I’ve been quiet, turning inward, evaluating and learning so that I can share my thoughts with you. So, here’s the scoop. There’s an energetic shift from negative to positive that must occur in order to live more authentically and transform your life. The energy shift affects your thoughts, your emotions, your mindset and your action. This is true for how you relate to your physical body as well. And let’s face it—we aren’t getting any younger.
If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. —Maya Angelou
“I hate my belly.”
“I hate my stomach.”
“I hate this pooch.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard those words in my head—thousands of times, maybe millions. You know what I’m talking about, right? How many times have you told yourself “I hate my body, my thighs, my hair, the color of my teeth, or WHATEVER!” It’s a constant stream of negative self-talk, and when you walk by a mirror or window you look at that one body part in disgust. It’s amazing how cruelly and hurtfully we speak to ourselves.
For me, it’s my belly. I grew up a dancer in a household that was weight conscious, so I have had this constant preoccupation with my mid-section for as long as I can remember. For most of my life I’ve been thin (not skinny-mini thin) and physically fit. Except for the freshman 15 and the post-menopausal weight gain (both of which I lost), I have been able to maintain a healthy weight, but always remain focused on my abdomen. And yet, when I look back at myself in pictures from my past, I think my body looks good at whatever age I happen to be in the picture. Even my belly. So why am I so critical of myself in the present?
At 56 years old, I’m tired of listening to this old script. I’m tired of hating my belly, and I’m tired of beating myself up over one body part. It’s exhausting! And quite frankly, I don’t want to wait until I’m 65 or 70 to think that my mid-section looks good today. I’m making a conscious effort to rewrite the script in my head, embrace the aging process, and change the energy about my body from hate to love.
My body—the one that used to be up on stage dancing her heart out, the one that carried and birthed two amazing children, the one that fought like hell for me when I was sick, the one that is the vessel for my spirituality and my soul, and the one that now has a shoulder and a hip injury—is my body that I’m learning to love. Compassion for my body is realizing that the more I push myself physically, the more I get injured. So, I walk until the hip starts to hurt. I do a home yoga practice which has evolved into a gentle, restorative and meditative practice as opposed to the hot, sweaty, power yoga of years ago. And I most importantly, I tell myself:
“I love my belly.”
“My belly is beautiful.”
“There is more to life that worrying about my belly because I deserve to be happy and feel good about myself.”
What are those negative things you have been telling yourself daily, seemingly forever? It’s not too late to create a life where you start loving your body, as opposed to hating it, on a daily basis. That doesn’t mean you can’t make changes. It means that the changes you make will be because you love yourself, as opposed to hating yourself.
You would eat healthy and exercise because you love your body.
You would remember to stay hydrated and get a good night sleep because your body is special.
You would forgive yourself for speaking harshly to your body.
You would head to the dentist for teeth whitening or the orthodontist for straightening because you love your smile.
You would tell yourself that there is more to life than worrying about your thighs, your weight, your scar, your ______________ (fill in the blank) because you too are meant to be happy.
Shifting your energy from negative to positive, and from hate to love of self, will be more sustainable in the long run and you’ll feel better. How can you embrace your own healthy aging? What can you do to change the negative script in your head into something more loving? It’s time.
Always with love,
Heather