27th November 2012
Rather than aiming to be ‘perfect’, just aim to be a
little bit better today than you were yesterday.
Another good long nights sleep, and feeling good this
morning despite the fact I’ve just smashed a special glass that a member bought
me when she got to goal, all over the kitchen floor, not a good task clearing
up smashed glass at 5am! I could’ve kept
that glass for special occasions but instead I’ve used it almost every day for
the last few years, never forget Life's too short to keep
stuff for best!
So yesterday I asked a group of people to give me one of
two highlights of their lives, an even, a day, a moment, anything that they’d
remember forever. I got the answers I’d
expected, precious ones like their children being born, going to Disney, Egypt,
passing driving test, swimming with dolphins, being awarded a First Class
Honours degree, being cleared of cancer, amazing sex! These were just a few of many because life
really is amazing, the memorable stuff doesn’t have to be huge either, for me
it would include playing on the seesaw with my mate a few weeks ago, hearing
another bestie say I know exactly where we are in France (when we were in Belgium),
having two besties look at me like I was a total idiot when stood at the top of
the empire state building they discussed how that film ‘HONG KONG’ had been
filmed there and I’m not getting it at all, then I realised they meant KING KONG! All of these moments are ingrained on our
hearts and in our minds, because they are truly special and important.
Only a couple referred to getting to their goal weight or
getting in a specific outfit, I doubt if for any of the other memories our
size/weight was important in that moment!
In the West the body is often worshiped as if its perfection were the
highest goal we could attain, few people can escape the media images and
cultural bias toward idea bodies! It’s such
a shame because it can consume people’s lives and it really isn’t that
important to look a certain way to have the most amazing life.
Being healthy is a different thing altogether of course,
that’s most important but it also covers mental as well as physical health and
not forgetting emotional health, striving to have a body or look like someone
that just isn’t possible is not good for ones emotional state!
I’m guessing the lady who said “leaving my first husband
then going on to meet one of the best men ever who makes me so happy” realises
hopefully that the best man ever loves her unconditionally despite her
weight!
Everybody is special, everyone has a story if you only
stop to listen, and we’ve all done or are doing amazing things with our lives
because life is a beautiful thing. Most
people have a love story to tell, you don’t have to go to the movies to see
one, and the real live couple don’t look like Nicole Kidman or Tom Cruise
(thank goodness!)
I listened to one of my gorgeous O.A.P. gold members Thursday
tell me how she used to be a right party animal, she’d been carried to bed many
times, it was lovely to see the twinkle in that tiny ladies eyes as the
memories come flooding back.
So this Christmas instead of worrying constantly about
the damage you might be doing to your weight, make wise food choices, indulge
but don’t be ridiculous! Instead of
spending ridiculous amounts of money you don’t have, read this by Martin Lewis
who asks is it time to ban Christmas presents – he makes a very good argument. Instead of gifts why not give people the gift of your time, spend time listening and hearing their stories, we’re all in such a rush, we’re all so obsessed with getting the perfect body, having a beautiful home, being the best at our job that we’re forgetting the things that really matter and forgetting to make the memories we’ll share later in life. No one wants, “She/he was a very busy woman/man, worked really hard, their house was always tidy and she/he was a size 10/32” as the only memory people have of them – or do you?
I know I don’t if I could choose the memory of myself it would be more like, “Oh yeah Bev, she was always smiling and had so much fun, always seemed content with her life”.
That’s how I want to be remembered because that’s how I
want to live!
Take care of you and start making memories not striving to
buy clothes in a specific size!
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