The human body is a temple; a powerhouse. Not a trophy to prove how healthy you are. These days, we are infiltrated with messages that tell us otherwise; you've heard it all before:
I'm too fat.
I'm too thin.
I'm not fast enough/good enough/strong enough/fit enough.
And while we all are so busy trying to chase whatever that ideal looks like, we've somehow found ourselves ten steps behind in our physical (and dare I say mental) health.
Like the sacrafice for that six pack was worth the self-doubt and deprivation we've been putting ourselves through.
Hey, I'm guilty. I've been caught up in the inevitable diet culture that streams through our society as a norm. As a holistic health coach, it can be difficult to bob and weave through sending the wrong message or guiding your clients towards holistic health, not just a physical ideal.
But as I started contemplating this epidemic a bit more, I realized we are far too focused on the crap that doesn't really matter without giving ourselves the credit our physical bodies truly deserve: the hard work they are constantly putting in just to get us through another day of trauma, traffic, and every day crap we are constantly faced with.
While I still believe in the power of sharing progress and my healthy journey, I want to be clear about something to all of you who are following me: this body does more than just show up on social media for a “like.” This body is just as precious as YOUR body; something that deserves to be respected both physically and emotionally. It saddens me to think about the girl who used to verbally mistreat this body because that’s what society taught her: there’s always room for improvement. And when I think about the young women out there who are living the same type of unidentified hell right now, I shutter.
This body got me through heaven and hell on earth.
This body got me through 40+ hour work weeks with fashion deadlines and nail biting.
This body got me through 18 days of my husband living in a hospital as he received 5 plasma transfusions.
This body got me through 3 years of supporting other women on their own health and wellness journeys.
This body got me through 10 years of battling IBS and a leaky gut.
This body got me through 3 half marathons in one year.
This body got me through hangovers and cleanses and diets and binges.
This body is a temple; a powerhouse. Not a trophy to prove how healthy I am. While I still believe in the power of sharing progress and my healthy journey, I want to be clear about something to all of you who are following me: this body does more than just show up on social media for a “like.” This body is just as precious as YOUR body; something that deserves to be respected both physically and emotionally. It saddens me to think about the girl who used to verbally mistreat this body because that’s what society taught her: there’s always room for improvement. And when I think about the young women out there who are living the same type of unidentified hell right now, I shutter.
While I know my little declaration of girl power here won’t change the world overnight, I do want to say this to every single one of you women (no matter your age): stop feeling obligated to define your physical being through societal standards.
You and I both need to hear this:
It is not our fault that we feel this way, we didn’t sign up for a life of comparison, shame, and always searching for the next best thing. If you’re going to do something for yourself, do just that: do it for YOURSELF. Not a like, not a compliment, not to fit into your dusty pair of idolized skinny jeans.
Love, you are worth so much more than the self-ridicule you let play in your head. No magazine or instagram babe or self-help book is going to give you the PERMISSION to let go of this mindset. You gotta give that to yourself.
So go ahead…take that step, babe. Give up the exhausting, repetitive reel you keep playing in your head about how you could be better. You’re right where your are supposed to be right now, and that’s enough.
