Diane Passey: Does Weight Equal Worth?

At a dark point in her life, Diane Passey decided she was too heavy to keep living. Follow her journey from grief and despair to coach. Some of the points discussed are: There will be a light at the end of the tunnel. It may be just a tiny glimmer. But it's there. There is always hope. You don't have to feel God's hand to have Him there. He's there whether or not you can feel it. We are never really as alone as we feel. Diane strongly believes our trials are not just for our own experience and growth, but to help other people through their trials.  How important it is to have a survivor mentality vs. a victim mentality Satan will do anything he can to destroy your self esteem and make you feel like nothing. I almost took my life because of a number on a scale. It was only a number. When you're feeling stuck in that dark place, you have to talk. Talking is the hardest thing to do. Depression is so self centered and inward focused. As soon as you can reach out and look up, you'll be able to work your way back up again. There isn't a right or wrong way to cope with mental struggles. Medication, Therapy, Coaching, Exercise, Connection, all are good ways. The challenge can be to find the combinations that work best for you. The value of an individual is always more than a number on a scale or a pant or dress size. Numbers are neutral they are not good or bad. It's what your brain, Satan, and society tells you about the numbers that create those feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness. Gratitude is very powerful and the fastest way to change the focus of your brain. Self care, self care, self care! Don't listen to shame. It's a liar. Don't listen to Satan. He's a liar. You are never truly alone. Enjoy the transcript from today's episode: Diane 0:01  Just one particular day, I went and stood on the scale to donate plasma and I saw the red lights of this digital scale flash 201 and I couldn't believe I was over 200 pounds. I though, “How could my family love me? How am I even going to face them again?” I was devastated. It's like something inside me just broke.   Tamara Anderson 0:31  Welcome to Stories of Hope in Hard Times, the show that explores how people endure and even thrive in difficult times, all with God's help. I'm your host, Tamara K. Anderson. Join me on a journey to find inspiring stories of hope and wisdom learned in life's hardest moments. My next guest has been married for 25 years and has seven children, three in-law children, and three grandchildren with a fourth on the way. She has a passion for teaching and has taught children, teens and adults in religious, personal and professional settings for over two decades. She started out her coaching career helping people through weight loss and emotional eating for eight years. Two and a half years ago, she became certified through the ICF and CCA and now loves helping parents and teens navigate the difficult path of parenting and adolescence. What a chore. I am pleased to present Diane Passie. Diane, are you ready to share your story of hope?   Diane 1:39  I am so excited. Definitely ready.   Tamara Anderson 1:44  Yay. This is going to be fun. Diane and I go clear back to high school days almost. She was one of my sister's best friends and so we kind of know each other from back then and then reconnected through Facebook after she shared a very, very personal story which I'm gonna invite her to share today, so I'm excited to have her on. But before we dive into that story, a little known fact about you is that you have a crested gecko named Creo. And I have to ask about this because we have a dog. And the reason we have a dog is because my children, it's one of their stress relievers, and they will love on this dog and talk to the dog and play with the dog when they are not as apt to talk or be as open to me sometimes because teenagers are tough.   Diane 2:32 ...