Size Matters

Me & Ray at the Franklin Theater
where his play will run May 1-2, 2015

Size matters.  Let’s be honest, whether it’s your waist or your heart, it really matters.  Unfortunately, in today’s world, people put higher value on the size of a person’s waist than on the size of their heart.  I recently had the privilege to read the script for a new one-man play Size Matters by Raymond McAnally. 

I connected with Ray on Facebook last year.  He currently lives 2,000 miles away in Los Angeles, but we grew up with the same neighborhood kids in school in Franklin, Tennessee.  Upon graduating high school, Ray went on to accomplish great things on stage and screen.  He’s written and starred in numerous plays, shows, and movies.  However, his finest work so far is his first full-length play Size Matters. 

Size Matters is “an autobiographical one man show with fifteen characters.  The show addresses the topics of bullying, body issues, love, and family responsibility…We journey with this uncle and nephew over the course of a year filled with gains and losses and the need to be something important to somebody else.”

After reading the script, I had a chance to sit down with Ray and talk about our perspective on weight, body image, bullying, and love.  I told him that as I read the script, it really took me back to my childhood as an overweight kid.  There is a scene in the play that addresses clothes and how they can have such an impact on how we feel.  It’s incredible that pieces of fabric can make a child (or adult) feel so huge, and yet so minuscule.

We talked about the effect food and exercise has on our brains and our bodies.  Somehow we have allowed ourselves to become addicted to food, but in all the wrong portions and all the wrong quality.  Poor decisions create shame which leads to worse decisions.  It’s a sad cycle.  It’s something we both recognize, not only for ourselves, but as role models.  

I asked Ray about his relationship with his nephew Morgan and his wife Whitney, both central characters in his play.  Much of the play revolves around the admiration from Morgan and the love from Whitney.  Ray said writing and debuting Size Matters has opened an emotional dialogue.  I think it has also helped Ray deal with self-confidence and self-love.  Until this point, Ray never really admired or loved himself as much as Morgan and Whitney do.  People say love is blind, but I believe love provides us with special x-ray vision.  It allows us to see people’s beauty shine from within.  We love someone because of who they are, not for the package they come in. 

Size Matters gives me a new hope not only for the future, but for the present.  We can choose to put a value on our waist size.  Or we can choose to put a higher value on the size of our heart.  As we look at others - and ourselves - we can choose compassion over judgment.  We can choose kindness over bullying.  And we can choose to be happy in the moment. 

I cannot wait to see the show!  I hope you will join me May 1 and 2, 2015 as we welcome home Ray McAnally.  He will bring Size Matters home for us to experience.  I promise, no matter your age or stage in life, you will leave emotional, yet hopeful.  Get show details and your tickets for Size Matters at the historic Franklin Theater now http://secure.franklintheatre.com/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=94604~cfe40b7d-1c56-4c4b-b937-600bdd7c5904&

I encourage you to go see this show.  And when you love yourself enough to make a change, I will be here for you.  I will educate, encourage, and motivate you the entire time.  Go to http://www.coachdconsulting.com  to see all the ways I can help you and those you love.  Obesity is 100% preventable and it starts by loving yourself in this moment!