Why do we do this to ourselves? Changing my bad habits should be motivated by nothing more than wanting to be healthy, right? Good health should absolutely be enough! But it's not. I try to convince myself it is. When I'm still wanting more food after dinner, I whisper to myself "It's not healthy". But secretly, in the back of my mind, I'm saying "You'll never get to wear those adorable mint capri's if you don't lose weight. They only come in skinny girl sizes. So cut it out." Isn't that awful?! I've talked to several friends, and it seems like we all fight this. We all want to keep up with someone else. I want to be as thin as Jane, who wants to be as thin as Susie, who wants to fit into her daughter's PJ's like Bethany Frankel! WHY?
I wish I had an answer. I'm sure there's a book out there, several probably, that could tell me why I want to be like the skinny girl. And why she want's to be even skinnier. I read the book "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst several years ago. (You can find it here.) It was a great book. Very helpful in understanding why we crave food, how we were set up to crave God, but instead we fill up with chocolate. But I don't remember her talking about comparing. About fighting with ourselves because we want to be like someone else. Maybe I missed it. I'll admit, I only skimmed the last few chapters. Perhaps I'll reread.
A dear friend reminded me yesterday that "comparing ourselves to others steals our joy". She was right. It really sucks the life right out of you. It makes it impossible to be content. I'm not saying we should all give up and be happy weighing 300lbs. But I should be content in my journey. This is my path, no one else's. The dictionary lists happy, cheerful, and even fulfilled as synonyms for content. My mind is made up. I will fight that little voice and be cheerful. I will be fulfilled even when my plate looks like this:
(Please, don't be jealous of my photography skills. It's a gift.)
Hey, You've been to the Joneses house and you know there is nothing to keep up with!! My name is always run through the mud. . . John Maxwell was on Focus on the Family talking about attitude. I laughed a lot, but I remembered a lot too. It is always much more fun to be convicted while giggling than not.
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