A Recent Documentary That Broke My Heart...
As a health and wellness entrepreneur my world revolves around helping others eat right and move their bodies. What I've come to realize is that there is also an aspect of learning to just love the body we were given. The other night a friend and I watched a Netflix Documentary called "Embrace". Maybe you've seen it already but I had no idea this was released until recently. After it was done I was appalled! How can society completely destroy a women's view of herself to the point where she will do anything to her mind and body just to gain acceptance? I think I am still in disbelief. It was so sad to look at all the statistics of cosmetic surgeries, eating disorders, and money spent on making our bodies perfect as if we had been given some sort of specific image to live up to! Such lies have been spread and I hope you know that there is no right way to look, no just the right thigh gap, no just the right cheekbones, no just the right boob shape, no just the right about of lip plump, no just the right about of weight loss, etc.
What I found is that you don't have to have a background of anorexia, bulimia, or any sort of so called "disorder" to have body shamed yourself or have an issue. I sure don't but I've struggled with my own body image pretty much my whole life and I see how it has sucked the joy out of certain areas. I think that's why I got so heavily involved in eating healthy and exercising which isn't a bad thing but it can very well turn into an addiction. It comes from a place of control and that's something us humans crave! There is so much more of life to experience to always be worrying about food and when will I get my second workout for the day in. Yes, I believe being mindful of what you are eating and getting regular exercise in is a very important component to life but it's just an accessory not a requirement to make you feel guilty if you chose to have a donut one day which then in turn means your next workout better kill you to make up for it. How silly when you actually sit and think about it right?
As I have been embarking on my own healing journey both mentally and physically I've realized that I haven't given myself enough credit. Have you ever thought about this amazing body God gave you and how it has served you on this earth for "x" about of years? I just turned 25 and WOW have I been through so much. Last year (2017) was one of the craziest years of my life I feel like and I almost numbed out the ability to think clearly and to rest. I am now reaping the hard results of that from over the years but now that I look back and after watching this documentary I am so incredibly sad that I never took the time to revel in the amazing things my body had accomplished. I was always on to the next thing without ever giving thought to what I just finished and the journey that got me there.
Ok, I'll explain a little more ;) One great example was becoming a mom after a miracle of finally getting pregnant! I loved every moment of my pregnancy and my whole labor and delivery was amazing. After our baby was here I was so anxious to getting back to moving my body again and training for the races I had signed up for. During that whole season of training (which was like all year) I failed to just sit in awe of the fact that I was providing every single meal for my newborn, that my body had an amazing bath of hormones since giving birth, that the stretch marks were a sign of an amazing enduring accomplishment, I got myself in a swimsuit shortly after giving birth to learn how to swim for my first triathlon, I accomplished so much physically in all my races but was always hungry for what was next.
Our bodies are a temple and we can either fill it with junk or we can keep it clean and spacious allowing for room and space to grow. I believe God gave us these bodies to do the work He has set out for us so we better be operating at our best. But it's not what we accomplish that defines us, our bodies are not to be an idol that are constantly being poured over and picked on every day! You look at two very different types of people who both ran a marathon and would you consider the person who weighs 125lbs more successuful or healthy than the 160lb women who also crossed the finish line? Heck no! You'd be giving them props and thinking to yourself, man, that is soo cool. You can be a happy person doing what you love and not worry about what others might think or say about your body. It's none of their business. If you are truly thriving and happy with how you look, the way exercise makes you feel ,and the other joys of life you get to be present for then that's all that matters.
Stop letting "fake" images and society define your self worth. There's no time to be wasting on that because it serves absolutely NO ONE! Don't you want to be on this earth to serve and spread love to others? Then start loving yourself because that is where it starts. I recommend you get Netflix or find someone who has it and watch "Embrace" with a few girlfriends or your sister. The woman who so boldly proclaimed her story has impacted this world in a HUGE way. We need to start showing up for ourselves, loving our bodies daily, and living an incredible life not worrying about the meaningless things. Be so authentically you that everyone who is around you is attracted to your vibe and wants the same joy you have!
I am not saying I have it all figured out or that I am right, but as I am on a mission to speak truth to this world I am going to share with you all I am learning and soaking up as I let it shape and mold me over time. I truly believe a BIG purpose and mission will arise out of this so that I can serve this world in a big way.
Blessings of Health and Happiness,
Gabby <3