Your Words: Weights or Wings?
By: Michelene Cleary,
SparkPeople Blogger
8/19/2011 10:00 AM
: 68 comments
: 10,382 Views
Do your words help or hinder you with your healthy lifestyle goals?
I was pondering this recently when driving my teenage daughter and some of her friends around. One of the girls started to get out the car and said, “Let me see if I can get my fat butt out of here.” I was momentarily speechless because this girl is thin and doesn’t need to lose a pound. I said to her, “you’re not overweight, don’t say that about yourself.” She continued to reply that oh yes she was.
It struck me at that moment that sometimes we are our own worst enemy and critic. We can either build ourselves up with encouragement and motivational thoughts, or tear ourselves apart for a perceived failure or mistake that limits our ability to move forward. If you took the challenge to write down your thoughts about yourself for a couple of days, what kind of story would it tell? Do you say things about yourself that you wouldn’t say out loud to a friend?
This thought was further solidified when I went to see Kung Fu Panda 2 with my daughter. She’s great for humoring me since she’s 15 and I still drag her to animated movies that I want to see. There turned out to be a good moral to the story in one part that I haven’t stopped thinking about. Panda breaks into a jail to free two important comrades so they can all go fight the evil enemy. The two comrades refuse to come out of their cell due to fear. Panda proceeds to walk off and tell them that they can stay in their own cell of fear with their bars of hopelessness and he will go off and fight the battle for them. Although the odds are stacked against him, he has no doubt that he will succeed.
Wait…what? My own cell, when in reality I could be free? How many times do we close ourselves in thinking we can never win the battle of the bulge? Afraid to think that this time could be the time, when we truly learn to live a healthy lifestyle and find the healthy person inside? Talking down to and berating ourselves with words or thoughts that we would never speak to another person.
Let’s work to stop that process! My challenge to you is to consider yourself worthy, capable, and to start the process of building hope and courage in your life to pursue your goals. Use your words to help heal, encourage, and motivate yourself.
Are your words helping or hindering you? What does this mean for your journey, and what do you need to do to be your own best cheerleader?
I was pondering this recently when driving my teenage daughter and some of her friends around. One of the girls started to get out the car and said, “Let me see if I can get my fat butt out of here.” I was momentarily speechless because this girl is thin and doesn’t need to lose a pound. I said to her, “you’re not overweight, don’t say that about yourself.” She continued to reply that oh yes she was.
It struck me at that moment that sometimes we are our own worst enemy and critic. We can either build ourselves up with encouragement and motivational thoughts, or tear ourselves apart for a perceived failure or mistake that limits our ability to move forward. If you took the challenge to write down your thoughts about yourself for a couple of days, what kind of story would it tell? Do you say things about yourself that you wouldn’t say out loud to a friend?
This thought was further solidified when I went to see Kung Fu Panda 2 with my daughter. She’s great for humoring me since she’s 15 and I still drag her to animated movies that I want to see. There turned out to be a good moral to the story in one part that I haven’t stopped thinking about. Panda breaks into a jail to free two important comrades so they can all go fight the evil enemy. The two comrades refuse to come out of their cell due to fear. Panda proceeds to walk off and tell them that they can stay in their own cell of fear with their bars of hopelessness and he will go off and fight the battle for them. Although the odds are stacked against him, he has no doubt that he will succeed.
Wait…what? My own cell, when in reality I could be free? How many times do we close ourselves in thinking we can never win the battle of the bulge? Afraid to think that this time could be the time, when we truly learn to live a healthy lifestyle and find the healthy person inside? Talking down to and berating ourselves with words or thoughts that we would never speak to another person.
Let’s work to stop that process! My challenge to you is to consider yourself worthy, capable, and to start the process of building hope and courage in your life to pursue your goals. Use your words to help heal, encourage, and motivate yourself.
Are your words helping or hindering you? What does this mean for your journey, and what do you need to do to be your own best cheerleader?
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Comments
Nancy - 8/24/2011 7:28:56 AM
this is myself . I am this every word out of my mouth is self defeating . I need to be kinder to myself and others . I keep telling you can get more flies with honey then with vineger . thank you for helping me see more clearly .. at times i am in a fog. - 8/21/2011 3:59:53 PM
- 8/20/2011 5:53:52 PM
If I had felt self-acceptance and had not started dieting as a teen, chances are I wouldn't have ruined my metabolism through yo-yo dieting (why, oh why, wasn't I satisfied with 130 lbs?). Yo-yo dieting is far more destructive than pretty well anything short of an eating disorder.
I just think there were more positive ways to handle issues like this rather than making it seem like being fat is the more horrible thing you can be. Perhaps saying, "Gosh, you're much smaller than the Olympic rowers and a good many of the Olympic basketball and volleyball players, I can't imagine not wanting to be athletic and strong like that!" Assuming athleticism means anything to her. Or pick a public figure that may have some impact on her as a comparison size-wise. - 8/20/2011 3:46:25 PM
Second comment is that we do put "bars up" but that we and only "us, as individuals" can break free from those bars. So thank you for sharing....we all need to hear that ,"we" are not alone in our thoughts! - 8/20/2011 3:11:31 PM
Eventually I sought help with my bingeing, and I didn't learn to control food--I learned to control my reactions to it ... get rid of guilt, give myself clear, positive messages of hope and encouragement--helpful instead of harmful, and I quit dieting once and for all. And you know what? IT WORKS!
Sandi
- 8/20/2011 10:36:10 AM
Thank you thank you thank you for this great blog. - 8/20/2011 10:03:10 AM
Awesome blog! :) So honored to be your Sparkfriend!
Karen - 8/19/2011 10:15:00 PM
- 8/19/2011 6:25:24 PM
I am capable and I am worthy. I always take the risk and step out of my comfort zone. Hello! World! Here I come! - 8/19/2011 4:02:37 PM
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