Self-Worth

Wow.  I had always thought that we were tougher on ourselves and meaner to ourselves than anyone else can be.  We have that negative voice always nipping in our ears about how fat we look or how weak we are that we couldn't keep from eating that piece of cake or whatever.  But every now and then, I see something that reminds me that not only do we face our own self-criticisms and negative-speak, but there are other people out there - bullies - who can be worse than our own inner voices.

I'm talking about the incident that happened to Jennifer Livingston - the news anchor from WKBT-TV in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  I just saw it this morning on Good Morning America and I am amazed at how unfeeling and ... well, cruel ... some people can be.  A viewer wrote an e-mail to Ms. Livingston attacking her based on her weight.  She chose to fight back and did so with dignity and reason.  She said something that struck a chord with me:

"Don't let your self-worth be defined by bullies."

What a wonderful way to phrase it.  She is taking the attack and using it to positive ends.  All I can say is:  You Go Girl!!  For a look at the story, click here.

It's bad enough that we have self-worth issues due to our own inner bullies.  But to be attacked from outside by someone who doesn't even know the story behind the weight, by someone who is making assumptions and attacking without thought, that can really hit hard.  And it is uncalled for.

So I am taking the incident to comment on self-worth.  We all have issues with it.  We all know we are overweight.  We see it every day in the mirror.  And we didn't get here through laziness.  No one out there sat down and said, "Hey, I think I'm going to turn into a fat, lazy cow today!" and then proceeded to work hard on becoming fat.  For some of us, life got in the way.  Age and four kids certainly helped me down my road to obesity.  For others, it is a medical issue of some kind.  So what we have to do is give ourselves a break.  Remind ourselves that, yes, we are fat, but we are trying to do something about it.  One day at a time.

We need to try and keep from self-negativity by reminding ourselves what we are doing, by tracking our progress, by reaching out for support from each other, by giving support to others going through the same journeys.  And, yes, there are going to be bullies out there who attack us and make sure we know we are fat (just in case we've forgotten).  Which makes it all the more important to remember that we are more than that number on the scale and that we will conquer this!

Try and love yourself today.  You are worth it!