A Sunday Short
Did you know that there is a war going on? This war is a battle of a personal attack. It exists in many of us, as it is waged against us by ourselves. Learning how to declare victory in the war with your own worst enemy is a challenging process because we must change things about the way we look at and speak to ourselves.
Meet Your Own Worst Enemy
In order to declare victory and win the war, we have to identify the enemy and smoke him or her out. How do you find the enemy? Get up and walk over to a mirror. Ta-da! Take a look, because the person staring back at you is likely the culprit.
A friend recently shared a video on Facebook about a woman talking about a little-known truth: most of us would never say the derogatory, critical things we say to ourselves to another human being on the planet. In this video, the woman conducts a study and then interviews several other women. They all admit they speak negatively to themselves, and could never speak to anyone else that way. So why do we think it’s acceptable to do it to ourselves?
After she talks to four or five different women, she brings them back in one by one and presents each with a photo of themselves when they were a little girl. The interviewer then tells each one, “Go ahead and tell her that she’s fat, ugly, and worthless.”
Not one of the women would do it. Each one says they could never speak that way to that adorable, sweet, innocent child. Most had tears in their eyes. The little girl in all of their pictures had hopes and dreams. Where did she go?
Then, the producer of the video brings the interviewer her childhood photo, asking her to do the same, and she loses her composure. She too is guilty of being her own worst enemy. She cried and said, “I would never say those things to her!”
It was really powerful, and I hope to find it again to share it with you! It leads to so many questions. When did we stop being carefree and happy? At what point did we decide we are inadequate? When did we replace joy with worry? I suspect it has to do with society and our peers as we began the journey into adulthood.
Fight Back
I understand not everyone compares themselves to other people. But for those who do, in order to declare victory in this war, it needs to stop. We need to fight back. We all have redeeming qualities and many things to offer others. Are we thin enough? Too thin? Tall? Short? Does any of that matter? It’s superficial! Each of us is unique. I say it’s time to embrace our differences.
If you want to lose weight to feel better and get healthy, go for it! I know I do. But please, don’t starve yourself or develop an eating disorder. Maybe you simply want to be free from worry. Try this: replace the negative thoughts that enter your mind with positive ones. I have literally had to tell myself to stop, that I was being ridiculous. The more you do that, the easier it becomes to start with a positive thought.
When you look in the mirror, try to see the good. That’s what other people see! In fact, I was struggling recently to learn something new. I asked my husband this: “When did I become such a moron?” He looked so hurt when I said it! It hit me as hard as a punch in the stomach. I am my own worst enemy. I compare myself to others in my field and think I am not as good, or as skilled. What I am beginning to learn is that we all have our own niche. I definitely have mine!
Learning To Love Who We Are
I am trying very hard to master this and achieve balance in my own life. It certainly goes a long way toward inner peace when you love the skin you’re in! Face your demons, put them behind you, and move on. Enjoy this gift of life! Personally, I have had some moments recently that have put me to the test! I have been able to bring myself back on the track toward happiness because after all, it truly does come from within.
If this struggle is real for you, then I wish you well in declaring victory in this war. Fight the battle one day at a time, and for crying out loud, give yourself a much-needed break from the insults you hurl at yourself. It’s so refreshing!!
Learning to love who we are and being willing to change how we look at ourselves is the only way to declare victory in the war against your own worst enemy. I know you are capable of winning, and that together, we can emerge victoriously!
Until next time,
April
Subscribe to Just Organize My Life here for helpful tips delivered to your inbox
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
