Health and wholeness are connected.
For a long time, I have been postponing incorporating physical activity into my
daily busy schedule. I am grateful that it finally happened few months ago.
Looking back, I think that the timing was providential because it has helped me
realize that health and wellness are part of God’s Divine Plan for me and us
since God wants us to take care of our bodies.
As a woman, I am often offended by
the different subtle ways the media objectifies the female body. Sadly this has
created huge dissatisfaction in many women. Research has shown that a
staggering 80 to 90 percent of women are dissatisfied with their bodies. To
compensate, such women spend hours trying to look beautiful by wearing expository
???clothes or endure expensive plastic surgeries.
Personally, I think that no woman
should allow the media or anybody to control how she looks, what she wears or worse
still, how she feels about herself. A person’s true worth comes first and
foremost from recognizing that God unconditionally and unapologetically created
her beautiful. You are whom God says that you are. We rather be concerned about
the fact that God is pleased with us the way we are for he created us. In other words, knowing
and loving God is the key to developing a positive sense of well being. This
ultimately helps us to recognize our gifts and work on our limitations with his
help.
I decided to begin working out
regularly when I realized that I have not been paying much attention to my
health and wellness. Consequently, over the years, I gained more pounds and
started experiencing pain in my left knee. Since I started exercising a few
months ago, I feel healthier and active and most importantly, most of my knee pain
is gone. In addition to improved health, I feel more in control and my
self-esteem has shot up. However, it is also clear to me that my improved sense
of self-worth is not influenced or deterred by the media.
Our true worth comes from within us.
We have to cultivate the habit of taking time to listen to that inner voice
within us. My faith in God has helped me to develop confidence, acceptance,
humility, and the ability to let go. This helps me feel like I am more in
charge of my life. Taking charge or being in control of one’s life has little
to do with measuring up with what the society wants, wearing heavy make-up or
undergoing plastic surgery. I have realized that I am “in charge” to the extent
that I am able to withdraw and listen to God in prayer. This makes me stronger.
I am stronger because I have learned to accept who I am, including my strengths
and limitations. This has made me wiser. I am wiser because I have learned to
turn to God and rely on him when things do not turn out the way I am want them
to. This has increased my self-awareness. I have also grown in self-knowledge
when I discovered that I need to pay more attention to my health
and well-being.
In
conclusion, I am encouraging everybody, especially women, to begin to love
themselves the way God loves them. It is useless to entrust ones happiness to
others or the media. They have enough on their plates to worry about making you
happy. If you have to change your lifestyle, let it be because it will help to
make you feel better about yourself and dispose you to more effectively be of
service to God and others.
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