We are our harshest critics with what we see in the mirror. I know this first hand because I can be VERY hard on myself. I promote positive body image and loving yourself but some days I even catch myself letting that negative voice inside my head get the best of me. And I know I am not the only one, I have seen countless friends, both male and female, negatively bash their bodies while looking at their own reflections. And to think of all the wonderful parts our bodies are composed of and how silly it is to let ourselves become so fixated on one specific part!
The negative voice inside my head today started as a small thought, a whisper while I changed into my bikini. That whisper became louder as I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my stomach. I sighed, slightly unhappy because it didn't look as defined as it had at various points through out the summer. This is something I struggle with quite often, how much the look and muscle tone of my stomach fluctuates. The severity of my IBS flare ups often leave me with swollen intestines and a large distended stomach that could pass me off as a pregnant woman. When the flare up settles down, I am left feeling like a deflated balloon.
As I looked into the mirror, standing at first from the front, then from the side, I thought to myself, WHO REALLY CARES! My abs look awesome some days and other days they don't. That is just the nature of the beast for me, and the sooner I accept this whole heartedly, the sooner I can silence that negative voice. And I know it's not just me, I'm sure we can all agree with that statement, that some days our abs look better than others, whether you have a digestive disorder or not. Why let my happiness be determined by the presence or lack of something so trivial? After all, the most beautiful curve on a woman is her smile anyway ;]
Don't let your happiness be determined by what you do or don't see in the mirror.
When that voice in your head tells you something negative about your body, TELL IT TO SHUT UP! How you feel about yourself as a whole, body and mind, not one specific body part, should determine your happiness. You are so much more than the one trait or look that you feel you lack! Look in the mirror and SMILE, because today is a wonderful day, and abs or no abs or whatever your negative voice tells you is NOT going to change that. You have the ability to turn that negative voice into a positive one!
Look in the mirror and focus on all that you are, inside and out, and from that happiness will follow.
Stay happy and healthy,
but most of all,
don't forget to love yourself and your body in the process
<3
The negative voice inside my head today started as a small thought, a whisper while I changed into my bikini. That whisper became louder as I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my stomach. I sighed, slightly unhappy because it didn't look as defined as it had at various points through out the summer. This is something I struggle with quite often, how much the look and muscle tone of my stomach fluctuates. The severity of my IBS flare ups often leave me with swollen intestines and a large distended stomach that could pass me off as a pregnant woman. When the flare up settles down, I am left feeling like a deflated balloon.
As I looked into the mirror, standing at first from the front, then from the side, I thought to myself, WHO REALLY CARES! My abs look awesome some days and other days they don't. That is just the nature of the beast for me, and the sooner I accept this whole heartedly, the sooner I can silence that negative voice. And I know it's not just me, I'm sure we can all agree with that statement, that some days our abs look better than others, whether you have a digestive disorder or not. Why let my happiness be determined by the presence or lack of something so trivial? After all, the most beautiful curve on a woman is her smile anyway ;]
Don't let your happiness be determined by what you do or don't see in the mirror.
When that voice in your head tells you something negative about your body, TELL IT TO SHUT UP! How you feel about yourself as a whole, body and mind, not one specific body part, should determine your happiness. You are so much more than the one trait or look that you feel you lack! Look in the mirror and SMILE, because today is a wonderful day, and abs or no abs or whatever your negative voice tells you is NOT going to change that. You have the ability to turn that negative voice into a positive one!
Look in the mirror and focus on all that you are, inside and out, and from that happiness will follow.
Stay happy and healthy,
but most of all,
don't forget to love yourself and your body in the process
<3
