We’re all our worst critic, but how would it feel if you could love yourself more? I, for one, look at myself in the mirror on occasion and see every flaw. I compare my reflection to the media’s projected image of beauty and I just don’t meet the criteria. Most of us don’t. But really, what does it even matter? What happiness would I suddenly discover if I looked different? Would all of my problems go away? Would I suddenly walk through life with ease, flaunting the confidence to conquer all? Would my love life improve? Would I have more friends? Would I keep a cleaner house? The answer to all of these questions is, “no.” I would still be me, same old Leah, with the same old problems.
I came to this realization while my spilling my guts to my health coach. She patiently listened to all of my complaints about my physique and then asked “what would change about your life if you attained your goal?” This was kind of an “ah-ha” moment for me. Here I’d been wanting this thing, being disappointed in myself when I couldn’t achieve it, but then suddenly realized that I didn’t actually want it. And perhaps you don’t either. What if instead of feeling down about your body you could love yourself more?
Love Yourself More
The better approach is to look in the mirror and see all that my body DOES for me. You know, spend time thanking and appreciating myself. I could try to silence my negative self-talk, but it’s much more effective to fill that void with something better. So, I here I go… here’s what my body does for me:
- It grew a baby, actually, two babies. Amazing. And if that wasn’t enough, it birthed those babies and then had the common sense to care for those children not because I had to, but because this body loves those little bodies so much that I can barely stand it at times.
- My body is strong. Not strong like ox, but strong like Leah. I can bike, hike, climb, play with my kids, shovel snow, plant a garden, etc. My body allows me to move in ways that bring me joy.
- I am mentally capable. I can problem solve, play word games (if anyone likes Boggle, come on over), learn from books, learn from experience, form my own opinion and challenge myself to do new things.
- My mind is creative. I made wall art. BAM! Enough said.
Let me ask you now – what are you ‘body goals’ for this year and what would change about your life if you attained those goals? For some of us, something would improve if our bodies were different and that’s okay too. But regardless, take the time to thank your body for all that it does. Make this the year that you look in the mirror and ask, “what has your body done for you today?” Look at yourself with new eyes and learn to love yourself more.
I enjoyed reading this today. I printed this out and answered the questions in my journal . I have one goal that I am going to work on and I know that if I can beat it, weight loss will fall into place immediately. Preparation is my biggest challenge. It is quicker to go out and grab something to eat than it is to prepare something at home when I am famished. I enjoy playing tennis and riding bicycles and I am looking forward to doing that again…shortly:) Enjoyed your blog…Happy New Year to you and your family.
Weezie Gaines
I’m so glad this post resonated with you! I love that you keep a journal – what a great way to get your thoughts on paper and get organized in your head. Preparation is a huge obstacle for many, so you’re definitely not alone. Try taking a planned hour each week to sit and plan your meals and shopping list for the upcoming week. Follow through with your plan and do it again next week. The time you spend planning will be time saved going to the grocery store multiple times – do all your shopping in one go! The first few weeks is tough, but I promise it gets easier. I use plantoeat.com for my planning. Seems to keep me organized. I also love that you have a goal in mind… riding bikes and tennis. I wish you the best with your wellness journey and I hope you have a wonderful New Year as well!
Cried…I was just doing this in fact. It’s sad how so many women and men do this to ourselves and don’t even see anything wrong with it or realize the damage it’s doing to our core self worth. Thank you for having the courage to be so honest Leah. Cheers to being strong and beautiful!
It’s so hard not to critique ourselves, but I always come back to that question: "What would change about my life if I looked different?" The answer is always the same. Nothing. People love me for who I am, not for who I am not. Joy comes from things within and these are the things I try to focus on when I see my flaws. So yes, cheers to being strong, beautiful and LOVED!