[p]ersonal [s]tory

Skinny! Boney! No Shape! Ugly!
These are a few of the many mean words I'd use to describe myself. I hated my body and as a result so did everybody else.

Women would ask me if I was anorexic and I would be close to tears. I'd ask myself, why were they saying such mean things to me? What did I do to deserve such treatment?

Then I realized they weren't being any meaner to me than I was being to myself. Remember that saying, "Treat others as you would like to be treated." Well it works the other way too. "Treat yourself as you would like others to treat you."

Once I discovered how mean I was being to myself, what surprised me was how difficult it was to change the behavior. When I tried to talk nice to myself a little voice in my head accused me of being conceited or I'd immediately cancel out the nice thought with an ugly thought. Getting to a place where I genuinely loved myself, was going to be a challenge.
So here's what I did...

Everyday I would stand in front of a full length mirror with no clothes on and say: "I look best naked" At first it was rough. I didn't believe a word of what I was saying, I felt physically nauseous. Those old beliefs weren't trying to leave their comfy home. But I persevered, and about a month and a half after I began my daily ritual, I truly started to believe my body was beautiful.

You know what else?
The minute I stopped saying and thinking mean things about myself, everybody else stopped too.

Want to try this?
Here's what you'll need:

Stick with it. If you've said unkind things about yourself for years you won't change the pattern overnight. [p.s.]

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