You know those people who have actually transformed their physiques? The people who have lost a lot of body fat and changed the way they look.
Well, here’s a hot take for you.
They didn’t get that way by “accepting” the body they had.
While it’s easy and cute to get caught up in the body acceptance movement, that same movement quickly becomes a crutch.
Loving yourself does not equate to enabling poor behavior.
Loving yourself means holding yourself to a higher standard.
- Knowing that you deserve to be healthy.
- Realizing you’re in control.
- Being conscious of your mistakes.
Yeah, love yourself.
That is so important.
But don’t lose sight of that keyword:
Yourself.
Eating candy regularly isn’t loving yourself. Eating candy regularly is a misguided attempt at cloaking a (potentially) bigger problem; a short term fix for a long term complication.
You’d never see a parent allow their child to eat ice cream for breakfast. Despite any cries or pleas from the kid.
Why?
Because the parent loves them and (while it may not be what the kid wants right now) they know it’s what is best in the long term.
Yet, when it comes ourselves, we find ways to self justify equally poor habits.
“A cinnamon roll is kinda breakfasty”
“It’s the weekend, I’m supposed to enjoy myself. Everyone else is.”
“I’ll just eat the rest of these cookies, that way they’re not in the house anymore.”
Loving yourself is hard.
A lot harder than eating that extra piece of chocolate.
And maybe that’s why it’s also so rare.
Because we don’t want to face what’s hard. We don’t want to have to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We don’t want to strive and we don’t want to become better. Not if it means giving up a little bit of candy here and there.
No, that’s too much to give.
But here is the hard truth, the kinda thing you won’t see on Pinterest on in your favorite Instagram-Girl’s emoji laden caption:
>>> You don’t love yourself. <<<
Or rather, you aren’t acting out of love. You’re just telling yourself whatever lie you can in order to justify what you want right now.
Ouch. I know. That’s rough.
But most things we need to do (or hear) are.
Want to start actually loving yourself?
Stop lying.
Stop enabling.
Stop justifying.
And then?
Start trying.
Because—to quote Pinterest—you are worth it.
At least I think you are.
——
Happy loving yourself.
— Nick.
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