But for me, wearing tight tops, like tank tops,
and shorts/skirts is horrifying. Through years of verbal abuse, body shaming,
and extremely negative self-image and self-talk I had become that uncomfortable
in my skin.
As a result, over the years I have become incredibly adept at finding flaws with myself. Be it physical, personality, traits, etc.... I can spot things that other people would never notice in a million years.
The thing is... what I see as a "flaw" isn't necessarily a "bad" thing. Some of those things are what make me who I am. I had to learn that different =/= bad. Different = Unique.
Each of us is different. Each of us is perfectly unique!
I had spent the entirety of my life hating who I was and wanting to be any way and anyone else. So when I started this journey, I wanted to change my body to suit what I though it "should" look like. That evolved into the desire to be the strongest, healthiest version of myself that I can be. Through taking care of my body I have learned to LOVE and appreciate the incredibly complex, wonderfully designed, perfectly individual form that it is.
I told you guys that I have not worn shorts or fitted clothing since I had my oldest child 12 years ago... So I went WAY outside my comfort zone when I wore a tank top and shorts for the 4th. Silly as it may sound, it was scary. It did one great thing for me, though. It helped me realize that even though I am not yet where I want to be goal wise, I am in a MUCH better place health and self image wise than I was a year ago.
It feels good to have done it. It reinforced why I am doing this and it encouraged me to keep going. I discovered that while it wasn't "comfortable" it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
Sometimes growth requires taking that step. Without stepping outside of our comfort zone, we will never get past where we are.
Do something today, and each day, that scares you. You will be surprised at just how much you will grow! ^_^
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