The thing is, we will never be who we were 5 years ago, 10 years ago, or even who we were last year. And that’s a great thing! We are constantly growing – mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Wishing we could go back in time or look how we looked at an earlier date is fruitless. It takes you away from the here and now. And honestly, looking back on our lives, would you really want to go back to how things were? You are STRONGER, WISER, MORE CAPABLE than you were then! You’ve learned from your mistakes and you’ve overcome the obstacles in your way. You are not the same person you were 5 minutes ago, 1, 5, or 20 years ago! Take joy in your ever-growing transformation. Life was not meant to be stagnant, and neither were you.
So maybe you have a picture of yourself from 10 years ago that you wished you looked like now, however instead of focusing on how you looked in that picture (“If only I could lose those 10 pounds and get back to my high school weight”), focus on how you felt when that that picture was taken. Were you happy, excited, energized, inspired? If so, make the changes now that will get you back to THAT state of mind, rather than the weight you happened to be. Maybe you need to cancel some upcoming trips to eliminate stress, go on a vacation, or take some time with just you and your spouse. Focus on the feeling you want to achieve, rather than pursuing a past “goal weight”. Your body has brought you through SO much. It has allowed you to walk, breathe, talk, go to work, exercise, recover when you are sick, go on adventures, have children, etc. Your body is incredible and there is no need to think otherwise. Maybe you are 10 or 15 pounds heavier than you were in the your 20s…but are you stronger now? Are you in better shape? Is your mental health better? These things are make up true HEALTH. Focus on these things and you will truly be able to flourish in the here and now, instead of getting caught up in the “has been”.