How You See Yourself Determines Who You Are
It occurred to me one night that when I woke the next day, I didn’t have to do things the same way I’d always done them! It sounds crazy to say I actually had to have the realization, but I did!
You can go through your whole life and just keep doing things the same old way, or you can wake up one day and start doing things differently. It really is a choice.
But here’s the deal.
In order for your world to change, you have to change something in your world! The change starts with you!
You have to first change your mind.
Understand you have the power to make the change, and then do it.
It seems elementary, doesn’t it? But it isn’t. I’ve learned changing your mind once isn’t always enough!
You can’t just have an idea that’ll carry enough weight to last for the rest of your life. Instead, you have to work to maintain the mindset you’ve adopted so you can continue to live the life you’re beginning to live!
Here’s an example. I’m okay with all body shapes and sizes! However, for me to be both comfortable and healthy, I need to be under a certain weight.
I lost 65 lbs in a year and a half by making different food choices. My dilemma is that my mind will not accept the new version of me! When I look in the mirror, I still see the same person that I’ve always seen looking back at me.
I don’t have a super negative body image — I never saw myself as that heavy anyway. Since my perception is askew, I can only accurately see my size in a photo!
My mind can fool me the way but a picture tells the cold hard truth every time!
So what does my this example teach me about myself?
I obsess about eating too much. Every morsel I put in my mouth causes me to feel guilty, even though I know there’s plenty of food! I’m now eating much healthier! My food choices are good for maintaining a satisfactory weight, but I’m still camping out in the same old mindset.
That’s probably not going to work for someone who’s trying to keep excess weight from returning. Any time you throw guilt into the equation, you’ve got problems.
TRIGGERED!
An old comfort food eater always wants to run to food to numb the guilt!
Fighting that battle keeps it on my mind, but not where I can deal with it.
Changing my mindset is the only way to get a victory in this area! New habits and opinions can only find space when I throw away everything I already know about eating!
It’s easy for people to miss the potential damage of berating the young with hurtful words like “Keep eating that way and you’ll get fat,” or “You’re gonna have to wear a wide load sign around your neck!”
The sting from those kinds of words can carry over to adulthood.
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“Grabbing rolls of fat,” “pinching an inch,” and making “fat jokes” can also hurt. Anything that changes a kid’s perception regarding “normal” body size can be damaging.
Confidence to stand up to the bullying as a younger me means older me might not be battling my weight!
How do you see yourself when you look in the mirror?
Do you see the old you or the one who realized YOU have the power to make needed changes? Taking personal responsibility is a huge step but it’s also a huge privilege!
God created us in His image and He trusts us with free will. We don’t have to accept less than what He meant for us to have! It takes hard work, sacrifice, and humility to live the life He designed for us! Nothing that’s worth having ever comes too easily!
I need to change my mind in the body image mentality department.
What is it for you? It isn’t always as easy as going to bed at night knowing that tomorrow you can wake up with a different outlook and mindset, but on the other hand — it has definitely worked before!
Anyway, it’s a place to start.
Kisses Y’all!
Allison
First published by MoodyOops, March 5, 2019 https://moodyoops.com/how-you-see-yourself-determines-who-you-are/
I’m an artist and a writer. I believe in God, family, hard work, and community. I try to use my gifts to reach out, encourage, and motivate, and to let other people like me know that they aren’t alone in this broken world.
For a related topic: https://medium.com/@allisondivinebridges/how-do-you-show-up-a73d25f4e61?source=friends_link&sk=b1dbf60401e25ba7e83dfc427cf58623
