Be honest with yourself……..and listen to your body. Loving yourself means taking a holistic approach to your health and well being. Some people place all their emphasis on their appearance…..they may eat well, exercise daily and generally take good care of themselves, they may even be a little obsessive about it. Nothing wrong with making good healthy choices and exercising, but when you step back and think of your health from a holistic perspective, there are things we avoid….conversations we don’t have with ourselves because we are fearful. Sometimes all that energy goes into working out because in our minds it is something that we alone control with our choices…..and moreover we control the outcomes.
Be careful though that in pursuit of a fit body you don’t overlook the need to pay attention to your overall health and wellness. Our bodies are our temples…..and they not only need to look good, they have to be good. That goodness comes from paying attention to the signs and signals that our bodies send that something may not be right…..it comes from listening to our thoughts and feelings and having a strong sense of self-worth. Because what is the point of having a beautiful exterior and a shattered soul that fills your body with dis-ease? That dis-ease left unattended will lead to disease…….so we must look after our health holistically……not assign value to everything external. There is nothing more important than being committed to being a whole, healthy human being…..so listen up.
Cheryl Richardson said “Listen to your body. So many of us live from the neck up, so overwhelmed by all there is to do that, as a result, we end up missing important signals from our body that provide us with valuable information. How well do you respond to the needs of your own body? Do you eat when you are hungry, sleep when you’re tired, or take a break before you start to feel stressed? Learning to pay attention to such signals will go a long way in keeping you informed about what you need to do to keep your body in shape. Learning to connect your head with your body provides you with information that will not only allow you to protect your physical health, but will also lead you to make better choices that honour your emotional and spiritual wellness.”