I was a very, very happy kid! Noted for my continuous grin and giggle, I was rarely upset. From dancing around the front yard in my pink tutu, dressing-up with my cowgirl hat, or playing school in the basement, life was fun, life was simple, and life was pure.
What I want you to do is think back to a time when you were little. Think of all of the fond memories you have with your family, your playdates, you name it! I guarantee that as you recollect all of these sweet memories, the one thing that DOES NOT come to mind is what you thought about body image. I guarantee that your memories do not include you standing in front of a mirror picking out each thing you wanted to change about yourself.
This may be somewhat of a bold statement, but it is extremely rare for a child under the age of 10 to truly want to undergo drastic dietary changes just to be a smaller size. Instead, a child’s focus is on the joys of his or her own specific life. A child does not care about how his or her tummy looks in a particular shirt or how other children will judge he or she in a bathing suit as they play marco/polo in the pool.
My point with all of this recollection of childhood is simple-
We must stay true to who we were as a kid.
When we were young, we were active and full of adventure, just wanting to explore the unknown! Our curiosity drove us to seek answers and find treasures hidden in faraway lands. The innocence and the pure bliss that a child possesses is something that we should never lose. Yes, as we grow old we most certainly gain an abundance of knowledge and experience, but…
in our hearts, that little girl who would run around with no cares in the world is still there.
Do not allow that little girl to lose a battle to your insecurities and frustrations. Instead, hold on tight to her and let her teach you how to live again!
Before each workout, I want you to take a deep breath and look into a mirror. I want you to think of yourself as a seven-year-old, joyous girl. This is a girl who will not judge you or tell you that you need to change the way you look. Rather, this is a girl who will run by your side with a giggle and glorious grin! She is within you and is always within you. If you can do this time and time again, I promise that you will see that that sweet girl never left, you just chose to ignore her.
Cheers to us, young and old, for we are always kids at heart!
Not Tomorrow, But Today 