United - Brave Together

SHORT STORY

You know when you feel like you are drowning out in a stormy sea, in all the horror around you? That devilish voice screaming at you to restrict more, to cause yourself more pain? And then there is another voice, often much quieter, but still there, telling you to just let go and eat it all, to eat all the things you have been thinking about for so long? That is the voice you need to focus on and listen to. That voice is your life raft. Sometimes you have to be dragged so far out to sea, knocked down by the strong waves time and time again, so that fight that keeps you going will support you when you come to stand up, taller and stronger than you ever were before.

We are kinder to our friends and pets than we are to ourselves. Especially when it comes to what we look like or our dreams and aspirations, or our delicate jiggly bits. A mental trick to help practice some self-love is think to yourself, if I would not say this to a friend then I should not say it to myself. Many of us have a devilish bullying voice inside, but you can choose whether to listen to it or not. The more listening time you give it the more it will be around.

Start today by refusing to carry on playing - remember you are beautiful and deserve the stars, your body is amazing just the way it is, you do not need to change anything to achieve what you want to achieve. If you are finding this difficult get up a picture of your younger self, maybe from around 5 or 6 years old... Would you say the same things you are saying to yourself now to her? Remember all the excitement you felt and your hopes and dreams for your future. When you have negative thoughts look at that photo and give yourself permission to override that negativity. Our inner child is still in there, waiting and wishing to be nurtured and listened to.