Release The Struggle

If we could harness the power of our thoughts - what would we use it for? Think about how much time you spend obsessing over the size of your jeans or the cupcake you just ate. What if we could free up all that space in your brain and use it for something good and productive?

By making wellness practices habitual and automatic, we leave space in our brain to solve other problems. Perhaps we just make space and use it for meditative thought.

For centuries the power of women has been systematically stifled. We have been fed unrealistic media images, endless consumer products and infinite diets, all marketed as a solution to finally make us feel “good enough.” If we were secure in our value and felt “good enough” to begin with, we’d recognize all these tactics for what they are - a distraction aimed at benefitting the person or entity that is spreading the messages.

Certain things have to change:

• We have to realize our intrinsic value and have it not correlate to the size of our bodies or what we eat in a day
• We have to want to care for ourselves as a means to stay on this planet longer and be strong enough to be of service to others, not to be thin or reach some unrealistic beauty ideal. 
• We need to end our internal struggles by habituating our wellness practices, leaving room for our minds to focus on bigger and better things.

Each of these needed changes seem obvious: both enticing and freeing.
So why aren’t we doing them? What holds us back?

It is often an issue of fear and control. 

The world can seem vastly overwhelming - especially these days. It’s much easier to focus on things we can control - like the type of cream we put in our coffee, or the oil we cook with. We are, at the very least, in control of our bodies. So it's easier to obsess on the small details of what we are eating or how we are exercising as opposed to dealing with the troubles of the world which are so daunting. 

If, however, we stop focusing on these details that give is the illusion of control, then we finally have to deem ourselves worthy. Acknowledging our worth allows us to focus on self love and self care.
Society expects women to be selfless, sacrificing their own time, fulfillment and happiness to care for others. We also keep the economy humming by purchasing things that help us to feel worthy, because we are made to feel as if we are never good enough. If we engage in self-care, take time for ourselves to become healthy and strong, and finally learn to value ourselves, we are stepping out of a very powerful and established mold that has been in place for decades. 

The messages that cause us to feel like we are not good enough come in all shapes and sizes and from every industry imaginable...... but the messages from the diet industry are particularly toxic.
I will continue to stand up and shout from the rooftops that diet culture is not healthy or helpful and most often does not create the lasting changes you're looking for. While you may get short term results, the consequences can be damaging and the emotional stronghold it creates isn't productive.

It's time for us to acknowledge our worth. The world needs powerful strong women who are full of vitality and able to be of service to others and themselves. Your "powerful and strong" will likely look different than mine and different than your friends. We should all be focused on finding the healthiest version of ourselves......and loving ourselves in whatever form that takes.