Do you sometimes feel that you are a work in progress? Do you feel the urge to constantly improve, and then spiral into despair because you feel like you just can not keep up? For many people, this is the reality. Research has shown that this is one of the most common causes of weight gain and emotional eating disorders.
We all need to break free from the cycle that we are imperfect, that we all have room to grow and develop, and that the most liberating of all realities to embrace and accept is that we are a unique and beautiful human being. There is no one in the world like us, and there never will be. Once we accept this for ourselves, we can look for ways to improve the good in us. Without this perspective, we will constantly strive for self-acceptance and will not get much further in our lives than this point.
An old African proverb reminds us that no external enemies can harm us if we have no internal enemies. Have you ever noticed that when you are doing well inside and feel secure and happy, the things that go wrong in your life do not seem so bad, but when you feel bad about yourself, things look very different. The world seems a lot gloomier, and it’s harder to cope when things are not going well.
Learning to love yourself and appreciate your uniqueness is often the first step in learning to control your weight, feeling confident in university or a career change, or taking up a new hobby. Many of the things we put off that would be beneficial and enriching for ourselves, we often do not do because deep down we may not consider ourselves good or worthy enough to do those things for ourselves.
Challenge those thoughts and start tomorrow – choose one thing to do for yourself. – Because guess what: you are worth it! Most people struggle with their self-talk and rarely say anything nice about themselves. Try looking in the mirror when you wake up and telling your reflection what you would say to your best friend… You are worth it!