We are dipping back into Jenn's Big Book of Wisdom for today's post, referring to my Weight Watchers leader Jenn. She does not get paid enough to serve as the fount of all knowledge in my life, but these days she fills that role anyway. God bless her.
At a recent Saturday morning meeting, Jenn talked about the the voice we often hear inside our heads that is self-critical and negative. It is counterproductive to everything each of us tries to achieve in our wellness journeys, yet we often yield to it.
It's the voice that tells you, for example, that there's no way you're going to lose the weight you need, and even if you do, it will be impossible to keep off.
It's the voice that tells you you're a bad parent and are screwing up your kids.
It's the voice that tells you you don't deserve the good things you have in your life.
It's the voice that lies, and its effects can be devastating.
I am very much a self-critical person, and I've always seen this as a positive trait. I figure that if you're constantly monitoring everything you're doing wrong and addressing it, you will inevitably be a better person.
And of course there's something to be said for continuous self-improvement. I'm not saying you shouldn't always strive to up your game in the areas of life that really count, because you should.
But there's a very fine line between constructive self-criticism and self-loathing, and sometimes we cross it without even knowing.
At the risk of sounding new age-y and maybe a bit more touchy feeling than I'm comfortable with, your main battle is probably not with living a healthy lifestyle or becoming a better spouse/parent/friend. Your main battle is likely to be loving yourself.
My guess is that some people have healthier attitudes in this regard than others, but it's something we should all keep in mind.
Don't get complacent, but understand that you're worth a lot more to way more people than you probably realize.
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