Let it be done
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| Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi from Pexels |
I grew up in the Catholic church. I have heard this reading all my life. The idea that my life is predestined has always been confusing to me. I remember thinking not so long ago that I was just a big person, that was how I was made. I also have painful eczema and thought that too was just how I was made. It was challenging to believe that I could be anything different.
This idea that the mother of God graciously accepted her role in this universe baffled me. I really did try to accept my life as it was. As a weight loss coach, I want to distill this down to how we accept our bodies. Although I really believed that I was just in a bigger body and that was ok, I allowed it to hold me back in my work. I also let my skin hold me back, which is another but similar story I told myself.
There is nothing wrong with your body, until you believe that there is something wrong with you. How do I know this is true… I see every size in the workplace. All these individuals are competent and valuable. Their ideas and work ethic are available at any size. When weight becomes a hindrance in energy, confidence, or health, then I am usually approached to help.
I work with men and women that make excess weight mean that they are not a good speaker, leader, or employee. I remember the exact moment I accepted my body as it was. I was 190 pounds, applying for new work and selected to speak at a conference. I needed clothing that fit. I did not want to purchase clothing that fit me because I did not like my body. I did not want to waste money on myself.
I remember buying clothing that fit me, I remember thinking I looked good, which was a very foreign concept for me to see of myself in a body that I did not like. That was when it clicked. I was a human in a larger body, and it was ok. I still spoke in front of many people, and I applied for new jobs, showing up for interviews. From this moment, that was when my weight started to come off.
My question to you is how can you accept yourself as you are and still go for your goals? It sounds counter intuitive. We think that if we accept things as they are we will not change. Perhaps, but sometimes it is just the motivation needed to grow into your role you were meant to become.
