Are you stuck in a body you hate? Are you having a hard time sticking with a healthy diet?
Maybe the problem doesn't have to do with willpower after all…
We are constantly bombarded by advertisements, images, and propaganda in our culture that tells us what we should wear, look like, believe, etc… that it is easy to lose track of ourselves as we try to live up to what we think we SHOULD be. We grow up wanting approval from others so we mold ourselves to what we think that is, while at the same time losing our true, authentic selves in the process.
But if we don't know what who we really are and value ourselves, why should we care enough to eat healthy? Who are you really doing it for?
Could this be why you find it hard to resist sweets when you are upset, or run to the refrigerator when you are depressed? When you are so caught up in living up to the opinions of others, you devalue yourself and end up doing what others want without checking inside yourself to see if that is really what YOU want.
This keeps you STUCK…unable to lose the weight….unable to stay on a healthy diet….unable to find fulfillment in life.
How do we uncover our true self?
For some of us, it means detoxing our life of things that do not belong there to allow us to become the healthiest version of ourselves.
For me, I was so caught up in pleasing others and performing like they thought I should, that I had to let go of all of that to notice what I really wanted out of life. I was so worried about what others thought of me that it was very difficult to dig down and excavate the real me. But I did do some practical things that really helped me break free from this….
- I stopped wearing make up. Honestly, at first, I felt like I was going out of the house naked. But once I got over the initial trauma of it, it really helped me peel back those superficial layers of an image I was trying to portray. This enabled me to get comfortable with just being me and to stop worrying about how I looked to others. I finally got comfortable in my own skin.
- I stopped watching television, news, and other advertisements and paid more attention to those things I was truly interested in. I kept a scrapbook of images I liked and found my unique style.
- I stopped socializing with people who did not support the healthy version of me, or who wanted me to follow along with the crowd, or who were negative or fearful in their outlook on life.
- I stopped being swayed by what others thought. I stopped blindly believing authority figures and began to question everything. I researched issues on my own to find what I believed.
What did I find?
I found the real me who is not ashamed of my uniqueness, who has found my worth, who will eat healthy food even if everyone around me is not, and who will wear what I like even if others don't find it "in style". This is the best thing I have ever done for myself because it has allowed me to become the person God created me to be and to find my purpose and passion in life.
The truth is that we will only find fulfillment when we are living a life true to ourselves. Only then will we consistently make healthy choices as we say to ourselves, "Yes, I am worth it".
Resources that I found useful:
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Becky Mauldin, N.D. is a Naturopath, teacher, speaker, and author. She has authored two gluten-free cookbooks, Vibrant Health and Recipes for Life. Her story of recovery from an incurable illness has inspired many people around the world. She is known for making a healthy diet achievable for real people and real life.
Connect with her on Facebook and let her know what you think of this post.
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