I
remember getting dressed for a wedding a few months ago in the company
of my friend, Bukky. As I wore my dress, I continuously complained at
how fat my arms were, you know the #ChristianMotherFlabs. I did not
realize that I had ticked Bukky off until she barked at me saying,
“Seun, appreciate what you have, do you know how many people would pray
just to have arms that work? The fat will be the least of their
problems”. Ouch! That sunk and got me thinking of how much I take for
granted, starting with my cravings for dimples and gap tooth to my
struggle to come down one dress size.
There
are many microscopic functions that go on in our bodies every
millisecond and we do not have to think about them. They just work.
Unfortunately, it takes a catastrophe like a near-death experience –
accidents or illnesses for us to realize that our bodies were not so bad
after all. We spend time criticizing ourselves that we lose sight of
all there is for us to appreciate. The society places so much emphasis
on one’s appearance and very little on our inner selves. At every turn,
you find health instructions on fad diets, pills, exercising, not
exercising, midnight snacking, feasting on junks, eating greens.
It
is very easy to get carried away by the perfect images you see in
magazines, movies or social media, forgetting that they have undergone
professional touches behind the scenes (hair stylist, makeup artists,
photographers with top notch cameras and lighting, airbrushing and
photo-shopping); the models or actors sometimes marvel at their own
transitions. Let’s face it, these images are made up. So why not cut
yourself some slack and love thy self?
Self-love
is a journey. It is not about being arrogant. It is not a loathing
competition with others. To love yourself is to marvel at your own
existence. It is to accept yourself as you are beyond the physical. Self
love is being kind to ourselves, caring for our minds, bodies and
souls. You can only give what you have; we teach others how to treat us
by showing them how we treat ourselves.
Free
yourself from the perfectionist philosophy and stop being
hyper-critical of yourself. Constantly remind yourself that you are
happy, healthy and beautiful/handsome. The next time you steal a glance
in the mirror, stare deeply into your eyes, not in the usual way, be
very aware of yourself and say this out loud “I love you << insert
your name>> and I approve of you”. Self-affirmations help to
silence the negative thoughts about your body. It can change your
anxiety and dissatisfaction to acceptance and inner peace which will
ultimately rub off on many other areas of your life.
Hating
your body will never get you the body you desire but loving it will get
you through the decisions to improve on it. There are enough things
about you to make you shine throughout the day. There will be some parts
of yourself that you may not be crazily in love with. However,
accepting it makes improving it easier.
Be it weight loss or body building, do not hate yourself, accept and love what you have enough to make improvements.
Take
care of your body because you only get one per lifetime. Healthy people
come in all kinds of sizes. Being thin is not a guaranty that you are
healthy just as being fat isn’t either. Think inside out. Choose what
works for you and maintain it. You will not only be at peace with
yourself, you may be someone else’s inspiration. It is your body; you
are stuck with it so rock it nicely. As long as you are healthy, that’s
all that matters eventually.
Photo Credit: Dreamstime | Mimagephotography
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