Self-Acceptance: The First Step Towards Better Health
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I think one of the hardest things in life is to truly accept ourselves without constantly judging ourselves.
When we genuinely accept ourselves as we are, we naturally start doing what is right for our body and our health.
So the question is are we accepting ourselves from a space of care and not out of insecurity and comparison?
And it’s one of the biggest learnings we have as we grow old.
This thought came to my mind recently during a consultation.
Most of the time, people consult me for losing weight. Recently, I met two patients with the opposite concern… one wanted to gain weight and the other wanted to lose her height.
See, whether we want to lose weight, gain weight, become taller, look better, or change something else about ourselves, the desire underneath is often the same.
We are struggling to accept ourselves.
And please don’t misunderstand me.
Acceptance does not mean giving up or saying, “This is how I am, so let me do nothing.”
In fact, I feel the opposite is true.
When we stop fighting ourselves or judging ourselves, we start taking better care of ourselves.
So someone who accepts that they are underweight will naturally focus on eating better and building strength.
Someone who accepts that they are overweight will naturally focus on improving their lifestyle.
And someone who accepts their body will stop looking for shortcuts and start choosing what is actually good for them.
See, change coming from self-hatred rarely lasts. And change coming from self-respect usually does.
And perhaps that is the paradox.
The moment we stop trying to become somebody else, we finally start becoming the best version of ourselves.
What do you feel? Let me know in comments.
