You do not need to like the way you look but it is your duty to will your own good.

Prior to this episode I learned, thanks to nutritional therapist Rachel Wrigley, that a bad body image does not simply mean you don’t like your physique. A bad body image is comprised of two components. One, you don’t like the way you look and two, because of dislike toward your body you allow looks to dictate the choices you make.

Those of us with a bad body image might choose isolation, unhealthy food, avoiding activities which bring us joy, all because we do not like what stares us back in the mirror. We live as if our looks make us unworthy of joy and health. We fear being told "why are you so happy and fulfilled...you're not even cute?"

Who would ever say that ?

Yes, there might have been a few people along the way that communicated this to you, either literally or in a backhanded way. Or maybe this is the narrative you conjured up all on your own.

Either way this is not an effective paradigm for life and honestly most people are not: mentally stewing over you insecurities, noticing the weight you gained, feeling a wave of judgement toward the cellulite dipping along the back of your legs or the gray hair starting to form at the roots. While people might make comments, most people do not go home and perseverate over your insecurities with waves of disgust or repulsion toward you. Those thoughts of judgement and disgust are thoughts we allow to take up valuable mental real estate.

We cannot let the idea of what others think about us to hold our identity. Our identity should be held in the hands of those that truly love us, or The One, who loves us.

Our loved ones do not just see our bodies. Those that love us see a whole lot more. The degree of “more” depending on the others capacity to love and relation to you. But nonetheless loved one’s see our gifts, talents, mannerisms, our smile, they know what makes us laughs and they want what is best for us.

That is how we should view ourselves, as someone deserving of love, as someone who we must will our good for. This is the paradigm for life both you and I are worthy of. What makes us worthy of this ? Nothing, not a darn thing, you just are, period.

No, you do not need to like the way you look but it is your duty to will your own good.