“We can not change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.” ~ Carl Jung
This week, I asked my CrossFit clients the question – What is your favorite physical attribute about yourself?
It was interesting how difficult it was for most of them to answer.
How would you answer that question?
We didn’t have time to go into the depth as to why the avoidance of self-appreciation, but I want to now.
We all work out for pretty much the same reasons – health, sanity, strength, harder to kill, weight loss…
Those are all good reasons, but you know the saying about building a house on shifting sand, right? If you don’t have a solid foundation to build on, it will come crashing down.
If you don’t have a foundation of love for yourself, then taking care of your body isn’t going to be successful. Working out becomes a punishment instead of a gift to yourself.
How do you start to love your body?
First off, understand that your body is doing the best it can with the environment you are providing (food, water, sleep, exercise, recovery, alcohol, drugs…), so give it some grace.
Secondly, make a list of what you are grateful that your body can do for you. You may have been told horrible things about your body in the past (too ugly, too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short). Here’s the best news ever – THOSE ARE LIES! God made your body the way He wanted it to be.
Thirdly, listen to your body. A relationship will never develop if one doesn’t listen and respond with compassion.
When you love someone, you care about them. You want them to be mentally, physically and spiritually healthy.
It takes time to build a loving relationship with yourself, but once you do, it is so worth it!
<>< KC