See if you can relate to the following scenario? You've stumble upon an old picture of yourself. At the time the photo was taken you didn’t particularly like your body. Maybe you thought your butt was too big or you still needed to lose a few pounds. Maybe you wished your stomach was a little flatter or your face was thinner. When you look at the picture today, you see a beautiful woman - and you wonder why you were so hard on yourself. You might even be wishing you had that body right now. The one you didn’t like very much at the time. Sound familiar? This, my dear, is one example of chasing perfection - and it’s a great way to set yourself up for failure and make yourself (and everyone around you) miserable. I’m guilty. At … [Read more...] about Stop Chasing Perfection
Self Acceptance
Don’t Let Being a Beginner Stop You
At a recent appointment with my foot surgeon, he mentioned that I might give biking a try (he doesn't want me running anymore). "Um, okay - why not?" It's been well over 10 years, maybe closer to 20 since I last rode a bike - and to be honest, I wasn't very good at it then. I totally sucked on my first ride - in a hilarious kind of way. Every time I would get to a tight turn, I’d wind up off the trail. I was afraid to hop down curbs and my hands formed a death grip around the handle bars at all times. It was like being seven all over again. Two nights ago, the hubby and I set off for my 5th ride. I made the turns, rode down the curb and let go with one hand so I could grab a drink. Starting something new isn't easy. Being … [Read more...] about Don’t Let Being a Beginner Stop You
You Are Good Enough
The phrase “honor your body” gets tossed around frequently in the wellness world. So much so that the power of this message may have become diluted. Honoring your body is the key to healthy and happy living. This simple phrase may represent different things to different people - but to me, it means treating myself like the most sacred and precious being on the planet. And if you think that sounds unbelievably selfish, I’ll have to respectfully disagree. People who feel good tend to do good. They take care of others and spread joy. We only have one body. One shot at this thing called life. Why not make it the most glorious life possible? A life filled with love, harmony, kindness and vitality - instead of shame and … [Read more...] about You Are Good Enough
Should Up!
Last week I caught myself using a big bad word. In fact, it's one of my least favorite words in the entire dictionary --- SHOULD. Here's how it went down. I should be reading something more productive. Seems innocent enough, right? Wrong. Saying should tends to make us feel bad. It keeps us stuck in a cycle of guilt and shame. I should be losing weight faster. I should do the laundry. I should have a boyfriend. I should go to the gym. I should eat more veggies. Try this - replace should with could and notice how the tone of each statement changes. Notice if it creates a different emotion for you. I could be losing weight faster. I could do the laundry. I could have a boyfriend. I could go to the gym. I could eat … [Read more...] about Should Up!