neglect <------------------------------------------------> obsession
^
balance point
freedom
Our society seems to have come to a place where more people live on one end or the other of the above scale, than people who live somewhere in the middle.
What comes to mind for you when you read this scale and my following statement?
Finances? Body image? Relationships?
All of the above?
I was introduced to this scale today on the topic of body image/health. It seems that this is probably the one most people can relate to. I know it hit home with me. After all, we are slammed 24/7 with images of what we are supposed to look like. Whether we know it or not, media images affect the way we view ourselves, because we have been inundated with this skewed reality from day one. Women in particular use media images as the measuring sticks by which we measure ourselves.
But, there is no cookie cutter making us all the same. We are diverse in color, height, build, size, personality and life experience. No two thumb prints the same. No two irises the same. Each one different. Each one designed for a unique purpose.
So the challenge for each individual is to find out where their balance point is. Because neglect of finances, leaves you at risk, neglect of body leaves you unhealthy, and neglect of relationships leaves you lonely or hurt. And obsession is like bondage. It is consuming, leaving little room for other things.
For me, personally, it's all about body image. I have to accept that I am never going to be a size 2, because I was not designed that way. To be that, I would have to become fully obsessed with food and exercise. I don't want to be so worried about every bite I take that I can't go out on a date with my husband and enjoy the time with him because I am calculating calories in my head and trying to figure out how to fit in a extra workout to make up for it. And, on the flip side, I don't want to neglect my body either. I want to maintain my health so that I can enjoy retirement with my husband and play with grandchildren.
So now my journey begins to find the balance.
I am going to throw away the measuring stick, and accept His grace, that I may find freedom in the journey.
This really is such an important topic to cover. When I saw your scale I zeroed in on the balance, and thought 'ahhh, peace'. That's where I choose to live my life, doing what works for me. Some people may see our healthy way of living as obsessive, in fact it is the complete opposite. It affords us the freedom of perfect health, which equals perfect freedom to live our lives. I've spent a lot of time over the past couple years thinking about how I've bought into the whole 'perfect woman image'. I ended up stopping wearing make-up completely, and even though I didn't wear much to begin with, it made me feel so vulnerable and unattractive (not to wear it). What's funny is just the other day I was talking to my husband about this and he admitted that he wasn't even aware I'd made a change. Which leads me to believe that I was buying into this image much more than he ever did. I'm trying to teach my daughters differently, so far, so good. Anyway, thanks for a great post. :)
ReplyDeleteWTG Melinda on finding your freedom. Everyone's balance point is going to be different. I think it is so important that we, and especially women, take a look at the areas of our lives that are out of balance and makes changes. It is definitely a journey, but I am the only one who can make my journey what it is!
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