Be Good to Yourself

On Friday, I had the chance to catch up with a dear friend of mine. She's sweet and funny, and she never fails to make me smile when we're both able to find the time for a long phone call. She's adorable, too -- I'll admit to once feeling a twinge of jealousy at the sight of her bikini-clad body in some family vacation photos.

She's also just started another round of chemotherapy.

In my book, You'd Be So Pretty If..., I wrote about the assumptions we sometimes make about the women around us. Rationally, we know that everyone has problems in their lives and stresses they have to deal with. Still, somewhere deep inside, I think there's a part of many of us that thinks that women who appear to have it all together on the outside -- especially those who seem to effortlessly look great -- are somehow leading a charmed life.

It just isn't true.

Although she reassured me that everything was fine, the fear in the air -- though unspoken -- was palpable. I guarantee you she's not thinking about whether she looks good in a bikini. And, frankly, neither am I.

Ever read those surveys where women say they'd be willing to trade a certain number of years of their life to be thinner or look better? I used to just shake my head at those, but the older I get, the more they make me mad. Read this piece on body image and health for some real perspective. 

The reality is, there are some things I can't control. All I can do is take the best care I can of the body I have. I used to think that taking care of myself was only about the physical -- eating well, exercising, not smoking, etc. But I've come to see that it's about the mental, too. Treating myself kindly, not being so hard on myself and recognizing when I need support are just as important as the physical things.

That's something I've had to learn on my own as I've gotten older. But I'm working hard to model self-kindness for my daughter. By teaching her that it's OK to take a break, say no, pass on an obligation that isn't mine to begin with and -- here's the important part -- make my own needs a priority from time to time, I'm teaching her that taking care of yourself is about taking care of the inside, too.

Are you being good to yourself today?

Comments

[Trish @IamSucceeding]

This rings so true to me Dara and it is so what I am trying to rember... "reality is, there are some things I can't control. All I can do is take the best care I can of the body I have"...I work hard each day to do this, rmeber this and speak it as well.

This however is much harder and, well it may take a very long time for it..."make my own needs a priority from time to time,"

Have an awesome day!

[Sagan]

So often we pay attention to the VANITY weight rather than the HEALTHY weight and get sidetracked. No more!