A Feel-Good Story for Everyone

Spoiler alert: This story has nothing to do with nutrition.

Well, not directly, any way.

But it does have to do with motivation and commitment, and with persisting in the face of insurmountable odds- something that a lot of people who have tried to tame the demons of food addiction know something about.

On the surface, Danielle Galloway looks like a typical attractive teenager graduating high school this month.

She's 17, she's smart, she's pretty and she's well-spoken. And she's optimistic about the future.

So stop reading for a moment, and think about this: What do you suppose is true about Danielle?

Whatever it is, I guarantee you it's not so.

Danielle Galloway was a homeless teenager.

She spent most of her childhood in 8 different shelters in Atlanta where she and her six- count them, six- siblings- bounced around from shelter to shelter with their mother. She attended no less than ten different schools. Against all odds, she threw herself into her studies, eventually graduating in the top 25% of her class and winning a full scholarship to Boston University where she will become a full time student beginning in September.

Majoring- by the way- in math.

Inspiring? Incredible? You betcha.

You can watch a moving interview with Danielle here. She talks about the mentors that helped her along the way, the teachers who took her under their wing, the mother who despite obstacles most of us will never experience, managed to raise six terrific kids in a way that gives true meaning to the overused term "family values".

I'm telling you this story for two reasons.

One, it's inspiring and moving and I hope it makes you feel as good as it made me feel when I first heard it.

And two, because it reminds me- and I hope it reminds you- that we don't have to be victims. Not of our "genes", our environment, our food choices, our weight.

And we don't have to be "defeated" when something is really difficult- whether it's losing weight, getting an education, making a relationship work, or just surviving when things look really crummy.

Sometimes we can all use a little reminder of just how powerful we can really be.

Thanks, Danielle, for reminding us.