"Making Peace With The Image in the Mirror"

I stole this title from the book that Jamie Z shared with us in the comments section of my first post.  There is a lot to be said on this particular subject, and I will most defiantly look for that book to read.

We live in a world today that puts huge emphases on body image.  You see all these skinny models that are on the extreme opposite side of where I am, but I always hear about their self image problems.  So if we have self image problems when we are overweight, and when we are skinny is there any hope?  I think that is the big problem!  We need to get to a point in our lives, no matter where we might be with our weight, our financial situation, our relationships, or jobs that we can just be happy and love ourselves.  I truly believe that if we don't love ourselves, that when we lose the weight or make the money we always dreamed of, or got the our dream job we won't be happy then.  If you lose the sixty pounds just to lose the pounds then they will find you again.  If we are happy and can accept ourselves and tell ourselves that we deserve to have happiness when it come it will be easier to hold onto it. 

If you are working to lose weight for anyone besides yourself you are probably doing it for the wrong reason.  Now I am not saying that you can't be motivated by outside sources, but the core drive has to come from within.  I realize that it is easier said then done.  In fact it is really easy for me to tell everyone that we need to love ourselves.  I have identified a problem without giving any kind of solutions.  It is always easy to identify a problem, but almost exclusively harder to detail out a plan to solve that problem.  I am a big fan of examples so let me give you one.  A parent with a troubled teen talks to a councilor and is told that the solution to the problem is to become friends with their teenager and then the will feel more comfortable to talk openly.  All I did there was point out the problem and say a solution.  The problem is that there is a huge blank area there in the middle.   The part about how to go about creating a relationship with your trouble teen, and how to become their friend.

I think that is why a lot of people get frustrated about weight issues is because people can point out to them what the problem is and even give a solution to the problem, but they never tell you how to get to the solution.  We don't know how to do the steps in between to get us to the desired solution to the problem we face.  So here is this weeks assignment; what things can we do to love ourselves?  What things can we do that will let ourselves know that we are worth it?  (please share your ideas with us.  It could literally be looking into the mirror and telling yourself that you love yourself).  So that is our quest this week to look at want things we can do to love ourselves.  What can we do to be happy with who we are?  Please post comments or e-mail me at livnez@gmail.com if you have something longer than the comments to have posted.