Imagine living a life in which the arrival of Spring and warm weather could evoke feelings other than sheer panic at the thought of having to put on a pair of shorts, or soon, heaven forbid, a bathing suit.
Imagine a life in which you could spontaneously accept a social invitation, just because it sounded like fun, rather than first considering what size you were the last time those particular people saw you out in public.
Imagine a world in which healthy, attractive people come in all shapes and sizes, and your level of comfort in your own body is not determined by some number that appears on your bathroom scale.
Imagine a world where you could actually walk on a beach, side by side with others, focused on the warmth of the sun and the rolling wonder of the waves, rather than on the size of your thighs.
What would your life be like if you could stop obsessing about food, weight, and body dissatisfaction?
Just imagine…
How do you feel when you read this…wistful, hopeful, longing, rejecting, overwhelmed, angry, sad? What you feel may be very telling about what you need to do next.
(I wrote this about 20 years ago. When I shared it with students at The University if Cincinnati, in prep for a speech I was invited to give on campus during their Body Image Awareness Week, they surprised my by printing the whole thing on the back of the event’s T-Shirts. That was one of the proudest moments of the Coaching work I continue to feel so privileged to do! If you would like to explore where you are in the process of change, feel free to contact me directly, ellen@aweighout.com .)
