How are you? I hope that you have been enjoying the slightly warmer temps that have finally graced us here in the Northeast. As much as I love a good sweater, I am more than ready to not look at them for another 6 months.
Alright- moving on from sweaters to self love. Let's face it- the world we live in- and more specifically the media- tells us that who we are is defined by our physical appearance and how much time and effort we put into perfecting it. People begin to take on their physicality as the main marker of who they are. Have you not identified someone else (or yourself!) as being the healthy eater, the dedicated cross fitter, the perfect yogi, the die-hard gym goer, the always put together fashion maven, the vegan, the vegetarian, or the paleo person? Come on, we have all done it. We are on a never ending journey of self discovery, which we are constantly being told starts with assigning labels to "things" about ourselves. I can't tell you how many amazing people I have spoken with that have confessed they felt the need to get a hobby or a passion project to feel like they have something to tell people that they are interested in. They feel like they need that something to label themselves as.
Now don't get me wrong... hobbies and interests are amazing. We can LOVE our yoga practice or putting together interesting ensembles that say to the world, "Hey, today is a say something hat day!" ( To Wong Foo reference, hehehe). These things can make us feel strong, capable, and creative, which is all good stuff, right? Right. However, I would challenge that these things are not at the core of who we really are.
I have spent the majority of my adult life allowing food, weight, exercise, and body image to define who I am. Honestly, I wasn't even fully cognizant that these were the measures by which I defined myself. If you asked me who I was, I would take that to mean what are the things that set me apart? My answer would probably be: I'm a diligent yogi, a healthy cooking connoisseur, a minimalist fashion lover. The thing is... what if I broke my legs and couldn't practice yoga, or I had a job where I traveled 80% of the time and couldn't cook, or I had to wear a uniform to everyday? Then who would I be? The point is, these "defining characteristics" could be gone in a second. Therefore, they can't be who I am, but instead, things that I like. There is freedom in this, people. What this means is that you don't need to keep searching for that "thing" to define yourself by. At the core or your being, who you are is already there. You have everything that you need right in that big beautiful heart of yours.
Over the past couple of months, I have been encouraged to make a two lists. The first list was who am I . The caveat was that this list could have NOTHING to do with food, weight, body image, or exercise. In addition, I also listed what makes me feel a sense of purpose. I'm not going to lie, these were challenging exercises for me, but they were so worth it. I realized that striving for labels is unnecessary, because I have all of these wonderful things that make me who I am naturally. I am going to share these lists with you and encourage you to do this exercise for yourself. You are so much more that what you look like, or the "things" that you do or have. Remember, you already have everything that you need.
Who am I?
I am a loving wife
I am a loving daughter
I am an empathetic friend
I am a future mother
I am a compassionate soul
I am a diligent worker
I am a dreamer
I am a person who does not judge or hold grudges
I am an eternal optimist
I am spiritual
I am a learner
I am flexible, adaptable, and I accept change
I am strong
I feel like I have a sense of purpose when:
I am serving
Being a good listener
Providing insight and ideas that help and empower people
Teaching
Learning something new and exciting that I can share
Being authentic and sharing my "imperfections" to help others feel less alone
Giving love
Contributing to a cause that I am passionate about
Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Love and Hugs,
Sarah
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