Many, many times I’ve had conversations with myself and other women about our ambitious goals and creative ideas. After all is said and done, the big dreams and well-thought out plans very rarely see light. They are left on the table with the thought that “when I lose these last pesky 20 lbs” or “when I drop a couple of sizes in my jeans” – I will make this happen. Our dreams never materialize because us women feel our physicality determines our worth. How untrue and heartbreaking that is.
How many times has a question been asked in class where you knew the right answer or you felt you had a really great idea that you wanted to share at work, but the thought of raising your hand or voice made your heart race and stopped you from putting yourself out there? Did thoughts like “everyone will laugh at me” or question my ability as the “fat girl” go through your mind? I’ve been there and bit my tongue countless times or sold myself short. I was petrified of putting myself out there because I felt my ideas, input and worth came down to how much I weighed, what size jeans I was wearing and how I looked to the outside world. I would retract from sharing what was important to me and I knew was the right answer to refrain from judgement and scrutiny by my audience. I felt as if my weight introduced me first before my qualifications and my mind did.
But I’m here to tell you ladies, that our worth is not dependent on the size we wear or how much we weigh. What we offer to the world as human beings is far greater than the number on the scale. Our compassion, integrity and kindness is what we should truly measure our worth on. What can we do for the greater good? How can we make a positive impact in the lives of others and ourselves? How do we treat others and make them feel? These are the valuable questions you should be asking yourself.
All these questions also lead us on a path to loving yourself from the inside out, respecting yourself, your mind and heart. I get it. It’s not easy, though. To read something like this and go implement it in your life right away. The way we think now is a product of our conditioning; thus, it’s difficult to just switch that light off in our minds that tells us to hate ourselves because we’re not a size 0 or weigh a 100 lbs.
The thoughts in our minds can always be changed. With enough effort and consistency – you can dismantle that conditioning and introduce more loving thoughts into your life. It’s not an easy road thought and many times you might have to fake it til you make it. But I promise you – you will make it.
