In order for us to reach our goals in weight loss, we first have to learn to love our bodies.
What if everywhere you went, you ran into someone you didn't like? You cringed because everywhere you went you would see "her" or "him" again. You get so frustrated having to spend so much time with this person you can't stand to be around.
It sounds awful, but it is the exact situation you find yourself in if you don't like yourself. If you can't stand yourself, you are in for a sad life if you dread your own company.
I find more and more that most people don't like themselves. They may not realize it, but after some genuine soul searching, it shows they have rejected themselves and sometimes even hate themselves. It is like we have declared this war on ourselves and normally the cause is the body.
Here are 4 ways to nurture self-love for ourselves
1. Learn to Receive Love.
The greatest gift that can be given is offered to each of us every day, yet few of us have the faith and self-esteem to accept it. Everybody is offered the love of God. All we have to do is open our hearts and make a decision to receive it. When someone tells you you are beautiful or gives you a compliment, do you say "thank you" and accept it or do you say,"Oh, you are just saying that", or "no, I look awful right now". It is so important to love ourselves enough to receive it because if we cannot do this, we cannot love others back. We cannot give away what we do not have. Receiving is an action, it isn't passive. You must make the decision to reach out and grab it. To become beautiful from the inside out, you must first love yourself and know that you are worthy to be loved :o)
2.Focus on the Journey, Not the Destination
Those of us with kids know what it is like to pack up the kids into the minivan for the long trip to Grandma's and after 5 minutes we here "Are we there yet?" As a kid, it always took FOREVER to get anywhere. I couldn't wait to get to our destination so it made the time to get there pure torture. As adults we think the same way. We have this wrong attitude of always being miserable because we are never enjoying where we are and only focusing on the final destination. On our own journey toward looking and feeling great from the inside out we have to enjoy the ride! What matters is not where you are, or how far away your destination is, but the direction you are headed. If you are headed for Florida from New York, you have a long way to go, but you will get there, no question, as long as you keep heading south. Be excited that you are in the right direction so feel good about it and enjoy your journey!
3.Learn the Facts
Chances are, you are a lot closer to average than you think. The average woman in America is 5'4" and weighs 152lb and wears a size 12. If this surprises you, then join the Distorted Image Club. Billy talks about how we must be excellent at our OWN level, not at someone elses. Of course I encourage people to be excellent, not average, but looking at the norm can help us realize that our condition isn't as bad as we thought. In America, we are so obsessed with weight yet fitness should be more important to us than pounds. There are many skinny people who are in very poor condition physically and mentally. If being fit means I need to weigh more than an unhealthy starving super model, so be it!
4. View Your Body as a Friend
If your body is larger than you would like, with aches and pains you are tired of, don't treat it as an enemy. If you do, you will never see progress in the areas you would like to improve. If you had a friend who was sick or in need, you would do everything you could to help them. That is the attitude we should have toward our own bodies. If it isn't want you want it to be, do everything you can to help it, don't fight it! We blame our bdoies for a lot of things they are not responsible for. After all, our bodies are a product of what we have put into them and how we have treated them for years and years. I wouldn't blame my car for falling apart if I put glue in the gas tank instead of gasoline. Perhaps we should apologize to our bodies for mistreating them. We have to realize that the problems lie with us, not our bodies. We made poor choices that only we can reverse. Accept your body today as your friend and companion for life and start developing a relationship with it that will be rewarding.
