This may come as a bit of a shock, so brace yourself, but happiness is not dictated by the number on your scale or the size of your pants. Being happy goes beyond the shell that carries you, it extends past cellulite and stretch marks. You are not defined by the space you take up or the food you consume, your self worth exceeds the clothes you wear.
How many times have we heard the age old adage that it is what’s on the inside that counts? And still, we don’t believe it. Still, we pick ourselves apart and set ourselves up for failure by creating goals we can never achieve. Or if we do achieve them, we cannot maintain them. All of this is generated and exacerbated by the fact that we live in a world that is fixated on size and weight and, for some strange reason, we have anchored thinness to happiness. In reality, it is not your weight that will make you happy, but how healthy you are.
It seems as though we are looking at our outsides and picking them apart and not paying attention to what our bodies are saying on the inside.
So, let’s reprogram ourselves. A great place to start is by asking yourself how does it feel to move? Are you energetic? In pain? Excited to get outside? Can you make it up a flight of stairs without stopping? When you go for a run do your lungs burn? After lifting weights are your arms jelly? How does it feel to be flushed, sweating, and out breath? Is the thought of exercising too daunting to even consider? Do you feel alive?
And most importantly, are you trying?
We don’t care how big or small you are, the abilities you have, whether you worked out yesterday or last year. Health and fitness come down to one thing – trying. If you are trying, then you are on your way towards healthiness. The act of getting up and going means you are working, you are pushing yourself, and you are striving to be better, and do better. And you are on your way to happiness.
It is so hard to ignore the nagging voice of inadequacy that seems to be louder than common sense. We have been conditioned to be a certain way but everyone, in every body, is capable of doing amazing things. The strength you possess is astounding. You don’t have to look a certain way to wear stretchy pants and master yoga. You don’t have to be thin and muscle-defined to be an amazing athletic instructor. Don’t be afraid to go to the gym, get outdoors, exercise, and wear crop top.
You are amazing. You are worthy.
Just keep trying.