Accountability at the Gym - A Real Look in the Mirror

I went to the gym 3 times last week. I didn't eat the greatest though. We went to a friend's house on Wednesday and I was tempted with some vegetable pizza. When it comes down to it, I need to plan better. I can see the words on the shirt participants in John's "Transformation Challenge" class received: "Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail." I need to make sure I have good food ready and available. Oh well I'll try better this week.

While there, I happened to pick up a magazine (which I never do.) I started flipping through some of the pics, I read a few lines from an article and kept reading. A woman wrote about seeing a picture of herself that was hanging on a friend's bulletin board. "Oooh! I hate that picture of myself. Why would you hang that up?!" It was a picture of her laughing whole heartedly with her mouth wide open and eyes squinting and wrinkly. Looking at her friend, she knew she had offended her. Her friend said, "I love that picture of you. When you laugh you completely let go and there is just this pure whimsy about you." Over the next few weeks, she started to notice that if a friend had a picture of her displayed, it was of her laughing. Somehow, her friends saw something in her that she couldn't see.

The author went to another friend's house and saw a picture of the friend on the refrigerator. She was rail thin. "Why do you have that picture up?" "It's my favorite picture of myself." It was a picture taken right after the woman had come home from India, where she caught dysentery!!!!! The author remembered all of their friends helping to nurse the woman back to health. She could eat nothing but broth for weeks, had no strength, and was practically bed-ridden. Why on earth would that be her favorite picture? It only reminded the author of terrible times.

Isn't it funny how we see ourselves? I typically hate pictures where I'm really smiling. The sides of my nose pull up while the tip pulls down, making it look gi-nourmas. You can see my one funky tooth that always reminds me I should have kept better track of my retainers (lost one, broke the other). Oh, and I hate it if my eyes are squinty. That's my favorite feature and if you can't see them, I figure there is no other redeeming quality.

Then, I think about it. While it may horrify me, no one has ever run when I laughed because of my "monstrous" appearance. I KNOW that I can be super critical of myself in all areas of life, not just appearance. (Try NOT being critical with a double shower door made of glass in front of a 3ft by 5ft mirror) ...... And so, sometimes I will close my eyes and say "Let me see myself as other people see me" and then open my eyes. I find I'm more forgiving =)

Don't get me wrong, I am all for getting healthy and being the best YOU you can be. But sometimes, our distorted view of ourselves can depress us and almost paralyze us into inaction. If you are like me (and I think a lot of women are... and worse) give yourself a break. Try to see yourself as other people see you - without the harsh lenses of self-criticism. Remember, God made you who you are. You are just as you are supposed to be (funny nose and all).