Our worth is so much more than a number
I was having a tough body day the other day. You know, the kind where you go to bed feeling amazing and wake up the next morning feeling like you just transformed into the most unhealthiest, least- attractive-in-all-the-ways version of yourself. Ooooh, the lies we can convince ourselves of.
Anyways…
I was working on some content and looking back at pictures from my photoshoot last year, also knowing that I was a couple days from my period (and not fully feeling “myself” for that reason), so I decided to ask my boyfriend…
Do I look the same or different Now than I do in these pictures?
At this point in my cycle combined with a lack of sleep over the last couple days, I felt myself falling into an old habit of needing outside validation. I decided to engage in it because I couldn’t think clearly and convince myself to stop the self-sabotage. I needed some support and truth in my life. I HATE feeling this way, and I rarely use that word for anything, because I know what I’m thinking isn’t true, but I can’t help but sink into the yuck.
You know what he replied…
You look even better.
Wait, what? What did you just say?
You look even better! Just everything is better!
I couldn’t wrap my head around this because the possibility that I could look EVEN BETTER than these photos never even remotely crossed my mind. Especially because I ditched my scale almost a year ago, I’d been more bold in exploring foods that I had previously convinced myself of were not good for me and there is no way that I could possibly look better. I smiled and gave him a hug and then just sat with what he shared. I started to think about what I’d done differently over the last year, and you know what, NONE of it had to do with restriction of diet or moving more, further affirming my approach (that is much easier to guide clients through than myself 🤣) and belief that health is not equated to a size or number, but to what we are choosing to consume and surround ourselves in ALL aspects of life.
Here are some of the highlights of what has changed for me over the last year:
I threw out my damn scale and am working to be more supportive of helping my body be in its happy place instead of the number I convinced myself (or more society/media convinced me) is “good”
I shifted my mindset around people that hurt me from anger to empathy
I have developed a regular yoga/meditation practice
I eat intuitively and celebrate the gift of being able to explore a variety of foods to see what works best for my body
I’m actively working to deepen my intuitive nature and REALLY listen to my gut
I’ve deepened my faith and spirituality
I’m working within my passion, supporting others on their journey around the sun
I’ve become curious AF about all things
I pretty much never wear makeup anymore
I took and continue to take time to learn about myself, falling into deeper love and appreciation each day, which has allowed me to enter into a variety of really healthy, nourishing relationships for the first time in my life (including a romantic one!)
I’m more conscious about slowing down and working to be more present in my life, with my girls, and in whatever I’m doing
I am finally making progress on accepting that if I don’t get something done in a particular day, it wasn’t meant to get done that day and that’s truly ok
I love where I live
and probably the biggest thing…
I really leaned in to trusting myself.
And as out there as it may sound, it never crossed my mind that I could actually grow through the really hard times, the self-doubt, the self-harm, the self-sabotage to a place where I stopped stepping on a scale to determine my worth for the day to this place of just being me.
In fact, I didn’t even realize this growth was happening.
As I look at all these items above, I see that they never felt like anything big, because they resulted from getting curious and making a fun-size decision to stay curious consistently, lean into the discomfort and be open to discovering what worked and didn’t work for me personally.
So much of what I’ve learned over this last year is that there is so much more to love and learn about myself than how much I accomplished in a day, how much I weigh, what I ate the night before and how I look. And that, my friends, is why I can also see (now that I am out of the fog of hormonal shifts) that I do look and feel better than I ever have.
We all have so much more to love about ourselves than appearances.
Talk to me on this topic babe, what resonated, what’s been your experience, where are you at right now? Most importantly, tell me your favorite thing that you love about yourself that has nothing to do with your appearance. Shoot me a message here, I cannot wait to hear from you on all of this!
Lindsey is an encourager, optimist, health + life coach, and yoga teacher who helps caregivers live fuller, healthier, vibrant lives through exploring all aspects of their life and health while helping to cultivate simple, sustainable fun-size habits, so that they can continue to make a meaningful impact in themselves, their loved ones, and the world, for generations to come.
