©2003 Julie S. Rayburn
Can you love yourself? At first thought, this question almost seems
ridiculous. I want to explore this question in a context that most
people probably have not thought of before. Look at it from the eyes
of an overweight individual.
When you wake up in the morning, do you thank God that you are alive,
jump out of bed ready to challenge your body and improve it by doing
some morning aerobics? Or do you drag yourself out of bed cursing
the fact that everything aches, wishing you could stay in bed all day?
When you go out to eat, do you choose the foods that you know will
feed your body with the raw materials that it needs to build a better
body, or do you succumb to your food addictions and go for the plate
of fatty salty fried foods?
When you come home from work, do you hug your children and spouse and
have a fun filled evening playing with your kids, or do you sit in
front of the television like a zombie not having the energy to play
with your kids no matter how many times they beg you?
When you go shopping for clothes, do you look for flattering styles
that will complement your figure, or do you try things on and then
stare at yourself in the mirror despising every part of you?
How do you live your life? Do you spend more time hating things
about yourself than you do praising the fact that God gave you a life
to live? Did you ever stop to think for one minute that your body,
regardless of how you feel about it, is the only thing that God gave
you to go through this life with? Do you think that He would be
happy with how you are treating your body?
Have you thought about the mission that you as an individual have
here on this planet? Can you fulfill your mission in your current
shape? Are your daily habits leading you to a future that is non-
fulfilling and filled with regret? When you are on your death bed
will you be wondering why you let life slip by instead of getting
everything that you can get from it? Will you wonder why you did not
give more of yourself?
Will your excess weight be a reason why you could not give more of
yourself? Because you don't have the energy, you don't have
the patience, you don't have the self-esteem, and you don't
have the love for yourself. How can you hate what God gave you? He
loved you enough to give you a body that would not fail you. A body
that will go the distance. A body that will give all that you demand
from it. A body that will heal itself. A body that is intelligent
beyond all of the computer intelligence of this world. There is only
one catch...
You have to love your body enough to give it what it needs.
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Julie S. Rayburn is a Lifestyle Coach for Vitality Health and
Fitness. She has developed a weight loss program that is guaranteed
to work for anyone regardless of past failures. Go to
www.takebackyourhealth.org to sign up for
a FREE 7 day e-class on
weight loss! Or email her at Julie@takebackyourhealth.org.
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