Nutmeggy – pumpkin – creamy – cinnamon melt-in-your-mouth golddust,
That’s probably the best way to describe the first bite of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving last week.
 
It’s similar in delight to sweet potato casserole
Which if you haven’t heard of
I suggest you google
It’s sweet potato and sugar and butter topped with marshmallows and candied pecans
And it’s one of the top 3 things I’ve had in and around my mouth
Which doesn’t say a huge amount I know
 
My diet had a burnt orange hue for 3 entire days and it was magical
Much like the hallmark movie I watched on the plane to Kentucky
Single all the way if you’re wondering
I was in a festive haven for 36-48 hours
 
Because of this burnt orange hallmark madness and my intention to be fully present with those I see rarely
I haven’t emailed you in an entire week
Which I can image you were devastated about at the time
I apologise profusely
 
But you see there was a time in my life that I wouldn’t dream of missing a thing
I’d prep every piece of work in advance so it looked like I wasn’t even off
Would train twice a day if my programme had a 5 day split and I had 4 days to complete it
I’d fill my bag with protein bars to avoid missing my anabolic window
Everything was perfectly controlled and timed
 
On the rare occasions things were totally outside of my control
Like when I had dengue fever and went almost blind for a week
Or my near menty-b that put me in a psych room in 2020
I catastrophised everything
 
My business will fail if I don’t post on social media for a week
My muscle will disappear if I don’t train for 10 days
People will think I’m lazy if I don’t send my weekly email 52 times per year
I’ll gain obvious levels of body fat if I don’t do my 10,000 steps
 
Today is the 1st of December
Food abundance is high
Routine and structure is beginning to shift
Your environment is changing
It’s beginning to look a lot like change
 
Your uncertainty alarm bells are beginning to ring
Your brain is getting louder in its overthinking
It’s stealing time from the present moment
Instead shifting your energy towards the voices in your head
Ruminating and worrying about how you’re going to keep some control
 
Acceptance is your best friend for this month
Alongside intention
Boundaries
And being clear on a couple of non negotiables 
And of course checking in with your values
 
You are going to see some shifts in December
In your food choices
Your movement
Your training
This is going to happen
 
Instead of fearing and anticipating these variations in your routine
Can you begin to embrace them?
 
Because what they mean is that you’re surrounded by abundance
Of food
Of homes in which you’re welcome
Of communities to which you belong
Of love
 
If you didn’t have this abundance
Your routine wouldn’t change
Your diet may remain ‘perfect’
Which is actually a disordered behaviour in itself 
You’d have control
 
Is that what you’d want I wonder?
 
December offers us an opportunity to stop and look around
Embrace what we have and who we have 
 
I don’t know about you but the world right now is highlighting this more than ever
How lucky we are to be given the opportunity to slow down
Eat more
Move differently
Align our time to those we love
 
Avoid pushing for control the next 5 weeks and instead enter the month with an intention of fluidity and acceptance and gratitude
With recognition of the transience of this time
And the choice to lean into the abundance it offers 
Instead of catastrophising the restraints you foresee
 
 This is a once in a year opportunity and for some around you a last time in a lifetime
Don’t let food steal it from you
 
I’m always here,
Em