Let's #changetheworldalittle
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This month's change-maker and #changetheworldalittle embassador:
Iris McAlpin
Iris struggled with binge eating and bulimia for almost half of her life. She was a slave to her disorder and her entire life was consumed by feeding it. This cycle of restricting, binging and purging, dominated Iris' life for 12 years.
Once she learned how to break the cycle, Iris spent years training to be a coach. Now she shares these hard-won lessons with hundreds of women. Her mission is to help others make peace with food, break free from body shame, and live a FULL, connected and inspired life.
We asked Iris some personal questions about what it is she does, dreams about, and more. Here are her heartfelt responses.
If today was your last day on this earth…
What would you do today?
I would spend the day with my husband, family and the people I love, letting them know how grateful I am for their presence in my life. I would snuggle with my dog...a LOT. I would also hand over all of my writing, notes and research to my mom and a few close friends, and charge them with finding a way to carry my work forward!
What would you like for others to remember you as?
I would like for people to remember me as someone who tried to leave the world a little better than I found it, and as someone who helped people find the courage to be themselves.
If you could change one thing about human reality, what would it be?
We live in an age where there’s a pervasive myth of disconnection. We feel separate from each other, separate from nature and from the other creatures we share this planet with. If I could change anything it would be to give everyone a deep-felt awareness that we are not alone, and we are all truly in this amazing, mysterious life thing together.
What was your biggest dream / vision for your life 10 years ago?
Honestly, I didn’t really know what I wanted for my life 10 years ago! I was still deeply depressed and dealing with bulimia. All I knew was that I wanted to be happy, to do something meaningful and to feel like I belonged somewhere. Part of me knew that was possible, but I had no idea how to get there.
What is your biggest dream / vision for your life today?
My vision isn’t so much for my own life, but for women in the world. I want to help create a world where women are free to be unapologetically who we are, where we experience a sense of sisterhood and community, and where we feel safe to share our truth. I know if I’m able to play some small part in creating that, my life will be pretty darn good.
What is something you have created / worked on that you are proud of?
I am really proud of the women’s retreat I created called Shameless Sisterhood. It is the embodiment of the vision I shared for women in the world. It is a safe place for women to come together, do powerful healing work, and experience true connection. We are having one in the Texas countryside in October, and many more to come!
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Curious. Passionate. Goofball.
How would you describe the work you currently do?
As an eating disorder recovery coach and certified trauma professional, I help women heal whatever’s in the way of a peaceful relationship with food and their bodies, and connection with themselves and others. I also recently started practicing the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) for healing developmental trauma, so I can go even deeper with my clients. It’s the most rewarding work I can imagine.
Why do you do the work you currently do? What is your mission, goal, vision?
I do the work I do because I struggled so much with my mental health growing up, and didn’t get much relief from the help I received. I felt like the majority of my therapists were holding back and keeping me in the dark on some level. When I started doing my own research, and studying psychology I was shocked to learn how common and normal my experiences were. The more I learned, the more I was able to heal. My goal is to demystify the healing process and make recovery attainable for anyone who really wants it.
What is something you don’t like about yourself / would like to improve about yourself?
I’ve been realizing recently just how much pressure I put on myself, and that is something I would like to improve. It took a long time to see because it was just the water I swam in. I’m actually working through this with my own NARM practitioner right now!
What is something you love about yourself?
I love my curiosity and willingness to learn. That desire to grow and understand is the reason I’m still here today, and I believe it’s what makes me good at what I do.
Learn more about Iris and her work:
Website: irismcalpin.com
Instagram: @irismcalpin
Facebook: @thenewhumanitarian
Twitter: @irismcalpin
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