One Foolproof Confidence Booster | Mantra Monday

Guys, we live in an interesting day and age. I realize that for the past 5,000 years, humans have probably always struggled with “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality. But here in 2015, we have SO MANY Joneses we feel the need to “keep up” with! Have you ever actually felt better about yourself after browsing your Facebook feed for 5 minutes? Yea, me neither. So-and-so is on vacation in Fiji this week while the next person below them is being promoted at their job while the next person after them is buying a brand new beautiful (and pretty dang spacious) home. And then there’s the whole self-image issue. Summer time is the WORST for someone with low self-esteem when it comes to his or her appearance. I feel like ALL the girls on my social media feeds are basically undercover supermodels, advertising the next clean eating fad or making bikinis look SO much more comfortable than they actually feel when I put one on. I’m going to be honest by saying that I’ve always had issues with my weight, and for girls who can relate, there’s nothing like the effect that feeling fat can have on your body, mind, and soul. It’s just plain horrible and I don’t know why it plagues so many of us so intensely, but it does. UGH. I’ve been struggling with this a lot lately. I’m trying to remember that instead of seeing myself as fat or skinny, I need to think of it as healthy versus sick. I need to strive to take care of my body first and that’s what matters.

Regardless, there are those moments when I feel so bad that I don’t even want to go anywhere. I want to hide away in my room wearing baggy clothes and forget everything that I hate about my body. And when those moments happen, I find myself thinking of the people that love me. The people that love me for ME. Exactly how I am. The people that love my laugh, my silliness, my intelligence, my heart. They see what’s on the inside, and they know that’s what counts. When I need a boost of confidence to go outside, wear short sleeves, and feel okay in my own skin… I think of these people. It reminds me that they see me as someone who is able to conquer the world no matter how much I weigh or how unkempt I might feel that day. I hope to someday believe in and love myself like these people believe in and love me, but until then, remembering them like this gets me one step closer. And I know that if they believe I’m capable of being someone who is successful AND takes good care of herself, I can do it!

So, this post was short and sweet, but I hope whoever is reading this knows that they are loved even if they feel the farthest from being worthy or deserving of affection. I don’t mean for this to be one of those “feel good” posts, but sometimes you just gotta know and accept that people see the beauty and goodness in you so much more than you can see it in yourself. Phew. Can we stop being so hard on ourselves?! I know I need to be!! So here’s what I’m going to do today!

ACTION ITEMS: 

– Think of at least one person who would love you no matter what you looked like. (It’s okay if it’s your mom or dad.) Write out their name(s) and why you know their love for you is unconditional.

– Think of at least three positive words that people have used to describe you in the past. Smart? Brave? Loyal? Outgoing? Thoughtful? List out as many that come to mind as you’re writing them down, and put stars next to the ones that you remember have come up more than once.

– Circle your absolute favorite quality about yourself. Why are you proud of this aspect of your personality? How are you going to embrace it today and this week to impact the lives of others and make a difference in the world?