The mind—how much can we rely on something that tells us we aren’t beautiful or worthy one minute and the next contemplates what we should have for dinner.

What are our hearts saying?

Think about how many times a day we look in the mirror. We compare our bodies to strangers on the streets or in magazines. We talk about our bodies. We talk about the bodies of others. We punish our bodies. We overwork our bodies. We allow our minds to send negativity to our bodies.

Our bodies do so much for us. Trillions of cells work every minute of every day to keep us alive. Every time we get sick, our bodies do everything in their power to heal us. Even with all the negativity we feed them with our words and actions, our bodies are still there for us.

I’m to blame in this modern phenomenon of skewed body image, too.

I find myself picking apart the parts of my body that my mind deems not thin or toned enough. Living in a dorm as a college student, I hear girls bash their bodies religiously—as if saying one good thing about their body is to be considered a sin. It’s almost unavoidable in our culture.

I came across a quote that made me re-evaluate my unconscious decision to listen to my negative thoughts about my body and accept them as true.

“If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way you sometimes speak to yourself, would you allow that person to be your friend?”

No, I would not. And, in fact, I’d be embarrassed if anyone were to ever hear the ridiculous flaws my mind comes up with.

I’ve come to the conclusion that my mind will never stop creating flaws. But I must not forget the reality that I am in control of my mind. I can make the conscious decision to listen to my negative thoughts, or simply ignore and let them float on by.

When I take a step back and think about the importance of our physicality, I come to the conclusion that in the end, our bodies turn to dust. We waste time focusing on what we look like, but the harsh reality is that our bodies do not last forever.

So our souls must.

Love our bodies now. Focus on the soul. Focus on everyone else’s soul. Try and ignore the rest. The body is not permanent. Only the soul.

 

Relephant read:

Tina Fey on Women’s Body Image.

 

Author: Gabi Maya

Apprentice Editor: Guenevere Neufeld / Editor: Ashleigh

Photo: Omar Ram/Unsplash