Be Kind to Yourself

We are often much harder on ourselves than we would ever be on anyone else.

I was speaking with a good friend of mine today. She is a fitness instructor, and said something to me along the lines of "besides the classes I teach, I haven't been working out AT ALL." I quickly pointed out that if she wasn't an instructor, she may not have even gotten THOSE workouts in.

We have to recognize the hard work we do! What good does it do to criticize our efforts or focus on what we're NOT doing?

Living a happy, healthy life is often about putting yourself first. It's not about putting yourself down. In order to be successful, I need to take care of myself. I need to treat myself with kindness, and recognize all of my awesome achievements.

I used to have very low self-esteem (I know I'm not alone here!). In elementary school and high school, I was all about the NEGATIVE self-talk. It's no surprise that I was so overweight--why would I treat myself well and take care of myself if I disliked myself so much? How could I work up the courage to ask for help if I didn't even think I deserved it?

Over time, my self-esteem has come a long way (I'm honestly verging on vain now!). I may not have a "perfect" body, but I sure appreciate it for what it can do. After all the abuse I inflicted on it, and the negative thoughts I directed towards it, it hasn't failed me yet.

What are you proud of this week?