Day 50: Positive Reinforcement

There is a critical step in the "changing your life (style)" process, that I haven't yet mentioned is this; you have to like and accept yourself, just the way you are, right now, before you will ever want good things for yourself in the future.

It's true.

We think "self-love" means you spend hours looking in the mirror, being vain, like the wicked Queen from Snow White. Or maybe you think you walk around hugging yourself, or gushing to everyone about how awesome and beautiful you are, to the point of making others sick or wanting to punch you.

Start just by liking yourself. It's the key.

When you like yourself,
you'll want to treat yourself well.

When you like yourself, then it's easier to love yourself. And this isn't vanity-love, this is care-love. If you love yourself they way you love a child, you don't indulge them and give them everything they want. You want what is best for them, which sometimes means saying no - because it is for their own good.

You don't overlook mistakes or flaws. You address them, you learn from them, and you move on (encouraging them to make better choices next time).

You don't neglect them or abuse them (calling them names or talking negatively about them), you take care of them, praise them for successes, encourage them when they fail.

YOU NEED TO DO THE SAME THINGS FOR YOURSELF. Negative talk, beating yourself up all the time for past failures or flaws is completely unhelpful. And it's unfair. When you stand in front of the mirror and criticize yourself or say negative things to yourself, or go about your day being negative and self-defeatist, you aren't doing anything but reinforcing that you are unlovable or aren't worth your own time, and that is just plain UNTRUE. Do to yourself what you would do to someone you love.

Negative self-talk is like a pig wallowing in it's own filth. It may be what is comfortable or what you are used to, but it'll leave your feeling like a piece of crap!

Self talk is really powerful; good and bad. If you constantly barrage yourself with negative statements and criticism, then over time you will believe it. The opposite is also true.

So, here's today's Tip of the Day

Every day, look at yourself in the mirror and accept yourself, just the way you are, right now.

I heard this somewhere, and I really liked it.

Say "I accept myself, just as I am, right now!"

Say it every day. Say something positive. Eventually, you will believe it. I did this when I first started the project. I chose one thing about myself that I liked. I'd focus on that. Each day I liked more and more about myself. When I was having an especially bad day, I'd thank God for making me just the way I am. For giving me air in my lungs, for health, and for a good mind. Thank him for his creativity in making me unique, and for loving me, just they way I am right now.

Thank you God for making me!!

EXERCISE

I ran around the lake again, I did 3.5 miles in about 40 minutes,
and saw this gorgeous view of the mountain and the lake :)

FOOD

Breakfast: Apple-pie oatmeal and my LAST pumpkin-pie yogurt

Lunch: A half a veggie sandwich, 2 HBE's and some mixed raw veggies
Snack: a baked apple!

Dinner: Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili

Snack: 1 cup of air-popped pop corn, broccoli, green beans, mini peppers and a few apple slices

P.S. Post
After I posted this I got the munchies and was unable to resist the call of a few HBE's with black pepper and apple slices with almond butter. I should have started with the apples... grrr

The Daily Temptation

They brought caramel-corn and soda pop to youth for snack tonight. I LOVE caramel corn, so this looked like it was gonna be a tough one. Luckily one of my peeps also brought air-popped popcorn, just for me! I like eating it because you can make it stick to you tongue!

The soda is easy to pass up, because it makes me bloat and feel like CRAP! Along with the other ways it pollutes your body!

Thanks for reading everyone!!