I read a post today that got my blood boiling early this morning. It was someone else in the health and wellness industry. She shared a blog post she had written about how weight gain in women could lead to divorce and how it was our responsibility as women to look the way we did when we got married...or else.
I'm not going to go into the finer points of this argument today. I want to talk about the bigger picture. I want to give you some tools against this kind of marketing. These kind of messages play on fear. They attack the heart of an insecurity and drag you on a choose your own adventure story ( remember those?) that are not based on anything but shame. The message is that you are not worthy in your current state and you need to do something or buy something or look a certain way to gain value. On your health journey, pay attention to how messages make you feel! It's ok to recognize that some aspects of your life needs to change but does the person speaking give you hope and inspire you? Do they encourage you and make you want to heal? Or do they fill you with shame and cause you to act out of self loathing? I have seen hundreds of women start health journeys since I started coaching and something I've learned is that timing is important. You have to do this for YOU. This is a journey of self discovery and self respect. It's you taking care of you and it does improve everything in your life but if you aren't ready than someone shaming you isn't going to make you ready. It's easy to believe that shame is just the bad feeling we get from being "bad". It's not. It's the lie that we aren't enough. Conviction is productive. It's the acknowledgement that we need to change and that's helpful! But when the oppressive waves of shame wash over you, that should be a warning to you. That is the prison we can reject. If you hear a message on health or parenting or beauty or ANYTHING that leaves you feeling worthless or hopeless or shamed, that is not someone to follow. One of the ways I protect myself is to imagine hearing it said to someone I love. I am a powerhouse of fury in defending others from lies but sometimes it's hard to do that for myself in a moment of fear or shame. What would your response be if you heard someone say that to a loved one? Think it all the way through! Don't be held captive by fear and shame. Don't be manipulated into hustling for your worth! Follow leaders that make you excited to grow! ( End rant 😉)
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Author"And Aubrey was her name. A not so very ordinary girl or name."(Or so says David Gates ;) I'm a wife to Phillip, a mother to Scarlett and Juliet. We live in the beautiful city of Thornton, Co. I'm a recovering red bull addict. I love to read. I hate to cook. I seek to be inspired and also to inspire others. I am a Beachbody Coach on a quest to be truly healthy mind, soul, and body and challenge others to do the same. Archives
February 2018
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