Self Love or Complacency?
I am all about that “self love isn’t selfish” life, but I think sometimes people confuse that complacency with their health!
I am all about being body-positive and don’t believe that the most ripped looking bodies out there are the healthiest, however, I’m also a big advocate for heart health, disease prevention and living the longest, healthiest life we possibly can. I consider health to be on a spectrum. Sitting at either end of it can be detrimental. I don’t consider the world’s best athletes to be in the best health out of anyone – you can even ask them and they will tell you the same. What they do isn’t for their health, they do it for their sport and there is a big difference in that.
I have said it time and time again, there is no secret, shake, or pill. I haven’t always been in pursuit of the healthiest version of myself but it has been my mission for the greater part of my adult life. I don’t exercise to punish my body, I do it to celebrate my strength and honor it. And I’m proud of the things it can do when I exercise! I eat to fuel myself and not to process emotions.
To me, the best way you can love yourself is by being the best version of yourself. It’s pursuing a version of ourselves that is vibrant and strong and confident – whatever that may look like to you.
Accepting and appreciating yourself, but also pursuing to become the best version of yourself is real self love. No positive changes ever happened from a negative mindset. Constantly telling yourself that you “hate this” or “hate that” about yourself will never help you create the changes that you want to make. The real magic happens when you can shift your mindset.
-Ash