Perfection is Just an Illusion

Please forgive me if this opinionated blog sounds preachy for it is truly not my intention.  It is an outpouring of thoughts that have been circling my mind lately and that I feel worth sharing, because I know the same demon that haunts me, haunts too many of us.  In my line of work, it is commonplace for me to hear all the things that people (especially women) wish they could change about their bodies.  From losing five pounds to reducing waist, or hips or thigh size, we all have things about ourselves that we wish we could change.  As a woman and human being, I tend to be no different.  I used to have great abs and though mine are still strong, I surely can’t go to the gym in a sports bra like I used to in my 20s, 30s and 40s and just the other day I was reminded of what great shape I was in the summer I did P90x (thanks, Kyle).  Certainly we cant pick up a magazine, turn on our computers or watch TV, without seeing some sort of miracle product that will help us FINALLY achieve our physical goals.  It’s not really our fault we are obsessed.  We are simply products of the media, advertising and even photoshop.  Clearly 100% of magazine covers use modern technology to make their models (famous or otherwise) look as perfect as they do.  By now,  we hopefully ALL understand this!

Lately, I have been thinking A LOT about perspective.  Watching the Biggest Loser finale the other night, I was noticing how when people lose a lot of weight they just BEAM with beauty and self-confidence.  Someone who was 150 pounds overweight SHOULD beam when they lose 100 pounds.  Even though they may still be 50 pounds away from their weight goal, and still considered overweight, (or even obese) they strut their stuff (as they should) and shine.  Others of us have close to perfect weights, healthy BMIs and yet we are just focusing on what could be more “perfect.”  Personally, I would love to be closer to 120 pounds, than 125 pounds, but should I spend my life wishing I was 5 pounds less when most of the world would give almost anything to be a healthy weight??  As I listen to my students, clients and friends, I hear myself and realize how crazy it sounds to be so obsessed with perfection.

I am on a personal goal to start loving my body for the healthy, strong, temple it is.   Oprah, on her last day of her show, wanted us all to know we all need a platform.  Mitch commented on how lucky I was to have several platforms.  I am going to do my best to use my platforms not only to help people with their fitness goals, but to honor my commitment to helping people find peace, for without peace we can never truly be healthy!  In order to have peace in the world, we must have peace in our homes and peace in our hearts.  In order to have peace in our hearts, we must make peace with ourselves.  We all need to work towards a healthy weight goal, because that seems to be the ticket to keeping all our important numbers in check (such as cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure).   A healthy diet and almost daily exercise will always remain the best way to achieve a healthy weight.

For me, personally, I may never get back into size 4 jeans.  I am working really hard not only on accepting this, but on honoring and celebrating the fact that I my 53 year old body is healthy and strong and takes pretty great care of me, in return for my taking pretty great care of it.  If I can send ONE message out into the world today, it would be for all of us to stop looking for perfection, because THERE IS NO SUCH THING!  Take great care of your temple and then enjoy it.  Spend a little less time obsessing on perfection and a little more time on caring for those around us.