Let me say that one more time, a little louder for the people in the back: you know, the ones making sure they aren’t in the front row in group pictures, the ones wearing a long t-shirt over their bathing suit, the ones skipping high school reunions.
YOU ARE NOT A PROBLEM TO BE FIXED!!!
Who here remembers a time when:
- You loved being in pictures?
- You could hardly wait to get to the pool or the beach?
You never thought about how your body looked, only about what it could do, like:
- Race across the playground – and then back again,
- Climb a tree,
- Spin the hula hoop 100 times in a row, or
- Play Double Dutch for hours with your friends.
I can. I hope you can too.
But then, along the way, for a lot of women, our relationship with our body changed. Instead of recognizing, honoring and celebrating our body, we learned to hate it, to shame it, to try and hide it. We desperately try to change it with diets, with cleanses, with hours of cardio. We jump from promise to promise, from quick fix to quick fix and with each “failed” attempt, we beat ourselves up for not being motivated enough, consistent enough, dedicated enough – pick your poisonous phrase.
But here’s the thing – the key to long-term wellness is starting your journey from a place of peace and acceptance (dare we even say love?) for who you are right now, with the skin and the body you have right now. Too often, we tell ourselves that we will love ourselves when:
- We lose the weight,
- We never eat after 7 pm again,
- We don’t crave ice cream,
- We get to the gym consistently.
Think about it. Who gets more kindness, love, support, and forgiveness from you: the people you love or the people you can barely tolerate? Would you speak to someone you love the same way you speak to yourself?
So, doesn’t it just make sense that your own wellness journey also needs to include healing the broken relationship you have with your body?
Would love to hear your thoughts on this.