Saying “I’m so fat” doesn’t do anything to help me change and improve myself. All that it does is leave me in a permanent state of self-pity. Self-pity never helps anyone to improve. Self-pity pushes me down so low that I agree with the lie that “I’ll never change.” Therefore, I don’t change.
It’s much better to look in the mirror and really take notice of something that I like. If I have a hard time doing that, I need to look harder. I can notice something that has nothing to do with my weight like my hair or eyes or nails. The more I concentrate on the good in myself, the more I’ll be motivated to make further changes. Then I’ll be able to truthfully say, “Look, I’ve lost five pounds!” or “Look, I’ve got some more muscle tone.”
And…if I really can’t think of something nice to say one day, I can look upward at the One who created me. He will remind me that I am intricately and wonderfully made and that I’m a new creation in Christ that is improving little by little every day.
The more I speak kindly to myself and about myself, the more I’ll improve in the future.
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! ~ Psalm 42:5
(This post was inspired by Chapter 6 of Love and Care for the One and Only You by Michelle Medlock Adams. Thank you, Michelle, for helping me to see clearer.)